Keep Your Sandbox Safe, Clean and Sanitized

You didn't worry about having a clean, sanitized sandbox when you were a kid. Maybe nobody cleaned yours, but more likely your family took care of you and you didn't know it. Kids are supposed to get dirty, but there's some dirt no kid should play in.

Sanitized sand In general, the best sand is labeled "play sand," and is marked for use by children. Buy sand labeled "sterilized," a process done at the factory. It ensures your sand is free of germs, animal droppings and mold. Play sand can be molded, which is half the fun, and it's soft enough to be easy on little hands. "Natural sand" is rougher in texture, and generally doesn't mold as well. Replace your sand every two years with fresh, sterilized sand to keep your kids safe. Clean and habits The easiest way to keep animals, germs and leaves out of your sandbox is to buy a sandbox cover, which saves you a lot of cleaning. Don't let children have food while playing in the box, and teach them to wash their hands afterwards. Food droppings in the box attract birds and beasts, and they leave droppings of their own. Protect your child's skin from the sun too. Time flies when playing in a sandbox, so rub a little sunblock on them before they go out. Tell your kids it's bad to eat sand. The minute you walk away they'll try a little, and the lesson will be learned the easy way.

The cat problem

To outdoor cats, your sandbox is one giant bathroom. If you don't use a sandbox cover, check occasionally for cat gifts and scoop them out. Cat doo can be toxic, especially to pregnant women. Rubbing eucalyptus or citronella around the perimeter of the box often helps, because cats hate the smell.

Can sand cause cancer?

Fear spread among parents when a consumer group raised the issue of cancerous ingredients floating around in sand, including silicates and tremolite, which are harmful if inhaled over time. According to the New York Times, after months of looking into the issue, the Consumer Products Safety Commission found little evidence existed and said that parents should not be alarmed. 'If we could demonstrate there is a hazard, we would act quickly, particularly because it would involve children,' said Sandra Eberle, the commission's program manager for chemical hazards. 'But in the minds of our scientific staff, that evidence doesn't exist.' For peace of mind you can choose a feldspathic sand, such as SafeSand, which is an extremely soft, white product that doesn't contain silicates.