09/05/2026
Back-to-school season brings fresh notebooks, new teachers, and new routines. It also brings backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, tablets, sports equipment, and classroom supplies that travel between school and home every day.
You know what else travels back and forth between school and home – germs! While it’s impossible to avoid every germ, regularly cleaning high-touch school supplies can help reduce the spread of illness throughout the school year.
The good news? Most school gear can be cleaned in just a few minutes as part of a simple after-school routine.
Backpacks may be one of the hardest-working items kids own. They spend time on classroom floors, buses, cafeterias, gym floors, and playgrounds.
Pay special attention to:
•The bottom of the backpack
•Shoulder straps and handles
•Zippers and frequently touched areas
•Interior pockets that hold snacks or school supplies
•Many backpacks can be machine washed according to manufacturer instructions. For everyday maintenance, wipe down or disinfect frequently touched surfaces regularly during the school year.
Lunch boxes come into contact with food, hands, desks, lunch tables, and sometimes the mystery banana that gets forgotten over the weekend 😳.
To keep lunch boxes fresh:
•Empty them daily.
•Wash removable containers according to manufacturer instructions.
•Wipe down or disinfect interior and exterior surfaces daily.
•Pay special attention to handles, zippers, and closures.
•Regular cleaning can also prevent odors from developing throughout the school year. Don’t forget the exterior of the lunch box, which is touched by not-so-clean hands and placed on classroom and cafeteria surfaces.
