Tot lots are common areas in every housing society, a place where children get together regularly to play and spend their time in the evening. With its swings, see saws and slides, a tot lot is a vibrant place that’s almost always packed with people – and for this exact reason, every tot lot should be well maintained.
Children are prone to all forms of infections and most children contract infections from play areas as these are public spaces that aren’t very sanitary. When it comes to tot lots, there are certain steps that every housing society should take for their proper maintenance.

 

Maintenance Tips For Tot Lots

The maintenance team in any housing society will be in-charge of keeping the tot lot in perfect condition. They can follow the below steps when it comes to tot lots:

• The equipments in tot lots should be regularly checked to ensure that they are properly installed. Swings and other play items that are not properly installed can cause harm, so these should be checked in a regular manner.
• Missing hooks and worn out bolts should be immediately fixed and any hooks or pins that jut out from tot lot equipments should also be set right. If a particular structure is not safe to use or is under construction, notices and labels should be put up and children shouldn’t be allowed near these structures. 
• Tot lots that have plastic structures are much safer than the ones that have metal structures. Metal structures are prone to rust, so all metal structures must be regularly oiled and maintained well by the maintenance staff in order to avoid this.
• Pest control measures need to be taken in common areas like tot lots, and stagnant water bodies and plants that attract mosquitoes and insects should be removed. Using insecticides in tot lots is not a good idea, as some chemicals are very harmful and can affect kids.
• The many play structures in a tot lot and other equipments like benches and chairs should be power washed regularly. A good pressure wash will ensure that the dirt in such structures is properly eliminated. Once these structures are clean, disinfectants can be used to seal them against infections and microbes. This should be done regularly (at least once a week).
• The sand present in tot lots and in sandboxes should be raked regularly. Foreign objects like glass items and pieces, broken toys, rocks, debris and feces should be filtered out. Due to their open nature, tot lots are prone to bird and animal feces, so the sand in these lots and any debris in the play structures need to be regularly cleaned.
• A portion of the maintenance charges should be spent on regularly maintaining such tot lots.

To practice safety in such tot lots, residents can ensure that their kids wear appropriate clothing and shoes to avoid stepping on glass pieces or debris. A security guard can also be posted near such tot lots to attend to any emergencies and to prevent instances of vandalism.

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This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals.