How to Clean Play Sand

How to Clean Play Sand
Written By
Kara Page
Kara Page
Published: May 15, 2010
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read

To prolong the cleanliness of the play sand in your sandbox, keep the sandbox tightly covered when not in use, and shift the sand once a week so that the sand on the bottom moves to the top.

Things You Will Need

  • Sand
  • Shovel
  • Rake
  • Colander
  • Bucket
  1. Shovel the sand to one side of the sandbox so that the other half is empty.

  2. Scoop handfuls of the sand into the colander and place the colander over the bucket, allowing the sand to filter through. Throw away any debris the colander filters out. Your children may enjoy helping you with this endeavor.

  3. Dump the bucket of clean play sand into the empty half of the sandbox. Repeat Step 2 until all of the sand has been filtered. Smooth the sand out in the box using the rake.

  4. Rake through the play sand every time your children finish playing in the sandbox to remove any new debris.

The Drip Cap

  • While a sandbox may provide hours of entertainment for children at a low cost, they can be breeding grounds for bacteria if not properly treated.
  • Your children may enjoy helping you with this endeavor.
  • Rake through the play sand every time your children finish playing in the sandbox to remove any new debris.

Photo Credits

sand castle image by Paula Gent from Fotolia.com

sand castle image by Paula Gent from Fotolia.com

Kara Page

Kara Page has been a freelance writer and editor since 2007. She maintains several blogs on travel, music, food and more. She is also a contributing writer for Suite101 and has articles published on eHow and Answerbag. Page holds a…

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