Cleaning Bounce Houses: What Happens Between Rentals
Cleaning an inflatable is more than wiping down what you can see. After thousands of cleanings, we've learned that drying, cleaning, sanitizing and inspecting all play a part in getting an inflatable ready for its next event.
How do you clean a bounce house?
A thorough bounce house cleaning generally involves removing heavy dirt when necessary, completely drying the inflatable, vacuuming out debris, cleaning the surfaces, sanitizing the areas guests contact, and inspecting the unit while it is open. The exact process changes depending on how the inflatable was used and the condition in which it comes back.
There Is More to a Bounce House Rental Than Setup and Pickup
The bounce house rental industry can look pretty glamorous from the outside. We pull up, set up an inflatable, collect it after the event and that's it.
Well, that's not quite all.
One of the biggest jobs happening behind the scenes is cleaning. There are several ways to clean an inflatable, and over the years I've tried almost all of them. After thousands of cleanings, we've learned which steps are essential and which methods work best for different situations.
A bounce house coming back from a dry backyard birthday party is very different from a water slide returning after a long weekend of use. Sometimes we're dealing with a little grass and dirt. Sometimes the cleaning process is much more involved.
Here is a look at the basic process we use behind the scenes.
Our Bounce House Cleaning Process
Not every inflatable needs every step at the same intensity, but these are the major stages we work through when preparing equipment for another rental.
Step 1: Start With the Condition of the Inflatable
Hopefully you never see an inflatable come back so dirty that you can barely tell what color it is supposed to be, but after enough rentals it eventually happens.
Heavy mud and ground-in dirt require much more work than routine cleaning. In extreme cases, we may need to carefully wash the inflatable from the top down before beginning the normal cleaning process.
The important part is recognizing that there isn't one cleaning method for every rental. We start by looking at how the unit was used and what condition it is in.
Step 2: Drying Is One of the Most Important Steps
After rain or a water slide rental, drying becomes a major part of maintaining the inflatable. There really isn't a shortcut here. The unit needs enough time open and inflated for trapped moisture to escape.
Depending on the inflatable and conditions, this can take several hours. Standing water is removed and areas that can hold moisture are checked carefully.
One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that an inflatable can look dry without actually being dry.
Where Moisture & Debris Like to Hide
The obvious surfaces are only part of the job. These are some of the areas that deserve extra attention before an inflatable is considered ready.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Are Two Different Jobs
Once the inflatable is dry, the routine cleaning process has two major parts: removing loose debris and cleaning the surfaces.
Step 3: Vacuum the Inflatable
We pay particular attention to creases and corners. Small rocks, grass and sand can hide in these areas, and debris left around stitching can contribute to unnecessary wear.
A wet/dry vacuum with an extended hose makes it easier to reach these areas and remove material before wiping the inflatable down.
Step 4: Clean the Surfaces
After the loose material has been removed, the inflatable is wiped down with an appropriate cleaning solution.
Routine maintenance is much easier than trying to recover an inflatable that has been allowed to become heavily soiled. Difficult spots may require additional attention before the unit is ready.
Step 5: Sanitize Guest-Contact Areas
Cleaning visible dirt isn't the same thing as sanitizing. Areas guests regularly touch—including the bouncing surface, walls and other reachable surfaces—receive additional attention as part of the process.
This is an important step because not everything that needs to be removed from an inflatable is something you can see.
Step 6: Inspect While It's Open
Inspection isn't technically cleaning, but an inflated unit gives us an opportunity to look closely at stitching, entrances, exits and other stress areas.
We also continue looking over the inflatable as it is deflated, folded and rolled. That gives us a chance to inspect areas that aren't as easy to see while the unit is standing.
The Part Customers Usually Never See
Cleaning is a major part of operating a bounce house rental company. The more equipment a company owns, the more time, labor and expense goes into maintaining it. Whether it's 105 degrees outside or 40 degrees, equipment still has to be prepared for the next customer. After thousands of cleanings, that behind-the-scenes work has become just as much a part of the rental process as delivery and setup.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Bounce Houses
How do you clean a bounce house between rentals?
The process depends on how the inflatable was used and how dirty it is. Typical steps include drying the unit when necessary, vacuuming debris from corners and creases, cleaning surfaces, sanitizing guest-contact areas and inspecting the inflatable.
Do bounce houses need to be completely dry?
Drying is especially important after rain or water use. Moisture can remain under slide pads, around seams and in other less-visible areas even when the main surfaces appear dry.
Is cleaning the same as sanitizing a bounce house?
No. Cleaning removes visible dirt and debris, while sanitizing addresses guest-contact surfaces after the normal cleaning process. Both are separate parts of preparing an inflatable.
Do you inspect bounce houses while cleaning them?
Yes. Having an inflatable open provides a good opportunity to inspect stitching, entrances, exits and other stress areas. We can continue checking additional surfaces while the unit is deflated, folded and rolled.
