This post has been sponsored by Clorox®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We're still trudging through a cold Boston spring over here and we’re currently on week three of these colds we just can't seem to kick. And it's right about now each year that I wish I'd been a bit more diligent in avoiding germs. Because while I'm a firm believer that germs build strong immune systems in kids.... they also cause the endless colds. And these endless colds mean less sleep all around .... so bring on the disinfectant!

You probably cringe when your child asks to get in the ball pit at the play place, but do you give it a second thought when they pick up the condiment bottles on your table at a restaurant? Today we're talking about seven places your kids are picking up germs while they're out and the easy on-the-go solution for disinfecting them!

At home, Clorox wipes have always been the easiest way for me to clean and disinfect areas that harbor germs. I love having them on hand for a quick wipe up in the bathroom before guests arrive or deeper cleaning on a Saturday morning.

Now with the NEW Clorox® Disinfecting - Easy To Pull pack, the same disinfecting wipes you love are easy to take on the go. The convenient, space-saving pack can be thrown in your purse, or in the glove box of your car. They're life savers (or health-savers in this case) for eating out with kids and keeping things clean on the go!

This new convenient packaging is great for keeping in your car, your stroller, or your diaper bag for killing germs while you're out and about. I grabbed some, along with the rest of my cleaning products, at Walmart so stock up next time you're grabbing other essentials.

7 Places to Disinfect while out and about with kids

Restaurant High Chairs

Even if they look clean, it's likely the highchair hasn't been wiped down since it's last use (or last twenty uses). Especially during cold + flu season, use a Clorox disinfecting wipe to clean the area before putting your child in the high chair. This is especially important for an area your child is frequently touching while eating -- imagine all those germs going from the high chair, to her hands, to her food, to her mouth!

Condiment Bottles

Have you ever seen the bus boy wipe down the condiment bottles when cleaning a table? No? Me neither.

If you're dining out and the condiment bottles are in reach, give them a quick wipe with a disinfectant before letting your kids go to town with the ketchup. It's an easy fix but it's also an easy place to pick up germs from the last 40 people who dined at your table.

Restaurant Tables

Sticking with restaurants, if your table has just been wiped down it might LOOK clean, but that doesn't mean it has been disinfected. The regular wipes in your diaper bag aren't disinfectants either so if it's a surface your child is going to be eating off of, run a Clorox wipe over it before letting her go to town on the cheerios while you wait for your order (we aren't the only ones who always bring "appetizers" are we?).

Grocery Carts

A lot of stores have sanitizing wipes at the front of the store and this is a great way to quickly wipe down the handle of the cart that your child will likely be holding (or chewing on) while you peruse the aisles.

Do you use a seat cover at the grocery store to avoid germs? Did you know the germs last even longer in fabric than they do on the metal handle? Make sure you're washing your cover regularly (and either dry it on high or wash it using a sanitation cycle).

Waiting room chairs

Whether its other sick patients infecting doctors office chairs or just the forty people before you at the DMV, if your toddler is going to touch the chair then touch their mouth, consider wiping it down.

I'm not suggesting you need to wipe down every surface your child is going to come into contact with, but think about it this way: if they're still in the phase of often putting things (or just their hands) in their mouth, then they're essentially licking each surface they touch while you're out. You can work at teaching them not to put their hands in their mouth but for times you don't want to bring those germs home with you, just grab your wipes.

Water fountains

Did you know a water fountain typically contains more harmful germs than the toilet seat in a public restroom (according to a study at elementary schools by NSF international, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan)? Cold and flu viruses can live on the metal of the spigot for up to five hours, which children often touch directly with their mouths while drinking.

 

You can disinfect this one too, but you should also be teaching your child not to touch the spigot at all when drinking (and always letting the water run for a few seconds before taking a sip).

Carseat

Did you know one of the germiest places your child touches each day is their carseat? Think about it - after every place you go, they come back to their carseat which ends up collecting germs from the playground, that day's Walmartrun, and the pediatrician's waiting room.

Run the insert through the wash every once in awhile and use a disinfectant wipe on hard surfaces and buckles.

Honorary Mentions:

airplanes:

Airplanes are a breeding ground for germs, especially during cold and flu season. It's easy to wipe down your seat and armrests before sitting your child down and then you don't have to wonder what they're picking up when they eat with the same hands that have been touching the arm rest.

cell phone:

Did you know it's likely that the germiest place you interact with daily is your cell phone? If you let your kids hold your phone at all, consider wiping it down from time to time to avoid transferring all the germs you came in contact with during a day to them.

the floor:

It isn't just about getting your floors dirty or getting stains on the carpet. Germs from fecal matter are likely on the bottom of all your children's shoes so make sure they're removing them once they come inside.

 

Have a designated area inside where they leave their shoes and disinfect this area more regularly.

 

Now, I want to know - which of these on the list surprised you the most? How do you keep things clean with toddlers on-the-go?

 

Go grab the Clorox Wipes - Easy To Pull Pack available in Crisp Lemon Scent and Fresh Sent at Walmart to make it a little bit easier!