How Do You Dry a Bounce House? (Step By Step)

Most people think is difficult to dry a bounce house. It seems difficult to them because they don’t know how easy and simple it is to do it.

How do you dry a bounce house? To dry a bounce house after you have washed it, set it up in an open air and sun to dry for at least 3 to 6 hours for 2 to 3 days. If you’re at the tropical area, you might set it up to an open air and sun for lesser days. However, the weather conditions of where you’re is what determine the locations.

When you set it up in an open air and sun, check the screws if there is any water to quickly dry it out.

Also, unzip it to remove any water that might have entered inside — or to dry off the moist area.

If you don’t unzip the bounce house or check the screws, when air drying the bounce house you might think is dried when it’s not truly dried.

In this article, I want to show you the step by steps on how to dry clean a bounce house. 

Let’s get started.

Get Your Bounce House Set For a Dry Cleaning 

First, ensure no body is using the bounce house.

Here are various ways to get your kid’s bounce house ready for dry cleaning: 

• Vacuum the bounce house
• Spray dirty spots with bounce house cleaner
• Scrub the bounce house with a soft brush
• Rinse and pat dry any leftover cleaner
• Dry the bounce house before storing

Part of the preparation is to get the bounce house down on a large plain clean surface. Also lay it on the clean waterproof tarp and get it inflated with your bounce house blower.

Unloose/remove the components like the guide rails, step, modular part panels or the netting. Clean these parts separately, this process will allow you to get the bounce house clean.

Before you remove the components, carry out a visual thorough inspection on the bounce house to know the extent of the work.

This initial preparation of the bounce house will, save you a lot of time and suddenly pains it might have cause you if just washing it.

The visual inspection is part of the initial preparation you need to carry out before you start out. 

During the visual inspection concentrate on more traffic area because the area will have more dirt and stains compared to the other sides. 

During your visual inspection of the bounce house, look out for the following:

• Moisture/dampness/wetness
• Mildew and mold
• Dirt or grime build up; dirty or filthy areas
• Physical damage (tears, rips, scuffs, etc.)
• Fading

The visual inspection, is the critical aspect of the job, though it might take your time. Just quickly do it to know the parts that needs more attention.

However, don’t rush your inspection. hence, you’ll miss out on the important part aspect of it.

This visual inspection is a critical step, but it’s not something that should take a long time to complete.

It might take ten minutes or so for the very first time. continuous doing it will reduce the number of minutes it will take you to inspect the bounce house.

Having said that, do not rush your inspection. Take your time and look at everything more than once.

it better to carefully clean the bounce house instead of rushing it that might lead to more damages.

Dry Clean a Bounce House 

Dry cleaning a bounce house doesn’t require you to use water or any soluble on it.

First, walk through the bounce house to check and remove if there is any loose items like: 

• Sticks
• Crayons
• Jewelry
• Toys
• Big clumps of dirt.  

Remove and loose items that can damage your bounce house when start to the cleaning properly.

Secondly, after you have removed those items listed above, take a broom or hand held brushes to sweep out the entire bounce house.

This is an easy way to dry clean a bounce house to get it ready quickly and faster for kids to play on.

Ensure you brush out every part of the bounce house, not just the area children play on but the entire bounce house.

After brushing the entire bounce house, then flip it over to also clean the underside as well.

This is a simple way to get a bounce house ready for kids to play on and make safe and healthy.

Wet Dry Clean With Homemade Bounce House Cleaners

After brushing a bounce house, you might be seeing some area that needs to be wet clean. It could also the entire bounce house require the wet cleaning.

Wet cleaning a bounce house is important because after brush off the dirt, you may still want to wet clean it. Sometimes, the wet cleaning is required as a result of irregular smells or odors.

Then, you need homemade bounce house dry cleaner soluble or original Dawn dish soap. Ensure the soap isn’t produced with bleach that could change the bounce house color.

Gently apply the homemade bounce house cleaner to the dirty or soiled area, and scrub the area with soft bristle brush, a sponge, or rag. 

Carefully scrub the entire bounce house to ensure you carry a proper and full cleaning. If you wash the entire bounce house then, focus your scrubbing attention or effort on the most dirt area.

After this process of spraying homemade cleaner and scrubbing the entire bounce house, then rinse the bounce house thoroughly with a garden hose.

If you don’t have a garden hose, you can use a power washer to thoroughly rinse it. However, you have to be extra careful when using the power washer because it can damage the vinyl and is mainly used on the lower part of the bounce house.

Here are the steps on how to dry clean the bounce house.

Step 1 – Create Vacuum

Before you start to clean a bounce house ensure all the parties have left and no one is left. Then, you can get back to work and start dry cleaning.

Inflate the entire bounce house before you start the cleaning process. Because it is easier and faster to clean an inflated bounce house that deflated one.

When it’s inflated, you will be able to clean the nooks, crannies, and seams properly. It takes more and you’ll exert more force to clean the deflated bounce house.

You might be asking “if the bounce house will carry your weight, since it was not designed for adults.” The bounce house can carry your weight so long you don’t jump around it.

It will definitely survive your weight. Gently walk around the bounce house to clean it. So don’t be scared to walk on an inflated bounce house when you want to clean it.

Once you’re done with blowing or sucked out, you can then apply a vacuum cleaner to come out. 

Pick up any dirt with a dusting brush. Push out the head into the seams to pick up the dirt lodged in there, because that’s where mold usually builds up. 

Step 2 – Spray The Bounce House With Cleaner

Immediately you have blown or sucked out the debris, the next step is to spray it with bounce house cleaner, especially homemade cleaner.

Start from up to spray it down with the cleaner. Spray one panel at a time and scrub. Spray first before you scrub. Move to the next spot when you’re done with one sport. 

Cleaning one panel at a time will make the work easy and neatly cleaned. It will also prevent cleaning formula to form mold in the long run as it drips on the seams pooling system.

If you find any mold, concentrate on that area and use bleach to remove it. Follow the instructions on how to use the bleach to avoid decolor the fabric. 

immediately you’re done using the bleach, rinse the area with cleaning formula to wash out the bleach.

Step 3 – Scrub The Bounce House With Good Brushes

At this point, you need to scrub the dirt off from the bounce house. Begins the scrubbing from top of the bounce house to the bottom.

Using brushes that have good grip, which will provide an enough distance between your fingers and the bristles. Go for a soft bristle brush because it will help scrub the bounce house very very well.

Bristles brushes have good handles that’ll allow you to get into every nook and cranny. This type of brushes will save you time.

When scrubbing, take note of the seams and the stitching. Put more pressure on these areas to properly remove the dirt. Though careful not to push too hard, because it will cause wear and tear on the inflatable bouncer.

Apply little pressure when scrubbing out the dirt and stains on the bounce house. This will go a long way to make it clean and neat.

Step 4 – Rinse And Partly Hand Dry

When you’re done with scrubbing, the next step is to rinse the bounce house. Use a towel/rag to partially hand dry it after rinse.

Start rinse with the vertical areas and remove most moisture with the rags. Then spray the flat surface with cleaning formula at any dirt and partly dry the area.

Avoid soaking a bounce house because it will make the color fade away. Scrubbing properly will remove the dirty instead of soaking.

Rinse will help you to remove the dirt that’s still remaining at the bounce house at the time you scrub. 

How Many Minutes Does It Take To Clean a Bounce House?

The number of minutes it takes to clean a bounce house depends on how large the bounce house it is.

The bigger the bounce house, the more it takes to properly clean it. 

However, cleaning a residential bounce house takes between 20 – 30 minutes. The most consuming time of the job is letting the unit dry. Though, the unit takes a few hours to dry.

Always inflate a bounce house when you want to dry clean it. It’s a bit easier to dry clean an inflatable bounce house than a deflated bounce house.

Conclusion 

Regular cleaning a bounce house makes it hygiene and healthy for kids to play on. Dry cleaning a bounce house is easy and simple when you follow the steps shared in this article.

So, unsure if you clean a bounce house after using it for many hours. If you’re dry cleaning it for the very first time, it might seem difficult but if you continue at it, it will become easy and simple.