I personally have had lots of trouble figuring out exactly what I could use to clean paint, etc. off of our tables that wasn't a) sopping wet b) something that would require a lot of elbow grease and time c) a nasty chemical or d) going to make the mess bigger!
I observed my awesome art teacher friend and colleague Marla Roberson at Herod Elementary a couple of months ago and she had her students use baby wipes to clean the tables. I got a couple of packs and gave them a try. They are wonderful!
First, they somehow dissolve tempera paint off Formica immediately--minimal scrubbing required. Second, they clean up glue marks and other gunk. And last but not least, they smell delightful and they are not harsh on the kids' hands like antibacterial wipes. As soon as a student cleans up their tools, I hand them a baby wipe and presto...clean tables!
I like baby wipes, too,especially for cleaning oil pastels off fingers. Works great, and also cleaned oil pastels and chalk pastels off tables beautifully! But I can go through more than a pack in a day if I'm not careful how I hand them out. I have one class that gets VERY upset with me when I call them baby wipes; they are kindergartners, NOT BABIES, and they want to make that very clear to me!!
ReplyDeleteThey are also a great pre-treater if someone gets paint on their clothes. I rub wipes on my kids' clothes if there's a stain that I can't get to with actual pre-treater for a while and it works great.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE baby wipes too. I usually give each child a wipe. I tell them to wipe their hands off first, and then they use the same wipe to clean their tables. This way I avoid the sink hand washing drama that can develope, and also clean the tables at the same time.
ReplyDeleteOnly another Elementary Art teacher could understand this timeless dilemna-to wipe or to wash, that is the question!LOL
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