LYNCHBURG, Va. – Hundreds of children, like 8-year-old Jamarius, and his grandmother Jonell Floge enjoy what Amazement Square children's museum has to offer.
But what people can't see are the steps it takes to thoroughly clean every surface in the museum.
"You touch so many things. Even when you're touching it because we're so unaware of it you think, should I be touching that. But I think they're cleaning. I just saw a girl cleaning the lights. Not that we're going to be touching the lights. But I think it's important that we feel safe about that,” Floge said.
To reassure parents it's safe, 4-5 museum educators each take a level, spending an hour each sanitizing every single farm animal, golf ball and even the slides.
"We're all about hands-on learning so there's really not anything in the museum that you can't touch. So that means literally cleaning everything,” Katie Brooke, director of marketing and community relations for Amazement Square, said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says as of last Friday, the flu had killed 53 children across the country. Amazement Square wants to be sure no child visits and leaves sick. This is why the staff members say they use an industrial food safe cleaner.
"If a child comes in right after we open at 10, and something is still wet from spraying. We want to be sure that they're safe with that cleaning. It's a complete nontoxic spray that does kill flu virus all those germs,” Brooke said.
Flu season isn't over yet. Doctors still recommend people to always wash their hands and stay home if you or your children are sick. For the grandparents who are cautious about everything this season, Floge said, "A lot of places don't clean like they do here. So I believe this is a safe environment for our children to come to.”