What's in your child's lunchbox?

Lunchboxes can hold more than your child's lunch. They can harbor germs and bacteria that cause colds, flu, and gastro-intestinal illnesses. The condensation on those refreezable ice packs we all love adds moisture to the lunchbox, leading to mildew problems. It is important to wipe out the lunchbox every night, and leave it open to air. Your child's lunchbox may have come with cleaning instructions when you purchased it, or a tag inside with that information. If not, here are some suggestions gathered from WebMD, Good Housekeeping, the Berkeley Parents Network, and the TAMU Extension Nutrition Specialist:

• Soft-sided thermal lunchboxes should be thrown in the washing machine once a week with a load of laundry, then line dried. It's easy to make this a weekend routine by placing the lunchbox in the washer on Fridays after school. This weekly washing keeps the zippers working smoothly for young fingers, and doesn't seem to shorten the useful life of these lunchboxes. Between washings, they can be sprayed with diluted bleach and wiped dry to kill mildew.


• Some soft-sided thermal lunchboxes have a hard plastic liner that can be removed for cleaning. With the liner removed, the lunchbox can be placed in your washing machine on a gentle cycle, then line-dried.


• Hard plastic lunchboxes should be wiped clean each evening with a disinfecting wipe, or sprayed with a diluted bleach, dried, and left open to air. Some types can be placed in the top rack of your dishwasher for a weekend cleaning.


• Metal lunchboxes must be dried immediately after washing to prevent rust. Food materials lodged under the rim and in the hinges make these lunchboxes more difficult to keep safe.

A clean lunchbox is important for your child's health. Just as important, the improved smell and appearance will make lunch more appetizing for your student.

My insulated lunchbag from Whole Foods isn't perfect, but it is sturdy. I've been washing it once a week for most of a year. The capacity is about right, but I would prefer one with the height and width reversed.


© 2008 Nancy L. Ruder