How to Clean a Bouncy Castle Properly – Complete Guide for Commercial Inflatables
Keeping a bouncy castle clean is an essential part of running a professional inflatable hire business.
Mud, grass, food, grease, dirty feet and general grime are simply part of everyday inflatable hire. Then there's the bigger problem that most operators will encounter at some point: mould and mildew.
But cleaning a commercial inflatable isn't simply a case of reaching for the strongest household cleaner you can find.
The product you use matters.
Commercial inflatables are manufactured from specialist PVC, stitching, webbing, artwork and other components. An aggressive household cleaning product may remove a stain brilliantly but potentially damage the materials you're trying to protect.
At Better Bounce, we manufacture and supply commercial inflatables as well as specialist cleaning products developed specifically with inflatable PVC and construction materials in mind.
In this guide, we'll explain how to clean a bouncy castle properly, what to use for everyday cleaning, how to tackle mould and mildew and, importantly, what you should avoid.
What Should You Use to Clean a Bouncy Castle?
For most inflatable hire companies, there are really two different cleaning jobs.
Everyday Cleaning
For general dirt, grease, grime, muddy marks and the normal mess associated with inflatable hire, you need an effective general-purpose PVC cleaner and degreaser.
Our Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle PVC Cleaner & Degreaser is designed specifically for this job.
It's a concentrated cleaner for commercial inflatable PVC and makes up to 50 litres of cleaning solution.
Mould & Mildew Treatment
Mould is a different problem and should be treated accordingly.
For mould and mildew, we have our specialist Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle Mould Remover & Preventer.
This is specifically designed to deal with mould on inflatable PVC while taking into consideration the materials used in commercial inflatable manufacture.
The concentrate makes up to 40 litres of solution.
So the important distinction is simple:
Dirty inflatable? Use the general PVC cleaner/degreaser.
Mould or mildew? Use the specialist mould remover & preventer.
How to Clean a Bouncy Castle Step by Step
1. Fully Inflate the Bouncy Castle
Where practical, cleaning a bouncy castle while it's fully inflated makes the job considerably easier.
It gives you access to the bounce bed, walls, steps, seams, pillars, slide surfaces and areas that can be difficult to reach when the inflatable is deflated.
Set the inflatable up correctly in a suitable area with enough room to work safely around it.
2. Remove Loose Dirt and Debris
Before introducing water or cleaning solution, remove loose contamination.
Look for:
-
Grass
-
Leaves
-
Mud
-
Food
-
Sweets
-
Confetti
-
Dust
-
Grit
-
Small stones
-
Other debris
Vacuuming or sweeping loose debris first can make the wet-cleaning stage considerably easier.
Pay particular attention to corners and seams where debris can collect.
3. Inspect the Inflatable While You're Cleaning It
Cleaning is also an excellent opportunity to inspect your equipment.
You're going to be looking closely at almost every section of the inflatable anyway, so take advantage of it.
Look for signs of:
Catching a small problem early can prevent it becoming a much larger and more expensive repair.
How Do You Remove Dirt and Grease From a Bouncy Castle?
For normal hire dirt, grease and grime, use a cleaner specifically suitable for inflatable PVC.
Our Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle PVC Cleaner & Degreaser has been developed specifically for commercial inflatable cleaning.
Rather than using a generic household degreaser, you're using a formulation intended for the environment in which commercial inflatables operate.
Always follow the supplied dilution and usage instructions.
Work systematically around the inflatable rather than jumping from one dirty patch to another.
Particular attention should usually be given to:
Entrance steps – often one of the dirtiest areas.
Bounce beds – shoes, socks, food and general use can leave considerable dirt behind.
Slide beds – high-contact areas can develop greasy or dirty marks.
Walls and pillars – particularly around hand height.
Climbing sections – hands and feet can quickly leave marks.
Underneath entrance steps – an area that's easily forgotten.
How Do You Remove Mould From a Bouncy Castle?
Mould and mildew need to be treated differently from normal dirt.
And this is where we'd strongly advise against simply grabbing an aggressive household mould cleaner from underneath the kitchen sink.
Commercial inflatable PVC isn't bathroom grout.
More importantly, a bouncy castle isn't just PVC.
It contains large quantities of stitching, webbing, artwork and other components that also need to be considered.
For mould and mildew, use a product designed specifically with inflatable equipment in mind.
Our Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle Mould Remover & Preventer has been developed specifically for treating mould on commercial inflatable PVC.
It's designed to tackle surface and deeper-seated mould spores and, when appropriately used, can also help prevent future storage mould.
It makes up to 40 litres of solution, making it suitable for professional operators managing multiple commercial inflatables.
Why You Should Be Careful With Household Mould Sprays
One of the biggest mistakes we see is assuming:
"If it's strong enough to remove mould, it must be good."
Not necessarily.
Products such as HG mould spray and other aggressive household mould treatments have been developed for very different applications.
They may be extremely effective at removing mould from household surfaces, but that doesn't automatically make them appropriate for a stitched commercial inflatable.
The issue isn't simply what the PVC looks like five minutes after you've cleaned it.
You also need to consider the potential effect on:
Aggressive chemicals can potentially weaken or degrade materials, particularly stitching, and damage resulting from the use of an unsuitable cleaning product may invalidate a manufacturer's warranty.
Never assume a household mould cleaner is safe for a commercial inflatable simply because it removes mould effectively.
If you're unsure, ask the inflatable manufacturer.
Why Is Bouncy Castle Stitching So Important When Cleaning?
This is something that's easily overlooked.
A commercial bouncy castle contains a huge amount of stitching.
Those threads form part of the structure holding your inflatable together.
So when choosing a cleaner, we don't just ask:
"Will this clean the PVC?"
We also consider:
"What is it doing to the rest of the inflatable?"
This is particularly important when dealing with mould treatments because some very aggressive products can attack materials other than the surface you're trying to clean.
Our specialist mould treatment has been formulated with the bonded nylon thread used within commercial inflatable manufacture in mind.
That's one of the fundamental differences between using an inflatable-specific cleaning product and reaching for a generic household mould treatment.
Why Better Bounce Developed Its Own Inflatable Cleaners
Better Bounce doesn't simply sell inflatables.
We manufacture them.
That gives us a very different perspective when developing products for cleaning and maintaining them.
We understand the PVC, thread, artwork and other materials used within commercial inflatable construction.
Our cleaning products have therefore been developed to complement the types of materials used within our inflatable manufacturing process.
The objective isn't simply to produce the most aggressive cleaner possible.
It's to achieve effective cleaning while being mindful of the inflatable you're trying to protect.
We currently offer two specialist products:
For Everyday Cleaning
Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle PVC Cleaner & Degreaser – Makes up to 50 Litres
Designed for general cleaning, dirt, grease and grime on commercial inflatable PVC.
For Mould & Mildew
Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle Mould Remover & Preventer – Makes up to 40 Litres
A specialist treatment designed for mould and mildew on inflatable PVC while taking the stitching and materials used within inflatable manufacture into consideration.
What Causes Mould on Bouncy Castles?
One of the biggest causes is simple:
Moisture.
A bouncy castle comes back from a wet hire.
It's rolled up.
It's put into the van.
Then it's left in storage.
Inside that tightly rolled inflatable you've now created a damp environment where mould and mildew can develop.
This is why prevention is every bit as important as having a good mould remover.
What Should You Do If a Bouncy Castle Comes Back Wet?
Sometimes packing away a wet inflatable is unavoidable.
The British weather doesn't always cooperate!
The important thing is what happens afterwards.
If you've had to pack an inflatable away wet, get it back out and properly dry it as soon as reasonably possible.
Don't assume that because the top surface looks dry, the entire inflatable is dry.
Check areas such as:
You need the inflatable thoroughly dry before putting it back into storage.
How Do You Prevent Mould on a Bouncy Castle?
The best mould remover is still good prevention.
Good practice includes:
Don't store inflatables wet.
Dry equipment properly after wet hires.
Store inflatables in an appropriate dry environment.
Regularly inspect stored equipment.
Deal with early signs of mould rather than allowing the problem to spread.
Use an appropriate inflatable-specific mould treatment where required.
We have also produced a dedicated guide on how to prevent mould from ruining your bouncy castles.
Can You Use Bleach on a Bouncy Castle?
This needs a little explanation.
We wouldn't recommend taking ordinary household bleach and simply applying it to an inflatable.
The concentration, formulation and way a chemical interacts with PVC, stitching, artwork and other materials all matter.
A specialist formulated product is very different from assuming that any strong bleach-based household product is appropriate.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for both the inflatable and cleaning product.
And never mix cleaning chemicals.
Can You Pressure Wash a Bouncy Castle?
We recommend caution.
Commercial inflatables don't generally require attacking with extremely high-pressure water.
Excessive pressure could potentially damage artwork or force water into areas where you don't want it.
A more controlled approach using the correct cleaning product, suitable agitation and thorough drying is generally preferable.
Remember:
The aim isn't simply to get the inflatable clean. It's to get it clean without unnecessarily damaging it.
Can You Use Washing-Up Liquid on a Bouncy Castle?
For a professional hire business, we'd recommend using a cleaning product intended for commercial inflatable PVC rather than relying on household washing-up products.
A specialist PVC cleaner gives you a product designed around the surface and type of contamination you're actually dealing with.
Our commercial inflatable PVC cleaner and degreaser is specifically intended for this purpose.
Can You Use a Magic Eraser on a Bouncy Castle?
Be careful.
Some cleaning pads work through abrasion.
That means they can potentially alter the surface finish or damage printed and painted artwork.
Always test any cleaning method on a small inconspicuous area first and be particularly cautious around artwork.
If a mark is difficult to remove, repeatedly scrubbing it harder isn't necessarily the correct solution.
Always Patch Test Before Cleaning
Even when using an appropriate inflatable cleaner, we'd recommend testing a small inconspicuous area first.
Commercial inflatables can contain different:
PVC materials, artwork, printing, paints, webbing, threads and previous chemical residues.
You also don't necessarily know what a previous owner may have applied to a second-hand inflatable.
A quick test can prevent a much larger problem.
Don't Mix Cleaning Chemicals
This one is extremely important.
Never mix cleaning products unless the manufacturer specifically confirms that it's safe to do so.
Mixing chemicals can create dangerous reactions.
It can also change how those chemicals interact with your inflatable.
If you've previously used another cleaning chemical, rinse the area appropriately and follow the product instructions before applying something different.
How Often Should a Bouncy Castle Be Cleaned?
There's no universal answer.
A busy inflatable being hired several times every week will require a different cleaning schedule from equipment that's used occasionally.
The best approach is regular inspection.
Clean equipment whenever necessary and pay particular attention to high-contact surfaces.
For professional hire companies, presentation matters.
A customer may not understand the technical construction of a commercial inflatable, but they will certainly notice if the castle arriving for their child's party is filthy.
Make Sure the Inflatable Is Completely Dry
Once you've finished cleaning, don't rush the final stage.
Drying is extremely important.
An inflatable that's beautifully clean but packed away damp could come back out of storage with a much bigger problem.
Allow the inflatable to dry thoroughly.
Check folds, seams, entrance steps and other areas capable of retaining water.
Only pack the inflatable away once it's properly dry.
Cleaning a Bouncy Castle Is Part of Protecting Your Investment
Commercial inflatables aren't disposable equipment.
For a hire company, they're revenue-generating assets.
Looking after them properly can help maintain their appearance, protect the materials and potentially extend their useful commercial life.
That means:
Use the right cleaner for the right job.
For everyday dirt, grease and grime, use an appropriate PVC cleaner and degreaser.
For mould and mildew, use a specialist mould remover and preventer formulated with inflatable materials in mind.
Avoid assuming that the strongest household chemical is automatically the best option.
And perhaps most importantly:
Never put an inflatable into long-term storage while it's wet.
Better Bounce Bouncy Castle Cleaning Products
Everyday Dirt, Grease & Grime
Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle PVC Cleaner & Degreaser
Makes up to 50 litres of cleaning solution and is designed for general cleaning of commercial inflatable PVC.
Mould & Mildew
Better Bounce Heavy Duty Bouncy Castle Mould Remover & Preventer
Makes up to 40 litres and is specifically intended for tackling mould and mildew on commercial inflatable PVC while being formulated with inflatable construction materials and stitching in mind.
You can also browse our complete range of bouncy castle accessories, maintenance equipment and inflatable supplies.
More Inflatable Maintenance Advice
Read our guide to preventing mould on bouncy castles.
Read our guide to removing stains from bouncy castle PVC.
Visit the Better Bounce Inflatable Health & Safety Centre.
For more commercial inflatable equipment, cleaning products, accessories and advice, visit Better Bounce.
<< Return to news