Lifeguards use their whistles quite frequently for their job. With all the mouth and dirt in the surrounding, it can get quite dirty. Lifeguards often times lay their whistles places and don’t realize that the place is crawling with germs. Then they put the whistle in their mouth again. While germs are going to happen with anything you do, cleaning the lifeguard whistle is a great way to keep many of them away.
There are a few ways to properly clean the lifeguard whistle that are quick and simple.
Metal whistle
Many lifeguards may think because their whistle is made of metal it doesn’t need to be cleaned. That is incorrect. A great way to clean a metal whistle is by boiling it.
1. Fill a pot with enough water to fully cover the whistle.
2. Wait for the water to come to a boiling point.
3. Let the whistle boil in the boiling water for up to 10 minutes.
4. Turn off the stove and wait for the water to completely cool.
5. Remove the whistle from the water and place it somewhere where it can dry.
Plastic whistle
The boiling water method will not work with plastic whistles, so please don’t try. Lifeguards have to be careful with plastic whistles as hot water may cause them to melt or bend. A way to properly clean a plastic whistle is with mouthwash.
1. Place enough mouthwash in a bowl to cover the whistle. Also, make sure the mouthwash you are using is antiseptic to help with fighting germs and bacteria.
2. Place whistle in bowl and let soak for 30 minutes. This will help tremendously with removing all germs.
3. Run water over the whistle for about a minute.
4. Place somewhere safe and let it dry overnight.
Other methods
A possibly quicker, method to cleaning a whistle is a Q-tip in water. Just dip the Q-tip sides in water and use each side to rub the entire whistle clean. This alone won’t help to disinfect it, so also add another Q-tip in alcohol and disinfect the whistle.
Extra cleaning
If an extra cleaning to the lifeguard whistle is wanted, lifeguards can try purchasing a cheap toothbrush from the dollar store and scrubbing the outside as well as the inside. This can work for both metal and plastic whistles as well. Use cool water after thoroughly cleaning them. The toothbrush method can help with putting an extra shine in the metal whistle as well.
