'What this play centre did after a toddler vomited shocked me'

“Is this a normal play centre experience?”

4 min read

June 11, 2025 - 2:06PM

Parenting

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No one warns you that stepping foot into a play centre during winter is like entering the Hunger Games… but with a lot more snot (we're talking code green).

When Melbourne Mum, Emily, took her 18-month-old daughter for a play date at her local play centre she got much more than she bargained for.

“My friend's daughter vomited in the soft play area over foam mats. She immediately cleaned up the vomit with baby wipes,” Emily shared with Kidspot.

However, baby wipes can only fight so many battles. Which is why Emily’s friend decided to notify staff.

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"They were unable to clean it themselves due to OH&S"

“We expected that staff would have gone to put some signage up to avoid the area, and disinfect the area. Instead, the staff tried to give her (Emily's friend) water, paper towel and an unknown spray and told her she had to clean it up herself,” the mother recounted.

Emily said her friend told staff that she would clean it after changing her daughter out of the soiled clothing.

“They insisted that it needed to be cleaned then and there and that they were unable to clean it themselves due to OHS,” Emily explained.

“Due to their persistence, I volunteered to clean it while my friend was cleaning up her daughter in the change room.”

The mother cleaned up the mess and let the workers know when she was done.

“I told the staff that I had wiped it, but that it needed further cleaning. It was reiterated to me that staff could not clean it up,” Emily shared.

“The staff were notified that the child had peanut butter for breakfast as we exited. I am unsure if this prompted them to do a thorough clean.”

Taking to TikTok the mum retold the story to determine if the process was normal for play centre businesses.

“Is this a normal play centre experience?” she wrote on the video.

Commenters were quick to chime in with their opinions.

“Honestly play centres just harbour bacteria. I avoid them. We end up sick every time we go to one. It's all young people working,” one parent wrote.

“That is disgusting and a hazard! I would not be going back there,” a second criticised.

A third added: “If you want your kids dosed up on hand, foot and mouth, take them to a play centre.”

Emily says the experience has left her questioning returning to a play centre with her child again. Image: Supplied & TikTok/lifeofemily94

"My intention is not to shame the play centre"

The incident has left Emily questioning if she’ll return to a play centre in the future.

“It's made me concerned about the spread of germs, especially as we are now in winter. I definitely won't be attending any play centre that does not have an appropriate response to cleaning up bodily fluids,” Emily said.

The mother wanted to ensure her video educated parents, without causing damage to the business' image.

“My intention is not to shame the play centre, but to bring awareness to other parents that play centres may not be as sanitary as we thought,” Emily explained.

The owner provided a statement after Kidspot reached out for comment:

“I was actually here that day. I have instructed my staff not to clean vomit as I will not allow them to get sick should it be a virus. My staff come first.

The mum did clean and her girlfriend came to the counter. She was given gloves, sanitiser spray and paper towel. The mum left straight after. My staff went and sprayed Glen 20 on the affected area (which wasn't left wet) and we sanitised the whole centre when we closed.

We do have in our rules that we request sick children not to attend our centre.

We are the cleanest centre around and take sanitising very seriously. Not sure how they could say we didn't do anything re signage etc when they left straight away. I also will not leave a sign in the middle of the play area for a child to hurt themselves on or throw around.

No other parent has ever complained about cleaning up "their" child's vomit and have never expected us to clean up for them.”

While the mother didn’t name the business, Bumblebeez Indoor Playcentre & Café at Werribee came forward to clarify their policy in a post on their Facebook page: "Our policy is that we do not clean your child's vomit. I will not allow my staff to clean it incase your child is unwell, I do not want my staff members or their families to get sick... especially whilst we are short staffed atm (at the moment). Parents are given a cloth, disinfectant, paper towel, gloves and a bag. We will then spray the area with Glen 20 and do a deep sanitisation that night. Please note all floors and equipment is wiped down nightly for hygiene purposes. What are your thoughts???"

Better Health Victoriaadvises that when handling spills of body fluids it's crucial to adhere to infection control procedures.

Isolation of the area, wearing protective gear, using disposable paper towels or a chlorine-releasing agent to absorb the fluid, cleaning with a bleach solution followed by hot water and detergent are all advised.

It's also recommended that the area is thoroughly dried, waster is disposed of correctly and hand hygiene is maintained. Contaminated clothing should be rinsed in cold water, soaked in bleach, and washed separately in hot water.