Baby toys look fun and harmless, but without regular cleaning, they can harbor germs. Keep in mind that toys are the most prized possessions of babies and children. Their toys are often by their side 24/7 since they always play with them.
Apart from dirt and grime, toys can also harbor allergens or mold. This article will tell you why it is important to clean and sanitize baby toys. It will also provide safe and easy tips on how to sanitize baby toys.
Ways on How to Sanitize Baby Toys
Baby toys often spend a lot of time in their little one’s mouths. To keep their toys dirt and germ-free, give them a thorough cleaning once per week.
You don’t need to clean the baby toys daily, but after a playdate at your house or one of your children has been sick, remember to give them a special, thorough cleaning
Aside from cleaning the baby toys, regular hand washing is a must. This way, you can reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses. Make sure to keep your little one’s hands as clean as you can with soap and water.
Keep in mind that baby toys are likely going into your babe’s mouth. So, you should consider using a safe chemical for sanitation. It is better to clean and sanitize toys more often when your child is ill with a cold or flu. You should also do it all again once your child recovers.
According to cleaning experts, hard plastic and bath toys are the easiest to maintain. You should also clean and sanitize them weekly if your child plays with them daily. As for plush toys, it is easy to launder them once a week, especially if your child sleeps with them.
Take note that the way you disinfect your baby’s toys depends on the type of the toy. For toys you can’t machine wash, use an appropriate spray or cleaning solution. This is to ensure that they’re sanitized.
Here are some of the safe and easy ways on cleaning and how to sanitize baby toys:
● Soft Toys
Take note that fabric toys can get dirty fast and end up housing nasty germs. You should check the label on the toy to help you decide which is the best way to clean them. Some parents put soft toys through the laundry. Babies often spit up on their teddy, so you should clean it right away. You can use a damp cloth and a mild soap solution.
If the soft toys are machine-washable, you should use a gentle laundry detergent. Make sure this detergent is suitable for babies.
How about the soft toys you can’t launder? You can opt to hand wash them using a mild soap. Then, air dries them in the sun. You can also rub them through a low-heat dryer cycle after hand washing them. After all, heat helps to kill germs.
● Plastic Toys
Babies love plastic toys as they come in several shapes and sizes. Some of these plastic toys are dishwasher safe, which is a good way to clean them. But you can also wipe them down daily using some hot water and dish detergent. For toys with a battery compartment, you should remove the batteries first. Then, wipe them down and clean the battery compartment using an old, dry toothbrush.
● Silicone and Rubber Toys
Silicone and rubber toys are light and flexible for babies to play with. But they also pick up a fair amount of germs. Remember that you cannot boil these toys since heat changes their texture. You can wipe them down with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. After you leave them for a few minutes, you can rinse them and air dry them.
Another way to clean them is to soak them in warm soapy water. Make sure to add baby shampoo or mild detergent or disinfectant. After around 30 minutes, rinse them in clean water. Then, you can put them in the dish rack to dry.
● Bath Toys
While bath time is fun for babies, it is inevitable that they pee in the bathwater. Moreover, there is dust and grime you wash off their body. So, those plastic ducks and other toys in their bath are swimming around in all that. This makes a perfect breeding ground for microbes and mild.
There is a need to wash and dry bath toys every time your child uses them. You can wash them after every bath, then hang them to dry in a net bag. You can also put them in an open basket that allows the water to drain out. If you want to disinfect them, you can dip them in a bleach solution at a ratio of 1.5 teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water.
● Wooden Toys
Building blocks, train sets, and rocking horses are often made of natural wood. Some of them have little grooves where dust and germs gather.
To clean the wooden toys, you can use a damp cloth with the 50/50 vinegar solution. You can use a soft brush to remove any dirt from the grooves.
There is some special care needed when cleaning toys made from wood. After all, you don’t want to get the wood too wet because the toy can warp as it dries out. Moreover, wood is porous. This means moisture can get trapped and become a source of mold.
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