Here’s Exactly How To Clean Different Types Of Baby Toys To Protect Your Child From Harmful Germs
To children, their toys are their most prized possessions. There’s nothing that can delight or entertain them more. Over the course of a day, these toys, whether they’re colorful plastic building blocks or a soft, cuddly teddy bear, get thrown around, played with, slept with, and chewed on.
So, it’s not long before your child’s playthings lose their shine and their stuffed animals become a frayed, tattered, unrecognizable mess.
Since these toys often go into your baby’s mouth, you might be wondering how to clean them safely to maintain a healthy home and keep your baby from getting sick. Different toys need to be sanitized in different ways. Here’s how to kill germs on various kinds of baby toys and keep them looking fresh.
How To Clean Plush Toys
Plush toys can get dirty and funky-smelling pretty quickly, but luckily, they’re easy to clean. Just place them in a mesh bag or zippered pillowcase and toss them into the washer and dryer, setting both machines on delicate.
Instead of bleach, you can add vinegar, alongside a gentle detergent, to the wash cycle to disinfect the toys. Bleach can discolor the fabric, and when your child’s favorite toy gets ruined, it can cause a lot of upset.
Most plush toys also come with care labels, so check those out before going in with your own cleaning methods. Plush toys that can’t go in the washing machine, like anything with battery packs, metal parts, or noisemakers, can be spot-cleaned.
How To Clean Plastic Toys
Solid plastic toys can be sanitized by submerging them in warm, sudsy water and scrubbing them until they’re sparkling clean. Then, rinse them off and let the items air dry before returning them to your baby’s hands.
very_ulissa – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual children
You can also disinfect plastic toys with Clorox or Lysol wipes, chlorine bleach, or a three percent hydrogen peroxide solution. Ensure that the surface of the toy stays wet for two to three minutes in order to eliminate germs effectively.
Allow the toys to dry with the cleaning product still on them. Afterward, give them a thorough rinse with warm water to remove any remnants of chemicals.
How To Clean Bath Toys
Bath toys are usually made out of plastic, so you can follow similar methods used to clean other plastic toys.
Since bath toys are constantly exposed to water, they have the potential to grow mold. It’s recommended to soak them in warm, soapy water mixed with a cleaning product rather than use disinfecting wipes.
With wipes, it’s hard to reach all the nooks and crannies of bath toys. And it’s incredibly important to do so because they may be harboring all sorts of bacteria.
To prevent bath toys from collecting bacteria in the first place, make sure to drain all the water out of them after your baby’s bath.
Finally, we’ll end with some general guidelines on how often you should clean baby toys. For plush toys, launder them as needed or at least every few months.
For plastic and bath toys, wash them every month. You may need to increase the frequency of your cleaning during the cold and flu season.
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