Bath toys are full of hidden germs and they harbor bacteria and microbes that are potentially hazardous to children. So why do so many of us still use them? Well, the better question is what can we do to make them more sanitary?
The first thing you should do is plug up all of those squirty bath toys. (after they are cleaned and dried of course) You know which ones I am talking about, the ones with the holes in them that spray water all over the floor and on the mirror. They are notorious for collecting mold and other nasty junk. How do you plug them up you ask? Easy! With a glue gun! Just stick some glue inside the hole and they are sealed.
How do I clean Bath Toys?
Vinegar Cleaning
Just like in laundry, vinegar is a wonderful natural disinfectant and is safer than bleach. I often add vinegar to my wash load and it always comes out smelling great. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water and let the toys soak for an hour. You can also scrub the toys down with a scrub brush or a sponge and squeeze out the water from each toy and let them dry. If you have a lot of toys that have
Vinegar and Tea Tree Oil Cleaning
If you love essential oils, then you probably already know that tee tree oil is well-known for its powerful antiseptic properties. Make a Soapy Solution for the outer surfaces. Combine 2 gallons of warm water, 3 tablespoons of natural liquid dish soap, 5 cups of vinegar, and 10 drops of tea-tree oil into a plastic container. Snap a lid onto the container, and shake-shake-shake to mix it well.
Bleach Cleaning
Bleach is a fantastic disinfectant but it is harsh so use it sparingly. Soak toys in 3/4 cup of bleach to one gallon of water. Let the toys soak for an hour, and then scrub them down and squeez the water out and let them dry. Rinse multiple times to remove all of the bleach.
Dish Washer Cycle
The dishwasher runs at high temperatures in order to destroy any bacteria, so always check the label on the toy(s) to make sure it is dishwasher safe before using this method. You can put the toys on the top shelf, or stick them in the silverware container. If they are too small they might fall through the top shelf and into the dishwashing drum and then melt so be careful.
Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning
Fizz Fizz Fizz. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) is non-toxic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-mold. It’s basically a miracle solution. So it is a great option for cleaning kids’ toys, including hard bath toys. They’ll fizz like crazy in a bucket of peroxide and come out clean!
- Don’t forget not to leave your clean bath toys at the bottom of the tub. Instead, put them in a net where the water can drip off of them. You can purchase this Bath Toy Organizer and Fast Drying toy net + 2 Extra Suction hooks on amazon.
- When all else fails and you still see mold or your bath toys feel grimy, throw them away.
- Bath toys are easily replaceable and amazon sells cute stackable toys like these colorful open ducks from skip hop that do not have holes where mildew can grow and can also be used to rinse shampoo out of your child’s hair.
