Handy Tips for Cleaning Your Baby's Toys

Posted on 05/05/2023

How to Properly Clean and Disinfect Kid's Toys

When it comes to little babies, we want their surroundings to be absolutely safe and sanitized. Many parents are so focused on keeping the room and the bedding clean that they often forget about the toys. Babies love to stuff them in their mouth or put them near their face. This can be dangerous, since toys may be a cesspool for germs. Reduce the risks of your baby getting sick with the following tips.

Regular Cleaning
Toys come in different size and shape and thus require different cleaning approaches. Depending on the item, you can wash them by hand or in a washing machine. To keep the toys of your baby clean on a day-to-day basis, you need only water and a little bit of mild dish soap. These items are fairly easy to clean, unless there is any electronic part or a battery.

Disinfection and Sanitizing
There is a difference between regular cleaning and sanitizing. You need not only to remove the dirt, but also to kill the bacteria and germs. Clean the toy first and let it dry. Then proceed with sanitizing. Make your own solution by mixing 1 tbsp bleach and 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. If you are looking for more organic way to disinfect your baby’s toys, replace the bleach with vinegar.

Small Plastic Toys
Small plastic toys that don’t have batteries or are electronic can go in the dishwasher. Put them in a dishwasher basket on the top rack. Use a little detergent and hot water and you will have your baby’s belongings sparkling. The regular cycle of the dishwasher is enough to get toys cleaned.  When you are done, lay the items on a white towel. Then dip them in a sanitizing solution and let them dry out. Wash by hand the items that have batteries. Clean the outside of the toys with a sponge, dish soap and warm water. Scrape off any stuck food or other residue.  Wipe them with sanitizing solution before drying them out.

Larger Plastic Toys
If you need to sanitize larger toys that don’t fit in the sink or the dishwasher, wipe them well with a cleaning rag, warm water, and dish soap. Scrub thoroughly any stained areas and then sanitize with diluted bleach solution. If you want to avoid this harsh product, you can replace it with a more eco-friendly alternative. Vinegar contains an acid that will effectively kill the germs and remove the dirt from your baby’s toys without imposing any risk to the health of your little one.

Fabric Toys
Your baby’s favourite stuffed animals go wherever your little one goes. Your child even sleeps with them. As a result, fabric toys tend to collect a plenty of dust and germs in their soft fibres and spread them around. It is important to keep your  baby’s stuffed buddies clean and sanitized. Ideally, you can put the fabric toys in the washing machine with a mild detergent and you are good to go. To prevent the build-up of allergens and the evolvement of dust-mites, you should do it each week. To kill any remaining germs, dry the toys in the dryer on high heat for at least half an hour. Avoid using bleach as it may damage the colour of the stuffed animals.

Not all fabric toys can go in the washing machine. Always check the washing instructions of the items, before you toss them in the washing machine. If a fabric toy has an electronic part or other component that is not water – proofed, you can try wiping the surface of the fabric.