Now that we all live in a world where we’re washing our hands 10 times per day, wearing masks more than ever before, and basically bathing in Purel – it got us thinking of other things in our home that are, shall we say, less than clean. Yep, we’re talking about your kids toys. The good news is that they’re actually pretty easy to clean, so we’ll walk you through all the different ways (with and without chemicals) to disinfect them, whether you have little baby toys or even your kids favorite stuffed animals.
Now, while we are considered experts in choosing the hottest toys of the year (humble-brag), we’re definitely not experts in how to clean them. So, we decided to check in with the actual cleaning experts from some of the top brands in this space to see what kind of recommendations they’re providing their readers. Some of the info may surprise you a bit, as it surprised us.
One thing you’ll want to keep in mind is that there actually is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
• Cleaning: Helps remove germs and dirt via soap and water.
• Disinfecting: Helps to kill most germs using some sort of chemical.
Overall, according to Dr. Karen Sokal Gutirrez you really should be cleaning your toys at least once a month. Yes, really. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be super complicated. Just make sure you clean them before you disinfect them. It’s really a two step process.
When it comes to your baby, you know they’re always putting everything in their mouth – like all the time. And while we’re believers in some germs being ok, give them a regular cleaning will help cut down on the germs and dirt entering their mouth.
• Use soap and warm water and let their non-absorbent toys soak for 5- 10 minutes.
• Rinse with warm (clear and clean) water until all soap and suds have been fully removed and water runs clear.
• Let air-dry or dry with a clean paper towel or clean soft cloth.
The soap and water method is the easiest and fastest way in our opinion and – TBH – you don’t necessarily have to wait up to 10 minutes. Honestly, who has time for that?! If you want to kick things up a notch, try adding vinegar.
• Add equal parts vinegar (white, not apple cider!) and water into a clean spray bottle.
• Use spray solution to soak the hard toys (not things like stuffed animals, cloth toys, etc) and let the vinegar/water solution sit on the toys for around 10 – 15 minutes.
• Once 15 minutes pass, rinse with warm water, and then dry with a soft clean cloth.
The only thing we don’t love about cleaning with vinegar is, at times, the smell. One way to avoid this is to make sure you wipe the excess vinegar/water off the toys once you’ve set them out to air-dry.
If you need something stronger, you can always go the bleach route.
• Create a bleach + water solution.
• Simply combine one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water.
• Place toys in the nixed solution for up to 2 minutes and then remove, rinse with clean water, and leave out to air dry.
Some parents aren’t into the bleach/chemical idea – which we can understand. If you want a safer solution and have some extra time on your hands, you can always go the old-school method, which some experts claim are one of the most natural ways to clean.
• Fill a large (clean) pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Once boiled, turn off boiling water, and use tongs to carefully place toys into pot of water.
• Leave toys in water for up to 10 minutes, then carefully remove (using tongs) and set out to air dry.
This method is said to kill all the nasty germs, but is pretty old-timey and can take a while – especially depending on how many toys you actually have to clean. At least it’s free of any kind of chemical!
Now, when we’re talking stuffed animals (and the like), believe it or not, some cleaning experts claim you can actually place most of them directly in the washing machine, regardless of how scary that idea may be.
• Check the tags to make sure the stuffed animal(s) in question are, in fact machine washable.
• Use an all-natural/mind detergent and turn washer on to its most gentle cycle possible.
• Carefully place stuffed animals into a laundry-friendly mesh bag.
• Remove stuffed animals once the gentle cycle is completed.
• Either air dry or place in dryer for a few minutes on a very low heat setting.
And speaking of machine cleaning, some toys can even be cleaned in your dishwasher. Those who have tested this method recommend cleaning all dishwasher safe toys once per week because of how fast and easy it really is.
• Dishwashers are typically perfect for hard plastic toys, bottles, cup, etc. Just make sure they do not have batteries, electric cords, USB outlets, etc.
• Place appropriate toys on a 1 hour power-wash (if possible) or even a sanitize option (if possible).
• Small toy pieces may fit into the utensil holder, while others you may want to place in a mesh laundry bag to keep them all together during the washing cycle.
• Use your regular dishwasher detergent (unscented/natural is always a good option when available).
• Remove toys when cycle is over and place on dry/clean counter to air dry.
At the end of the day, we totally understand that – as parents and/or caretakers – we’re all trying our best and, let’s be honest, don’t really have a lot of time. So our final recommendation? Just do your best. You’ll never be able to keep everything your baby or your kids use clean 24/7 – and that’s ok. Think about it? Our parents basically never cleaned anything…and we’re still here!
Got Tips: Did we miss something (most likely, we did)? Drop us an email to give us your tips and tricks!
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