How to Keep Your Kids’ Toys Clean and Sanitized
Keeping your home clean and free of germs is always top of mind, especially when it comes to making sure the environment is safe for your children. It’s important to make sure that you are cleaning and disinfecting their toys regularly so that they can stay healthy. Let’s take a look at the best way to do this.
Cleaning Toys with Water
The first step in cleaning toys is to use warm water and a mild soap or detergent. This should be done once a week, or more often if needed due to messier playtime activities. Soft cloths or sponges can be used for plastic, rubber, or metal toys. For stuffed animals and other fabric items, use a lint-free cloth and spot treat any visible dirt with the mild detergent. If there are any detachable parts on the toy, make sure to remove them before cleaning them separately. After cleaning with soap or detergent, rinse all of the toys off with warm water then let them air dry completely before putting them away.
Disinfecting Toys
Once every couple weeks (or more often if needed), it’s important to also disinfect toys in order to kill bacteria and viruses such as E. coli or salmonella that can linger even after regular cleaning. A 10 percent bleach solution is the most effective way to do this—simply mix one part bleach in nine parts water then place the solution into a spray bottle for easy application onto the toy surfaces. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for several minutes before wiping it down with a damp cloth then rinsing with clear water and allowing it to air dry completely before putting away again.
Avoid using bleach solutions on wooden toys
For wooden toys, avoid using bleach solutions as some wood finishes may not react well—instead opt for an antibacterial cleaner like hydrogen peroxide instead which has been proven effective against E-coli without bleaching out paint colors from wooden surfaces like bleach does. Just like with bleach solutions, allow time for the surface of wooden toys to soak in hydrogen peroxide then wipe down with a damp cloth before rinsing off completely and allowing it to air dry fully before storage.
Keeping your home clean—especially when there are kids around—is essential for good health and overall sanitation! It’s important to remember that while regular dusting helps keep surfaces clean from day-to-day dirt build up, weekly deep cleans are key when it comes to disinfecting surfaces including those on kids’ toys which tend get lots of hands on attention! By following these steps you’ll help ensure your children stay healthy by playing with germ free toys!