When you’ve got children, we never forget to disinfect pacifiers, thoroughly clean and sanitise dishes and cutlery, wash our hands before administering medication, disinfect bottles…but what about their beloved toys? Our children spend a ton of time in contact with their favorite games – holding them, putting them in their mouths after they’ve been lying on the floor, and taking them everywhere they go.
Thanks to all of this attention they give them, baby and kids’ toys are covered in potentially harmful bacteria and a whole host of dirt and grime.
So cleaning children’s toys can be tricky. Here are some top tips on how to disinfect and sanitise your children’s toys, so they can play safe and you can rest easy.
Soft toys and dolls
When kids are still very little, it’s best not to overcrowd them with soft toys as they can easily retain a lot of dust. Most of these toys can be washed in the washing machine.
Like most fabric toys, if the material is a mixture of cotton or polyester, it can go in the washing machine. For persistent stains, sprinkle some baking soda on before putting them in the washing machine. Then add 3 tablespoons white vinegar to the machine during the rinse.
If they are non-washable, put them inside a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for 24 hours. This should kill dust mites.
Plastic toys
Plastic toys can be washed with hot water and dish soap. Make sure to rinse them thoroughly to remove any traces of soap.
A simple solution of water and white vinegar in a spray can also be an effective alternative to aggressive detergents or degreasers. Spray toys with this mixture, let stand for 15 minutes, and wipe away the residual vinegar. The vinegar will disinfect the toys as well as cutting through dirt and grease. In fact, this mixture is a great all-purpose natural cleaner for most areas of your home.
Another alternative is a mixture of water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Use a clean cloth soaked in the solution to clean plastic or wooden toys. This will remove any dirt in a flash.
Plastic toys can also be sanitised in the washing machine, but make sure to wrap them in towelling and set the wash at low temperature with a fairly low spin.
Toys they put in their mouth
Toys children are going to try put in their mouth (so all of them, at some point!) need to be disinfected and sterilised, especially with their teeth still growing.
For heatproof toys, this is easy. Boil some water and leave the toys submerged for about 10 minutes. After you take them out make sure to let them cool down completely before giving them back to your baby.
There may be some toys you can’t put in boiling water. You can clean and disinfect these with the same water and vinegar solution used for plastic toys. Be sure to rinse the toys thoroughly with clean water after using this mixture, otherwise your child will be left with a sour taste on their teething toy!
With these tips, your kids’ toys will be sanitised and germ-free in no time. So they can play away safely, leaving you one less thing to worry about.
And if you’re looking to cross even more worries of your list, why not get rid of all of those chores as well? Find out more about booking a Dubai maid, leaving you with less cleaning and more time to spend on the things that matter.