Cleaning Bath Toys - Chicago,IL

HI! My daughter's bath toys are the same way & I cleaned them with Clorox Bleach then rinsed them out really well. Then I sprayed them with Clorox Anywhere spray. It worked for me. I also clean her bathmat the same way.

S.

You can get ducks that don't have the hole/squeaky part.

I really don't know if there's a way to clean them well. For very favorite bath toys I've used bleachy/soapy water, but I don't know if all of the mildew comes out, and then you have to make sure all of the cleanser comes out and the toy is totally dry. I try to keep the kids from putting any bath water or toys in their mouths and I use fresh water from the tap when I wash their hair, so if I miss that a toy has become icky, it's not going to make anyone sick.

I have read in a baby magazine that you can soak the toys in diluted bleach water. Bleach kills the mold. But make sure you dont soak anything that will ruin the toys. Plastics and rubber things are ok to soak in bleach. Only use like a capful of bleach and fill a sink or your tub about 1 inch with water. Hope this helps! It sure helps me! Also make sure you rinse the toys REALLY good after using the bleach, you should maybe also use some soap so when your daughter puts it in her mouth she will be safe!!!

There was actually a post here not too long ago about how to clean bath toys and there were all sorts of responses about mixing bleach and water to clean them.

You should never, never clean a child's bath toys with bleach.

If the toys get mold and mildew in them, throw them away and get new ones. Its not worth it to risk your child's health. Bath toys are bound to get mildew-y .. .they sit in water in dark places. Its gross.

In good health,
B.

I used to work at a daycare where we had the same problem with the toys in our water table. You can take a basting syringe or the type yoy give medice in, fill it with the cleaning product of your choice and squirt ir up into the hole on the bottom of the rubberduckie. Let it sit for a bit and shake it around. Then squirt it our and do the same with water so she doesn't get the product in her mouth or on her.

I used to make a bleach/water solution and suck it into the toys over nigh. By morning I shake it up and sqeeze out the water and all the moldy stuff comes with it. Worked for me. :-)

If you don't mind spending the 5-10 bucks, just toss them out and get new ones. If you need to stretch your dollar, get a pack of four toys and give her one at a time. When one gets moldy, throw it out and introduce a new one. You have peace of mind because you know she's safe and she doesn't get bored with the same old toy.

You could also try other toys that don't squirt or retain water, like scoops. Small plastic dixie cups might even do the trick and for fun you could poke holes in the bottom of them so the water runs out.

I do the same thing, throw away the toys and buy new ones. Yess it's a waste, but better safe than sorry. Once mold gets in them, it's not safe. I don't feel like I can ever get them clean enough. I would just keep buying new ones!

i threw mine away
then i clean all her other bath toys in my front load washer on hot water to clean them 2x a month at least

Hi R.,
This seems to be a very common thing - the same question was asked on Oct 2. Many of the responses included bleach water (including my response). I see another mom advised you to never do that - but that's how the state mandates that toys are washed in daycares (I worked in a center several years ago). You can't just dump bleach in, there's a formula to it. If using bleach worries you, you can rinise them afterwards, but so little bleach is used that it all evaporates anyway. It also helps to make sure you squeeze all of the water out after every bath and don't let the wet toys sit on top of each other in a basket - moist and dark = mold.

To see the Oct 2 posting, follow this link: http://www.mamasource.com/request/7116148665231605761

I have heard that using ammonia works well, just let them soak overnight! We use it on my son's toys that stick to the tub walls.

I use to put them in bleech water and make the toy suck it in and then squirt it out then into plain water a couple of times too rinse it out...also try this site they may have some ideas that will help..... http://www.a-mommys-world.com/chat.php

I agree it's wasteful to throw out otherwise perfectly good toys. The mold isn't going to embed itself in the plastic of the toy, so you can remove it safely. And, if there was anything embedded in the plastic, if a cleaner won't take care of it it isn't going to come out with your daughter playing with it.

If you're looking for a safe cleaner that will disinfect the toys, you can use Clorox Anywhere spray. Just put some in a bowl or something and suck it up into the toy. Shake it around and let it sit for a couple minutes. Then, squeeze it out with the mildew. The Anywhere spray is designed to be used around kids, and it is prediluted bleach to be safe without worrying about making your kids sick or bleaching any toys or clothes.

If you want to save money, use the bleach solution. You just need to make sure it is diluted well. 1 part bleach to 10 parts water is usually the recommended dilution. And yes, that is what day care centers use to clean their toys (my sister is a director of a daycare center). Then rinse well with water, and there isn't a danger to your kids, and even if there was some mold left in the toy (which there shouldn't be), there wouldn't be any harmful bacteria growing in there to make your daughter sick.

i would fill the sink with HOT water and add bleach. then i would squeeze the toys so they fill with the bleach water a couple times and just let it sit for a bit. then to the same thing to clean out the bleach