How to Disinfect Baby Toys With a Home Remedy
All baby toys should be cleaned and sanitized periodically, because babies put toys in their mouths to discover their world through taste, texture and shape. Other babies may chew on toys to ease the pain of teething. Although household bleach or other strong cleaners are often the substance of choice for sanitizing baby toys, some parents prefer to clean toys using non-chemical methods. Washing toys is especially critically when a when child has been ill. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- General purpose or heavy duty laundry detergent
- White vinegar
- Dish rack
Instructions
-
-
1
Launder washable stuffed toys in your washing machine, with the machine set on the hottest setting. Use a general purpose or heavy duty laundry detergent.
-
2
Place just-washed stuffed toys in the dryer. Dry the toys thoroughly, using the dryer's hottest setting. The hot water and heat of the dryer will kill most of the germs, as well as dust mites.
-
-
3
Wash hard plastic toys or bath toys in the kitchen sink or bathtub, using a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and hot water. Use a brush to scrub hard-to-reach places or badly soiled toys. Allow the toys to air dry on a dish rack.
-
4
Wipe plastic baby books with pure, white vinegar. Rinse the books with hot water.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Prevent growth of bacteria on bath toys by placing the toys in a mesh bag or wire basket after each use. Allowing the toys to remain damp fosters growth of bacteria.
Many hard plastic toys can be washed in the dishwasher, using the hottest setting.
Most toys are safely sanitized by wiping the toys with a solution of diluted bleach. Use 1 tablespoon of bleach for each 1 quart of hot water. Allow the toys to air dry completely before returning the toys to your child.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of white household vinegar to hot water for extra freshening when washing stuffed animals..
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
