How to Disinfect Plastic Toys

Children's toys can be breeding grounds for bacteria and germs. It's important to clean toys regularly to ensure they don't spread sickness and disease amongst your kids and their friends. Here are some tips for disinfecting plastic toys.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Warm water
• Dishwasher
• Bleach
• Disinfectant spray

Instructions

1. Wash toys with warm, soapy water. Employ the use of a scrub brush to clean the nooks and crannies of the toys. Once you have finished washing, rinse with warm water and dry with a clean towel.

2. Fill a bucket with one gallon of warm water. Add one tablespoon of bleach and stir. Drop the plastic toys into this diluted bleach solution and allow them to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. The bleach will fully disinfect the toys. Once they have finished soaking, rinse thoroughly with warm water. You can either dry with a clean towel or lay the toys out to air dry.

3. Load your dishwasher with plastic toys and run them through a full cycle. Use standard dishwasher detergent and run the dishwasher as you normally would. Place the toys in the top rack of the dishwasher where the heat is less concentrated. This prevents the plastic from melting.

4. Spray toys with a disinfect spray and wipe with paper towels. Sprays can reach into small areas on the toys that may be difficult to reach with wipes and towels. Rinse the toys before giving them back to your baby or child.

5. Clean large, plastic toys such as tricycles, play tables and swing sets with a bucket of the diluted bleach solution and a large sponge. Cover toys' entire areas and then rinse, using a hose. Allow the toys to air dry outside.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid sharing toys between various babies and toddlers. Since these young ones tend to put toys in their mouths, sicknesses can be easily spread if toys are shared.

• Avoid purchasing toys for toddlers and babies that cannot be washed.

• If you have cleaned a plastic toy with a diluted bleach solution, always rinse it thoroughly before returning it to your child.