How to Clean Mildew off of Bath Toys
Mildew on children's bath toys is a serious problem. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel cited Paul Biedrzycki, the city's director of disease control and environmental health, as saying that mildew could be a problem after a 2008 flood. He described mildew as mold spores which posed a risk for allergies, asthma and respiratory distress, especially for the very young. Check your child's bath toys for mildew and clean them up, or throw them away if they are beyond help. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Run a gallon of warm water into the plastic tub. Add 3/4 cup of bleach to the water. Dip the toys into the bleach. If they are hollow, with an opening where water can enter, squeeze water into them and squirt it out several times. Use a toothbrush to scrub away small lines or blotches of mildew.
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Empty the plastic tub, rinse it and fill it with clear cold water. Rinse the toys thoroughly in the tub. Again, squeeze water in and out of the hollow, open toys.
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Dry the toys with a soft, absorbent cloth. Place them on a shelf, preferably one which has a bottom that is open to the air, such as a wire rack. Allow them to finish drying. Examine the toys for mildew again before giving them back to your child. If the mildew is still there, you can add a further step in cleaning.
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Spray straight white vinegar water on the toys. Squeeze it up into the hollow, open toys.Do not rinse the vinegar off. Let the toys dry and see if the mildew disappears.
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Throw away any toys that are beyond help and replace them. Bathtub rims and some shelves allow bath toys to sit in pools of the water that drains out of or off of them. Get and install a wire or mesh shelf that provides for this drained water to go away from the toys all together.
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Tips & Warnings
To prevent mildew in a new rubber ducky, squeeze it several times to discharge all the water every time it is used.
Mildew is harmful to your children and to you. Get rid of it right away and prevent its recurrence.
