If there is one thing that never changes when it comes to children, is that they are often as messy as they are adorable. This is especially true when it comes to their toys. Transported from bed to car, to bath, toys quickly become germ hotspots and can increase the risk of illness.
While it is vital to keep these clean, how you sanitize your children’s toys just as important as babies and toddlers, especially teething ones have a propensity to put most toys in their mouths. Soaking them in cleaning chemicals could be just as dangerous if not more so than leaving germs on them.
Here, professional cleaners and parenting experts reveal the six best ways to clean and disinfect baby toys to keep your little one’s playthings sanitary and safe.
How often to safely clean and disinfect baby toys
As with cleaning bath toys, it's a good idea to clean your baby’s toys regularly to prevent germ buildup. How you do it will vary depending on the type of toy and its usage explains Marisa Rodriguez, newborn care specialist and founder of Luxe Baby Custom Newborn Care.
Marisa says, ‘Toys that are frequently used or mouthed by your baby should be disinfected daily, while toys that are used regularly but not put in the mouth can be cleaned weekly. Always disinfect toys after they’ve been shared with other children at playdates, or whenever your baby is sick to prevent the spread of germs.'
With that in mind, these are the six cleaning methods to use according to toy type.
1. Pop stuffed toys in the washer
One of the easiest to disinfect is stuffed toys. To wash stuffed animals, Robin Hilmantel, senior director at BabyCenter, say, ‘Put it in a laundry-safe mesh bag so their buttons, eyes, and accessories don’t get caught in the machine. Then, wash according to the laundry symbols on the care tag. Using a baby-specific or gentle detergent, such as Seventh Generation Baby Laundry Detergent, at Amazon, to avoid irritation and to keep the toy in top condition.’
It is also helpful to pad the washing machine out with bed linens or towels to prevent the toy from being banged around in the drum. This will help it to keep its shape and appearance for longer.
We like the Niuta pack of 7 mesh bags from Walmart as they are zip closure and come in various shapes and sizes for all sorts of delicates.
2. Use Lysol wipes for daily cleaning
Disinfectant wipes should be at the top of any parent's ultimate cleaning supplies list. They are great for quickly wiping down hard toys after use. Taylor Riley, professional cleaner and founder at Boom. Facility Service Advisors says, ‘My favorite method is to always have Lysol wipes on hand. Lysol is a tried-and-true solution that effectively kills most common germs.
‘What I love about Lysol wipes, available at Walmart, is that they can be used quickly without too much fuss. They’re easy to deploy without needing to find a separate cleaning solution and paper towels or rags. You can use them on most surfaces, but the key to disinfecting is allowing the Lysol solution to dwell on the objects before wiping them dry – usually around three minutes,’ he advises. ‘This dwell time is necessary to ensure all germs are killed.'
3. Disinfect naturally with vinegar
If you favor a natural approach, consider cleaning with vinegar.
Taylor Riley, professional cleaner, says, ‘Another way to disinfect baby toys, and a favorite of my wife’s, is using vinegar. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that is safe for babies and toddlers.
‘The easiest way to use vinegar is to submerge the toys in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water, allowing them to sit in the solution for a few minutes. This method eliminates the need for harsh chemicals, but the downside is it can leave behind that unpleasant vinegar smell.’
Usually however, when vinegar has dried, the smell dissipates. Pop it outside in the sunshine for a few minutes to get rid of lingering odors or rinse off with fresh water and dry.
Distilled to 5% strength, this white vinegar is ideal for household cleaning tasks including cleaning toys, surfaces, and deodorizing spills and stains on upholstery, carpets and mattresses.
4. Soak in soap and the sun
Baby toys are one of the many things you can clean with Dawn Powerwash. Scrubbing with mild soap is often all that is needed to help refresh hard toys.
Marisa Rodriguez, a newborn care specialist, explains, ‘Regularly washing toys with mild soap and warm water is simple but effective. After cleaning, let the toys air dry in the sun to kill additional germs. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant.’
Soap helps breaks down the outer membrane of germ cells and kills them as long as you've washed for long enough, around 30 seconds.
Dawn's free and clear range is free from dyes, making it gentler for use on baby toys.
5. Use boiling water
Using boiling water is a great cleaning tip to kill pathogens, bacteria, and viruses without chemicals, making it ideal for baby toys, says Marisa Rodriguez, newborn care specialist. ‘For non-electronic toys, boiling them for a few minutes can effectively kill germs without chemicals,’ she says.
Be sure to check the type of plastic first to ensure that you don't accidentally melt any of your child’s favorite toys. Anything with batteries should be avoided.
6. Disinfect gently with hydrogen peroxide
Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide is another gentle disinfecting solution that is ideal for baby toys.
Taylor Riley, a professional cleaner, says, ‘My final and favorite recommendation is using hydrogen peroxide available at Walmart. You can put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and apply it to baby toys.
‘Make sure to let the toys sit in the solution for 10 minutes before wiping them clean with a wet rag. The dwell time required to kill germs with hydrogen peroxide is longer than with solutions like vinegar or even bleach, but it's safe and kills germs without leaving behind a bad odor.’
How you organize toys between uses can also have an impact on how sanitary your baby’s toys remain. Never store clean toys with toys that need disinfecting to prevent the spread of bacteria, and remember to clean out the storage boxes regularly to avoid contaminating clean toys as you put them away.
