2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Young children touch everything they can get their hands on: including toys, of course! Consequently, their favorite stuffed animals and figurines can quickly get dirty.
We know: children don't always use their toys in the traditional way and they often end up, to the great displeasure of parents, in baby's mouths - even older ones too… In short, this figurine who was lying on the floor a few minutes ago ends up in your child's dirty hands and, if it's not her, it's your toddler's fingers that find the way to his mouth, or his eye. Also, children are used to sharing their toys with other children. From then on, the toy box, a promise of infinite pleasure and happiness, turns into a veritable nest of germs!
Clean the toys
In order to avoid infections and illnesses, we therefore clean the toys of our children daily. Good cleaning consists of two steps: cleaning and disinfection.
First, clean the toy with soap and water: no need to use antibacterial soap, simple soap (dish soap, for example)should suffice. The goal is to remove the dirt and grease accumulated on the toy.
Then we disinfect. It is important to clean before disinfecting, because germs, the very ones you want to kill with the disinfectant solution, live in dirt and grease. But how to choose the right disinfectant, which will be both effective and safe for our loves? From the outset, an inexpensive and effective disinfectant solution can be prepared by mixing a tablespoon of bleach in a liter of water. Simple, isn't it? Bleach, when used in the right proportions, is safe and non-toxic for children: in fact, the chlorine found in the solution evaporates quickly. Otherwise, you can choose a commercial disinfectant solution, but make sure it is non-toxic.
Obviously, depending on the nature of the toy and its size, cleaning will not always be done in the same way.
How often?
No need to panic and clean your children's toys every day! It is nevertheless a good idea to clean them on a regular basis: once a month, for example. It is also necessary to clean them on certain occasions, such as when your child has spilled food or liquids on his toys – or on the tray of his high chair. Same thing when your child is recovering from an illness. And, after having friends over, we make an effort to clean the toys withwhich children have played and possibly put in their mouths.
Also know that it is strongly recommended to clean new toys before giving them to children.
Plastic Toys
Little plastic toys that don't have batteries are easy to clean: just put them in the top rack of the dishwasher and wash them on high heat. They will not only be cleaned, but also disinfected!
If you don't have a dishwasher, or just prefer to do it by hand, clean the soiled toy with soap and water, until all stains are gone. Then spray the toy with disinfectant solution. Leave on for ten minutes, then rinse with water before wiping with a clean cloth.
If the toy in question uses batteries, clean its surface with soap and water, then wipe it with a cloth dampened with disinfectant solution. It is of course allowed to dry before giving it back to the child. We proceed in the same way for larger toys, made of wood or metal.
Soft toys and fabric toys
We can find an impressive number of germs, bacteria, mites in fabric toys and stuffed animals: they are nevertheless so comforting and remain children's favourites ! So, in order not to spread certain viruses, it is important to clean them regularly, and especially when the child is sick. So we washmachine-wash fabric toys with detergent and hot water. If possible, they are also dried in the dryer, at high temperature: thus, more bacteria and microbes will be eliminated. And remember that if your child is sick, it is important to immediately clean up any toys they have handled, salivated on, or vomited on.
Bath Toys
Bath toys spend a lot of time in water, but they need to be cleaned too. On the one hand, at the end of each bath, we make sure that there is no water left inside them. We also get into the habit of letting them soak in a solution of water and bleach (or a non-toxic commercial disinfectant solution) regularly. It is not uncommon to see mold or fungus appear on bath toys. Therefore, it is strongly advised to relegate them to oblivion, in order to avoid he alth risks.
And toys that don't go in water…
Of course, there are also toys that just don't go in water: like cardboard books, or puzzles. You will find on the market disinfectant wipes with which you can clean these objects. However, be sure to dry them well with a clean cloth afterwards, to prevent them from getting damaged.
