Cleaning Water Squirt Toys

Try a little bleach water or a vinegar water rinse. With bleach, look at the label for the solution- it's probably only a few tablespoons of bleach to a quart of water. draw it up in the toys, swish it and maybe even let it sit a few minutes (not a long time) then squirt back out. I think I'd try squirting it numerous times after the solution is out just to get some fresh drier air in.
I noticed someone wrote about using alcohol...if there is still water in the toy, the alcohol will mix wtih it to make a gel. (If you ever need a cold pack, mix 4c alcohol to 1c water and put in ziptop bag in freezer!)

I would suck up white vinegar and swirl it around - it will not hurt the child because it is not toxic, but vinegar kills mold and bacteria. Also- try to remember to squeeze out all the water and let them dry after each bath time and it will help preserve them for longer.

It is mold that is growing in there. I have no idea how to get rid of it other than to just throw them away & replace them. We recently got rid of anything that could retain water because of a mold allergy so thankfully I will not have to deal with this problem anymore. I hope you find something that works. I would love to be able to give my daughter her squirt toys back.

It is probably a mold developing inside the toy. We have this problem too. What I do is soak the toys in a water/bleach mixture. Be sure to suck some of the water into the toy and shake it around and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then rinse and flush them out with clean water. It seems to keep them cleaner longer too. Good luck.

Hi, R. - Sol-U-Mel kills mold, mildew, and spores. Perfect for this type of situation!

I use bleach and hot water and clean the toys inside and out once a week - I also make sure to squeeze as much water as possible out of the toys after each bath - if a toy is difficult to empty of water and it starts to stink or anything I will just throw it out. Keep the number of toys down to a easy to clean number and alternate toys by switching the toys you keep out for bath. : )
Danielle

I have this same issue and was pondering a solution the other day....it is mold from the old water sitting inside the toys- and I HATE IT!! I was thinking of how to get rid of the prob and I think I am going to try squirting all the water I can out of the toy, and then 'sucking up' a little rubbing alcohol and shaking that around inside the toy and leave them to dry- spout up. My theory is the alcohol will dry the water out help it evaporate- so no mold can grow.?? Or I guess put the toys on something warm or hot to dry them out quickly and thoroughly. Well, I'm gonna try the alcohol and see if it works....

We have a septic tank and have switched to using vinegar as a cleansing agent in place of bleach. Vinegar works just as well as bleach and is non-toxic to us humans (and septic tanks). Bleach is harmful to the enviroment if it gets into your ground.

So I use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to clean Everything, including baby and bath toys. Good luck!

Hi R.,

I use Sol-u-Mel to saok the bath toys in. Works great and smells good! And it won't hurt your son if he accidentally has some.

I hate those toys!!! Mostly, I find it best to toss them. CLeaning them out takes a long time and doesn't fully do the job. I would love to see if someone else has a trick... Once I had some luck using boiling water - I had a thick kitchen glove and it took a while but I filled the toy with the hot hot water and let it sit, then when it had cooled I squeezed it out. But it got gross within a few months again. Try to find the toys that you can't fill with water!!

yes it happens when water sets in toys. The only solution is to either not leave water in them or wash once a week with a bleach solution. I hate these toys but they are a necessary toy since most bath toys are made this way. I'm not sure why they do it since it does this every time. My suggestion is to squeeze out the water EVERY day and once a week wash with bleach and water. Good luck

Added- Bleach isn't toxic in small amounts. I'm former military and Bleach is added to the water to keep it from going bad. We drank it every day in small amounts.
Adding a little to the water to clean isn't harmful unless you don't put water and than leave it on it..