I was wondering what products are recommended for cleaning infant toys. My daughter has just begun the stage where EVERYTHING is going into her mouth and I really want to figure out how to keep these toys clean. I was about to use some of those cleaning wipes that I use for the house, then realized that they're probably not non-toxic. Wondering if anyone had any good ideas or products?
I like to use the dishwasher or washing machine with extremely hot water. At least that way, most residue is rinsed off.
Dawn dishwashing liquid is a proprietary formula with chemicals that I've read are the same ones used for the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.
Fill your sink with some dishwash soap and hot water, let them soak and rinse. If they aren't "soakable", wash them off with same soap and hot water and wipe.
Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface spray. It even comes in a travel size!
I work in a Church nursery and here's what we do:
All plastic toys that do not have batteries are placed in the dishwasher and washed with a peroxide based detergent.
All cloth toys without batteries are washed in the laundry washer with an Oxyclean like detergent.
The ones that have batteries or are just too big to fit in the dishwasher are sprayed with plain alcohol and wiped down with a clean rag or left to dry.
I use Method cleaning wipes(you can get them at Target). They are non-toxic. For stuff I can put in the sink I just wash that stuff the old fashioned way & for stuffed animal type toys I put them in the washer/dryer.
Dish soap and water. Think about it, it's good enough for silverware we put in our mouths everyday... You can even wash many plush toys b hand this way- or by throwing them in washer and dryer!
I spray ine with Lysol anywhere spray and when they are dry wipe them down with diaper wipes or plain water to remove the residue.
Non electronic toys I dump in a sink or bathtub with a little bleach.
Those household wipes are great for the highchairs etc. but they are toxic so not good for things going right in their mouth.
J.
You've gotten great advice already, but just wanted to point out that if the toys can be rinsed, you can use the wipes on them. Just let them air dry like you would a counter, and then rinse them off and dry them (when you use the wipes you should be doing these steps with anything that comes in contact with food, like your counter, anyway).
Hi C., i have a 10 month old boy, and i clean his toys with clorox bleach. I have a special bucket for this. I fill it up with hot water and pour a bit of bleach and let them sit there for about 1 hour.then i rinse them and let them air dry. I asked my pediatrician about this and said it was great. Good luck!!!!
