Mildew on Bath Toys

I just fill the tub with a shallow amount of water (enough to submerge toys) and then about 1/2 C of bleach. Put a white towel flat on top of the toys. It will soak up the bleach water so the toys have bleach water on most surfaces. Leave them for about an hour, swishing it around a couple of times. Then drain and lightly rinse the toys under running water.

Also, when the bath toys aren't in use, we keep them in a large colander so they drain well and get good air circulation.

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Recommend to use the bleach in the water bowl or bucket. All toys put in the water to leave for a few minutes then use toothbrush or brush where is the mildew to remove. Then toys rinse the water to clean. If the mildew wont remove on the toys and have to throw for safety. Dont want toddler to develop allergy/asthma from mildew.

K.

try washing them in the washing machine with bleach. It might lighten the colors but the mildew should be gone. You can also put them on low heat in dryer.
Good luck.

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You can definitely put them in the washing machine; just be sure to put a towel or two in with them. The towel kind of "scrubs" that weird slime they get on the outside off.

:) K.

FOr a non-toxic, inexpensive alternative to bleach, try straight white vinegar. (You can buy it in gallon jugs at Costco. Soak the toys in the sink or a plastic tub, then rinse well.

I too say use Bleach, it's the best at getting the mildew off of anything! Throw your shower curtain liner in with it too. Also you can fill your kitchen sink with the hotest water you have along with bleach and throw the toys in that way you get two things done at once, it will make your sink sparkle and the toys are clean!

try the clorox everywhere spray. I just spray that on my daughters bath toys after she is done bathing. It doesn't have to be washed off or anything. After 2 min it takes care of everything and I think it is because of that, that I haven't had any mildew problems with her stuff (before the spray we were having serious mildew issues in that bathroom). Hope it helps.

Have you tried soaking them in bleach water over night to rid the mildew then after the bath a good bleach rinse should keep them clear.

HI C.,
I throw all of my kids bath toys in some bleach water and let them soak then scrub them. Hope that helps

Tilex mold and mildew remover will get rid of all mildew, it is very harsh though and would not let your child be around while you are cleaning with it. also make sure you rinse the toys well after you use this. I would be careful that there is no cleaning residue left behind. It is up to you, but it might be quite harsh. I know I can spray it on my shower curtain and the mildew litterally runs right of w/o rinsing

Honestly, I would just replace them as best as you can. It's just not worth risking her health over it. I went through the same thing when i took care of my nephew. I started to disinfect his tub toys and then i gave up when i found the moldy - mildew ones. Mold can be a risky thing.

not sure what kind of toys but we use hydrogene peroxide to disenfect everything that comes in contact with our kids like that -- toys, straws from sippy cups, toothbrushes. We buy huge containers from Costco and fill a ziploc bag or other container so that item is submerged (suck it into the stuff with holes) and watch the bubbles start to appear. Also, I think the top rack of the dishwasher would be safe.

I just soak my kids bath toys in bleach overnight, rinse well and stick back in the tub. Eventually I throw them away when they get too old and replace with something else they can pick out. They have a hard time if they know I'm throwing it away, but if I do it when they aren't around it takes a while to notice (if they even notice) and they love picking out new toys.

Hi C.,

I wash toys in the dishwasher on a full cycle, when they need it. Dishwasher detergents have chlorine in them, and along with the hot water(maybe not hot enough to sanitize, but still very hot) will do the trick for cleaning the toys well.

If you turn your heated dry setting off, then they wont melt if they and near the element. I haven't had a one melt yet. Or, you can put them in a hosiery bag and put them in the dishwasher, so they don't end up thrashing around the machine.

Hope that helps,

K. W

Throw a bit of bleach in your dishwater and wash them. That will do the trick.

Use vinegar, it's safer than clorox/bleach! I put ours in the dishwasher all the time, and it seems fine. I have not lost or melted a toy yet. I also toss in some vinegar when washing in the DW, it cleans the DW simultaneously!

Wipe them down with a Clorox wipe and let them dry overnight.

Hi C.,
I know how hard mildew is to get rid of, safely! I use a wonderful product called SunSmile Fruit & Vegetable Rinse. It is an all natural product that is even safe to eat...but very effective. I have more information about it on my blog if you would like to learn more. http://lifestyle4health.com/wordpress
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to try some.
S. R

My kids were the same way with bath toys. I used to put them in the washer with a little bleach, and put it on the gentle cycle. It cleaned them, and ended the mildew problem. I would dry them on a rack so they wouldn't melt.

My son's toys always get that and soap scum on them. I just run them in the wash with cold water on delicate.

Good luck!

Hi C..

Try soaking them in bleach water or just plain bleach and then rince and dry well. Good luck.
Mandy

I washed my kids bath toys in bleach and then ran them through the dish washer. You can also try Tile X mold and mildew cleaner and then run through the dishwasher

I am involved with an essential oil company and one of the products is a household cleaner with pure essential oils that will clean fungus and mold - so it would probably work on mildew as well. It is completely non-toxic. Please contact me if you're interested in knowing more about it: ____@____.com

Laundry bleach will remove mildew without affecting the toy's plastic. It can be diluted at least 4:1 and still be effective. It should be rinsable with clear water.