Cleaning Board Books

I think that kids are not being exposed to enough "dirt" to build up healthy immune systems. Research actually shows that kids who live on farms are healthier than kids who live in town--the hypothesis is that all the playing in dirt "innoculates" them to various bacteria & viruses. So yes, I'm the "bad mom" who has never wiped down a toy unless it has visible dirt on it, I've never wiped down a shopping cart before putting my kids in it, I don't carry anti-bacterial no-water hand wash...etc, etc, etc.

And I can't managed to get my kids to catch chicken pox, even though I've exposed them multiple times. They are just too gosh darned healthy.

Hi,

1. Books are GREAT at this age--my son is almost 2 now, and he will entertain himself by "reading" for 30-40 minutes on end--it is so much better for him than TV--and it gives mommy the break she needs...and I know it's because we read to him so young--and by "read", I mean we just talked about the pictures

2. I bought lots of books of ebay, and I would clean them with hyrdrogen peroxide, followed by rubbing alcohol. the clorox/lysol products are FULL of nasty, noxious chemicals and you DO NOT want your child to put it in their mouth...I use hydrogen peroxide followed by rubbing alcohol because a Va Tech study showed that that combo killed more germs than bleach--and is SAFE for a baby.

Have fun--books at that age are GREAT!!!

I work in the infant room at a daycare. We use Clorox wipes on just about everything. We, also, use Lysol disinfectant spray on toys and books. You have to make sure it dries before you let him have them. I think it's excellent to start him out with books at this age. Good luck and God bless.

I use the Target brand disinfectant wipes, similar to the Clorox wipes mentioned by someone else on the list. They don't soak the book so you don't have to worry about that and they get it clean. The wipes dry quickly and I've never had any problems with using them to clean new & used board books.

I'm not really sure that would help, I kind feel that board games are too advanced for 6 month old babies and the pieces will be too little for him.... sorry...

I would just wipe them off with a slightly damp cloth dipped in the dish detergent. Also, I noticed with my babies that once they started putting the books in their mouth, which of course they all do, they could actually make it soggy and they would be chewing on and actually eating the cardboard. I have had to dig little pieces of cardboard out of their mouthes. Just keep close watch on your little one! Take care.

L., I am a grand mother raising two grandsons. What I would do is put some hydrogen peroxide on a cottonball and wipe the books down, page by page. Don't soak the pages just wipe lightly. Clorox can make him sick, but peroxide won't.
V. S.

Because they are pretty glossy, I would just take a damp paper towel with some dishwashing liquid and just wipe them down then take a dry paper towel and dry them off. I have used that Clorox Anywhere spray on toys but I wouldn't put it on the cardboard books.