Tips for Cleaning Baby Toys Naturally

Because your baby will be putting some of his toys in his mouth, the last thing you want is to use chemical-based cleaners to disinfect them. But how can an eco-friendly and health-conscious mother go about cleaning her baby's toys naturally? Continue reading for some helpful tips and to see just how easy it is to make sure everything you splurged on at your favourite baby toys sale will be clean for baby.

Washing Toys without Batteries

For plastic toys and those made of rubber or silicone that don't use batteries, you can easily wash them off in the sink with a mild, eco-friendly dishwashing liquid and warm water. Because these types of toys may melt when exposed to high heat, it's best to keep them out of the dishwasher. If you've already made the mistake of putting toys in the dishwasher only to find that they came out ruined, you can always head over to Gumtree to find some suitable replacements and keep your baby happy. Once you're done scrubbing them with warm water, rinse these toys off with cool water.

To disinfect these toys after they've been washed, use a 50/50 solution consisting of water and rubbing alcohol. Spray the solution onto the toys and, after a minute, rinse them off and lay them to dry. This will ensure the toys won't only be clean of debris but also disinfected properly.

Stuffed Toys

For toys that are stuffed or made of fabric, washing is really important. The more you wash these toys, the better, because they can harbour a host of germs and can also have dust mites that can cause your baby to suffer with allergies. If you absolutely don't want to deal with constantly cleaning these toys, and if your baby isn't really attached to them, you can always replace them by shopping at a baby toys sale where you can find a variety of adorable options for your child. 

Many of these types of toys are machine-washable, but check the label to be sure. If this is the case, wash in hot water to kill bacteria, germs, and mites. If you want to take a more eco-friendly and energy-saving approach, you can use cold water in the washer and then dry the toys in the dryer, as the high heat will certainly do the job of killing off pathogens.

For fabric toys that aren't machine-washable, you'll need to use a mild disinfectant spray and clean the surface of the toys by hand. Be certain you read the cleaning product's label. If it says the toy needs to be rinsed off before giving it back to your baby, do so and let it air-dry.

Battery-Operated Toys

Battery-operated toys, or those that need to be plugged in, should never be submerged in water. The best way to clean them is to wash them off with a soapy cloth, avoiding any electronic areas or gaps between parts. Remove batteries and unplug the toy first. Then rub down with alcohol and water to disinfect.