- Stick them in the dishwasher! Make sure the water is set to 120 degrees, as this is the safest temperature for cleaning toys.
- Boil them! If you are dealing with a very small amount of toys (that aren’t electronic) you can just put them in a pot of boiling water.
- Use a little soap and warm water! When dealing with fabric toys, sanitizing these can be as simple as a quick dip in a warm, soapy bath.
- Disinfectant sprays and a cloth! For toys that are electronic, simply spray a rag with a disinfectant and wipe clean.
Besides your home, where else are children playing with and touching toys? They’re around toys at their pediatrician’s offices, at school and in their friends’ homes. Schools are required to sanitize toys daily to prevent germs from spreading, but how often are the toys being sanitized in your pediatrician’s office, or at your friend’s house? However, it is also necessary to understand the importance of sanitizing toys frequently in your own home. Bacteria can be brought into your home several ways, including on your child’s hands, or even in the mouth of a pet, and we need to prevent that bacteria from spreading.
We recommend doing a quick clean of these toys once a month. This may sound like overkill, but the process can be simple (depending on how full your toy boxes are of course!). Here are a few ways you can sanitize the toys in your home:
