Little ones love bath toys. Squeezing and squirting water out. Getting creative with colour in the tub. Or playing with their favourite inflatables. Bath toys can be great for your child’s development and also give you a few minutes to relax and enjoy watching them entertain themselves when they’re soaking in the bath.
But at the end of bathtime, it can be too easy to just tidy the toys away for another day. Yet if you’re not cleaning your baby’s bath toys properly mould can grow, as well as other grime and gunk. Here we’ll look at how to clean, sanitise and sterilise bath toys, and give advice on how often you can do it.
Why you should clean bath toys
Just like our bathtubs and showers, bath toys are at risk of mould. It seems a little strange to think the room where you go to clean yourself is actually one of the most germ-prone! But it’s true, baths can be breeding grounds for germs, mould and mildew; the toys soak in the tub and are then left out to dry in a hot and humid bathroom. Germs and other little nasties love this and see it as their free pass to multiply.
So, can mould in bath toys make you sick? Or worse, can it make your child sick? Generally speaking, your child’s immune system should be able to fight off any germs in bath toys. But for children who have allergies or are sensitive to mould or don’t have as strong an immune system, this could lead to respiratory illness, like asthma and lung infections.
In short…it’s good to get in a healthy habit of cleaning your baby’s bath toys.
How do you clean bath toys?
You have a few options when it comes to cleaning your bath toys.
- A quick clean after every bath
After every bath, it’s important to do what you can to prevent mould build up. Squirty bath toys that suck water inside and squirt it out are real culprits for mould growth. Moisture can get stuck inside and mould grows from there.
To try and prevent this, after every bath squeeze as much water out as possible. Give all the toys a quick wipe down with disinfectant wipes to help prevent mould growth and remove any bacteria.
Put them on the side of the bath or somewhere they can dry quickly. It also makes sense to turn on the extractor fan for 15 to 20 minutes to draw out humidity from the room to help them dry even faster.
- Cleaning bath toys with vinegar
Once a week, give all the bath toys a good clean with some vinegar. This natural cleaning product will help dissolve dirt, bacteria and stains. It’s a gentle option to clean bath toys and won’t affect the colours or patterns on toys. It also isn’t harmful. Distilled vinegar really is the best option to use for cleaning, and here’s what you can do:
- Fill a bucket with equal parts vinegar and warm water
- Submerge the bath toys and let them soak for an hour
- Rinse with cool water
- Air dry
- Putting bath toys through the dishwasher
Wondering how to sterilise bath toys? The dishwasher is your helping hand. (It might sounds a bit bonkers, but trust us on this!)
Sterilising bath toys with heat means you’re killing disease-causing germs. Put the toys on the top shelf of your dishwasher as the heat isn’t as intense here, and it will stop them getting damaged.
Pop it on a hot cycle and your toys will be cleaned in no time. Just remember to check the toys are suitable for the dishwasher before using this method.
And the best bit about this method? You can fling them in alongside your lasagne dish for a lovely double-whammy win.
- Soaking in hot water
If you don’t have a dishwasher, or you’d prefer not to use one for cleaning your baby’s bath toys, here’s another way you can clean them:
- Fill the sink with the hottest water possible and add a few squirts of washing up liquid
- Submerge the toys and let them soak for a few minutes
- Wipe them down with a clean sponge or cloth
- Rinse the soap
- Let them air dry
How often should you clean bath toys?
It’s entirely up to you, but you might prefer to err on the side of caution, and give them a quick clean after every bath, then a deeper clean using one of the methods above every week and your child can enjoy fun and clean bathtimes with all their favourite toys.
Interested in more baby and toddler advice? Simply head to our blog or check out our StrollerCoaster podcast.
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