subject: Cleaning Baby Toys Is Important [print this page] Babies born in the 21st century are lucky as they have a lot of different kinds of toys to play with. I remember I did not have a lot of toys when I was small. Though these toys provide babies with great fun, they also pose great dangers to babies. If mothers do not clean the toys properly, babies may catch sickness like cold and diarrhea easily.
Babies and toddlers love putting toys into their mouth. Cleaning toys does not mean removing all the dirt and grease but also germs and bacteria. Most mothers use soapy water to clean baby toys. Some of them even use bleach to sanitize the baby toys. I am not saying using soapy water and bleach is wrong, but these chemical can be harmful to both you and your babies.
To clean baby toys, you may not necessarily need soapy water and bleach. You can use natural cleaners that can be found in your kitchen. The most common and effective ones are baking soda and vinegar. These two natural cleaners are inexpensive, safe and easy to use. You can use them for different kinds of toys including plastic ones and stuffed ones.
To clean the baby's plastic toys, simply soak them in the sink with water and vinegar mixture (1 to 1 portion). Scrub the toys with a clean sponge to remove all the greases and stains. Finally, let them dry in air. If the plastic toys contain batteries (or it you are busy), you cannot soak them into vinegar. But, you can use the mixture to wipe clean the toys.
Cleaning with white vinegar and baking soda is not limited to plastic toys only. Stuffed toys can also be cleaned with white vinegar and baking soda. If you wish to hand wash the stuffed toys, gather them in a sink or tub. Sprinkle some baking soda onto the toys and wait for 10 - 15 minutes. Then, add water to the tub and wash the toys. Finally, rinse the toys with water and vinegar solution. Again, if you do not like the smell of vinegar, you can rinse with water one more time. If you use machine to wash the stuffed toys, simply use baking soda as your laundry powder. Add 3 cupful of white vinegar to water during rinse cycle.
How often should I clean the baby toys is a very good question to ask. There is no absolute answer and it totally depends on your available time. My suggestion is you should clean them at least once a week. But, if you notice that your baby catches a cold or suffers from diarrhea, you may have to clean your baby toys more often. Also, if your baby always share toys with other kids, you may wish to clean the toys immediately after their playing to prevent cross contamination.
