Diluted bleach is a safe and inexpensive way to disinfect baby toys. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. There are plenty of bleach-alternatives that will do just as good a job at cleaning your bathroom. Vinegar is a great household grease cutter and limescale remover and while it can kill some germ strains, it's not powerful enough to reach the sanitizing and disinfecting levels required to be recognized and registered by the EPA. Below, our How frequently toys need cleaning depends on how loved they are (a.k.a how much they get played with). Plus, how often you need to clean your kids' toys. (July 7, 2012) http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Portals/0/Health/EnvironmentalHealth/healthyhomes-safer%20alternatives.pdfMaker, Melissa. "Natural Alternatives to Bleach for Disinfecting." People should always read the label for proper usage instructions. To disinfect, mix ½ cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water, let toys soak for five minutes, then rinse well.
Disinfect with a chlorine bleach solution of one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water. Beyond oxygen bleach, there's an amazing variety of safe bathroom cleaners out there. Lay out toys to air dry. Always make a fresh bleach solution each time. It disinfects and cleans just as well as chlorine bleach, but because its active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, it's completely nontoxic and odor-free. National Geographic. "Clean and Green." A thick paste made of a half-cup of vinegar and a quarter-cup baking soda will spiff up bathroom tiles -- as will scrubbing with half a lemon dipped in borax powder.A spray consisting of equal parts vinegar, baking soda and water is an excellent multipurpose cleaner.Sprinkle a cup of borax and a quarter-cup of vinegar into your toilet bowl, let it sit overnight, then scrub and flush in the morning.Unclog a drain by pouring down a handful of baking soda and a half-cup of vinegar, covering for 15 minutes and then flushing with 2 quarts of boiling water.Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. If the color bleeds when you blot the drop with a paper towel, don't machine wash it. (July 7, 2012) http://grist.org/article/i-dont-want-no-scrub/Wieman, Bethany. Combat Cooties Using a Germ-Busting Bleach Solution.

If you are looking for a more natural, plant-based alternative to chemical disinfectants, products like Solid plastic toys, like rubber rings, animal figures and building blocks and bricks can easily be Be sure to keep the toy's surface wet for at least 10 seconds to sanitize with a wipe (or for the time recommended on the product's label) and for five minutes to disinfect with the bleach and water solution and let it air dry. May 24, 2011. "Sodium Hypochlorite Poisoning." There are better, safer ways to disinfect without bleach or other harmful chemicals. Weird & WackyWe use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. It's always important to clean and sanitize toys more frequently when your child is ill or has the flu and to do it all again once they've recovered.

Before tossing a toy in the washer, check the colorfastness of all fabrics and trims on the toy with a drop of water. Oprah.com, Jan. 19, 2010. These are general guidelines for when your child is healthy. While these are all safe ways to clean, sanitize and disinfect baby and children's toys, after air drying, you should always give them another thorough warm water rinse and let them air dry again.

Clean non-absorbent toys with soapy water, rinse with clear water, and wipe dry with disposable paper towels. Feb. 2, 2011. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. "Safer Alternatives to Hazardous Household Chemicals." Mold and mildew on your tiles? You'll also want to hand wash delicate stuffed toys that can only handle surface cleaning. (Chlorine bleach's main ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is pretty much the opposite of nontoxic.) This is a good solution for quickly disinfecting a dirty … This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information on their web site. This will remove any remnants of the cleaning solution. Bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances. "A test of eight green bathroom-cleaning products." You are better off just washing toys in hot sudsy water to clean them. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In a word, no. Colorfast, plain stuffed animals and fabric books are usually safe to clean in your Some toys can only stand up to hand washing. Different toys require different cleaning methods not only to get them clean, but to keep them looking and working their best. Disinfecting surfaces with bleach and other disinfecting products is one of the ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Mix ¾ cup of bleach with 1 gallon of warm water, wipe down the surface, then let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Spot clean it instead.