How To Effectively And Hygienically Clean Your Childrens Toys

As parents, having a clean and hygienic home is important to us. We spend both our time and money making sure our home is as germ free as possible. We are always happy to spend money on products which are going to leave our kitchens, bathrooms and floors hygienically clean. We spend so much time caring about the bacteria on things like our kitchen surfaces, toilets and door handles we forget about the simple things around our home that could be harboring far more bacteria than a dirty floor.

The average childrens toy has over 2500 germs per 100cm2, whereas the average households toilet seat has only 1600 germs per 100cm2. You would never let your child get their hands on a toilet seat and yet they could be cuddling up to their favorite teddy all day which is a breeding ground for bacteria. Its not just soft toys that like to play host to these germs. Here are the top culprits for bacteria around our home.

• Garden Trampolines are one of the worst offenders with a shocking 640,000 germs per 100m2.
• Balls and bikes both gave a reading of 14,000 per 100m2.
• The average games console controller had over 7800 germs per 100m2
• The avergae households fridge handle showed more than 7400 germs per 100m2.

With that in mind, how can we ensure our home is "actually" clean. Especially with younger children who touch millions of different surfaces and have constant hand to mouth contact with things they encounter through the day. Here are a few simples ways to help keep your childrens toys clean and sanitized and help keep that bacteria at bay.

1. Before attempting to sanitize any toy it is important to make sure the toy is actually clean and remove any dirt/debris or grease from the surface. This can be done by using a damp cloth and any mild detergent. Scrub all the surfaces of the toy and make sure any residue/dirt is lifted from toy. If you have any hard to reach nooks an ear bud works great at getting into these places.
2. To effectively sanitize a toy, submerging the toy in a sanitizing solution works best. Obviously do not attempt to submerge any electronic toys, but for hard shell/plastic toys this is a great method. You can purchase many different sterilizing products for sterilising babies bottles and table wear which would also be as effective in sanitizing toys. After soaking the toys give a once over with a damp cloth to remove any solution residue and dry completely with a dry cloth/towel.
3. To effectively sanitize an electronic toy, the best option is to wipe down the entire toy with a cloth which is soaked in a sterilising solution. Make sure to wipe down every area and pay particular attention to buttons. Make sure to gently wring out the cloth before wiping to ensure no water seeps into the toy. Again use an ear bud for harder to reach areas and once done wipe over with a damp cloth to remove any solution residue and then dry.
4. For soft toys and teddies, the easiest and most effective way to clean them is by putting them in a washing machine. Check the labels to make sure they are washing machine safe and use a cold or gentle cycle. Allow to dry naturally by hanging them up or allowing to sit and dry. For more delicate materials that cannot be put into a machine , take a sponge with some washing liquid and water solution gentle rub into entire surface of teddy, repeat with a sponge and warm water then allow to air dry.

By following these handy hints, you can ensure your childrens toys are hygienically clean and safe to play with.

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