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How often should you clean your toddler's toys

How often should you clean your toddler's toys

Do you clean your toddler's toys? How often? Find out everything about cleaning your toddler's toys.

Written by Naz Haider |Published : October 21, 2016 5:24 PM IST

Now, there is no standard timetable for cleaning your child's toys, but that doesn't mean you go about never bothering to clean them. You wouldn't normally imagine that anything that squeaks or flashes lights can be carrying germs and bacteria. But here's the deal, toys can harbour viruses for hours! [1] So it is extremely important that you clean your toddler's toys frequently, but how often? I spoke to a few mommy friends and discussed what cleaning routine they follow when it comes to toddlers' toys, and here's our collective wisdom.

  • Plastic and wooden toys: For me, wiping the plastic and wooden toys clean every day works for me, and that is what most other mommies said they do. Many moms also said that they use wet wipes, but I prefer using a damp washcloth that I can wash later. For toys that my toddler uses frequently like blocks and cars, I wipe twice a day and wash once a week. For washing, I simply run the toys under some soap and water and rinse it clean. Plastic toys do not retain any water while the wooden ones can take some time to dry.
  • Cloth toys: My toddler has many cloth books and touch and feel toys. Plus a zillion finger puppets. The best way to clean them is to wash it in the washing machine once 3-4 days, or more or less often depending on how much your child uses it.
  • Furry toys: In my opinion, furry toys or soft toys are the dirtiest of all toys a child owns. Since most of these toys are a pain to wash and dry, people seldom wash them. What I do is, I mostly get felt cloth toys than furry ones, as these are easy to wash and dry. Of course, my toddler has her share of teddy bears, which I usually keep packed in plastic wraps.
  • Balls, frisbees and sand tools: Basically outdoor toys should be washed after every use. Every day, after we come home from the park, we simply run the toys under water while we clean ourselves.

Reference

1. Mart nez Bastidas, T., Castro del Campo, N., Mena, K. D., Le n F lix, J., Gerba, C. P., & Chaidez, C. (2014). Detection of pathogenic micro organisms on children's hands and toys during play. Journal of applied microbiology,116(6), 1668-1675.

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