Cleaning toys

[fab01]

I’m recovering from surgery so I can’t run toys through a soap and water soak as usual, so I was thinking about a “spray and forget about it option”. My kids have also been going through colds. So I’m just wondering what is the least toxic but most effective option here? I can spray everything down tonight while they sleep so it would have 12 h To sit. But what is not going to hurt the toy or my kiddos, but might still handle at least some of the germs ?

 

[doomedhyclic]

@fab01 I am not cleaning toys — I’m a little agog at how many respondents there are who ARE. After studying microbiology for awhile and understanding the concept of microbial competition and reading the studies linking sanitization and asthma, I’ve decided that more germs are better.

I give a quick scrub in water to toys that are visibly soiled, but that happens very irregularly.

Edit to add an article link:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-019-0157-y

This is a really accessible and interesting discussion on how the Hygiene Hypothesis is developing, as well as discussing how we got here (germ theory). Many of the reference articles focus in early-childhood microbe exposure.

 

[prestige]

@doomedhyclic Oh thanks goodness - I was wide eyed in horror reading the responses till I read yours. I have never washed a toy and don’t plan on it. The asthma/sterilization studies are super compelling.

 

[oneil]

@prestige OMG same I was like WE'RE CLEANING TOYS???!!!?!

 

[prestige]

@oneil “I’m barely cleaning my house ”

 

[alexfern12]

@oneil This. There’s enough to do without regularly cleaning kids’ toys haha. That’s what healthy immune systems are for.

 

[bilalamjad3]

@prestige I have a feeling it’s not just asthma. That’s what’s been studied but my guess is that disinfectants are responsible for other common chronic diseases as well and it just hasn’t been studied yet. I also don’t clean toys, nor have I ever thought to. And I don’t disinfect our house. Just a little water and paper towel if something is visibly dirty.

 

[prestige]

@bilalamjad3 You're correct! I'm pretty sure the studies also linked disenfecting to crohn's disease. But it's been a minute since I read them.

 

[lauratoday]

@prestige Wait what? We're not cleaning toys either but we're disenfecting the potty with a spray. Should we do this in another room?

 

[funmilayo]

@lauratoday We just rinse our potty with water for pee and give it a quick scrub it with dish soap and hot water for poop. (We have a retired dishwashing brush that is now relegated to potty-only use). I figure if hot water and dish soap is good enough for a plate that had raw chicken on it, it’s good enough for the potty.

 

[katrina2017]

@funmilayo I clean everything with dish soap and water and that is my exact logic.

 

[bilalamjad3]

@lauratoday We’re not at potty training yet but you’re making a good point. Not sure what the best way would be the clean those. I’m pretty anti-antibacterial stuff but I might feel differently with a potty. I guess doing it in a different room would help. Also a wipe rather than a spray (so that you don’t produce aerosols) could be a good idea.

 

[snjeri]

@bilalamjad3 We usually just wash the potty with water and there's been zero problems so far. And I'm doing EC so we've been using a potty from newborn phase

 

[bilalamjad3]

@snjeri Good to know!!

 

[freckledwilding]

@bilalamjad3 Get a child's seat for the toilet and then you don't have to clean any potties.

I got one on Amazon that's basically a double toilet seat. One is sized for adults and the other is child sized. The child one sticks to the lid with a magnet, so guests don't even notice that it's there.

 

[sherry4glorifythelord]

@prestige Ahah same here, I was like "guess what, I found something else that makes me a sh*Itty parent"

 

[tempfunny]

@doomedhyclic Same here! I'll rinse toys that have bits of food or too much dust stuck to them, and I'll wash soft toys when they're new to get the factory ick out (or if they've been spat up on), but other than that I have other things to worry about.

 

[katrina2017]

@tempfunny Oh yes, getting the stink of factory off of things is my new motto. Personally I buy mostly secondhand and I've got a friend with a kid 1 year older who I borrow from, but people keep buying new gifts for baby and they all reek of VOCs. I'd much rather give my kid a grody secondhand toy then something bathed in chemicals

 

[jimdubu]

@doomedhyclic I’m so thankful for your comment! Here I was thinking I’m the only one that doesn’t clean our toys unless it’s just to get off visible grime. Or if they’re from the consignment shop I’ll give them a wipe down.

I’m glad to see someone who’s read into it can justify my lazy based practice!

 

[786zia2011]

@doomedhyclic Thank goodness you said something. I thoroughly cleaned the stacking cups my toddler threw in our toilet and the teething ring that ended up on the floor of our minivan. Otherwise… no.