godsgirl1972
New member
@doomedhyclic I read the title and my first thought was 'clean the toys? Like when poop gets on them?'.
Cleaning toys
- Thread starter fab01
- Start date
@doomedhyclic Thank you so much LOL I was scrolling through the comments completely bewildered
@doomedhyclic Yep, I’m that meme with Will Poulter saying “you guys are getting paid?” except it’s cleaning toys 
as far as I was aware, germs don’t tend to live all that long on surfaces?
as far as I was aware, germs don’t tend to live all that long on surfaces?gladysrivera
New member
@doomedhyclic This makes me feel better. I have a 6 month old and I have yet to clean a toy that isn’t a teether.
@doomedhyclic Same!! Thanks for posting! If I ran a daycare out of my house, then yes I'd clean the toys. If we had a play date and discovered the next day that they were sick, I would probably just rotate the toys. Put away everything they played with for a week and clean surfaces. But other than that... no, toys aren't being cleaned unless they get grody AF.
It always cracks me up when my MIL comes to me to tell me that something of my daughters has fallen on the floor and needs to be washed. Lol.... maybe there's a reason your kids have allergies to everything and gut problems...
It always cracks me up when my MIL comes to me to tell me that something of my daughters has fallen on the floor and needs to be washed. Lol.... maybe there's a reason your kids have allergies to everything and gut problems...
@doomedhyclic Phew I’m glad to see this. I was beginning to feel horrified at myself for never cleaning toys (unless visibly dirty). My kids almost 2 and is never sick. I just had my ass kicked by the flu 2 weeks ago and she never got it. Disinfecting her own toys from her own germs hadn’t even occurred to me - shared daycare toys? Absolutely. But cleaning them of her own germs? Why?
katrina2017
New member
@doomedhyclic This makes me feel better. My LO is 15 months and I’ve never cleaned any of her toys. Unless they are obviously disgusting
oluwasemi34
New member
@doomedhyclic Do you clean toys after illness?
I only wash toys that are visibly dirty. Or after a bout of something like hand, foot and mouth.
I only wash toys that are visibly dirty. Or after a bout of something like hand, foot and mouth.
doomedhyclic
New member
@oluwasemi34 I change their bedsheets/pillowcases because they’ve usually sweated/snotted on them a lot during their illness. And yes, if something super contagious and annoying like HFM I limit the exposed toys and wash them with soap - only to protect myself/family/other kids who might come over to play. I don’t fear reinfection because that’s not how viruses work.
@doomedhyclic The only time I cleaned toys for my first baby was when he was at the stage when he was still putting everything in his mouth, and some older babies/toddlers we knew came over and touched everything.
Now he’s almost 3 and I don’t clean things unless there is like food on them. Or if some little people or green toys want to play at bathtime. He goes to daycare he’s going to get sick. It’s not going to be from his own toys.
Now he’s almost 3 and I don’t clean things unless there is like food on them. Or if some little people or green toys want to play at bathtime. He goes to daycare he’s going to get sick. It’s not going to be from his own toys.
iamkingsamuel
New member
@doomedhyclic I clean stuff that’s visibly gross. But the risk of mold growing in some toys is high if you get them wet.
The one exception for me would be Hand Foot Mouth. I read somewhere that it can stay on toys a long time and actually reinfect kids.
The one exception for me would be Hand Foot Mouth. I read somewhere that it can stay on toys a long time and actually reinfect kids.
@doomedhyclic Same. I’ve literally never cleaned toys unless they’re dropped on the floor at a Dr’s office or visibly dirty, and in that case it’s a quick scrub with dish soap. I don’t need more on my to-do list!
@doomedhyclic Yeah, me neither. I clean stuffies if they are getting smelly or visibly gross. Anything else, yeah, it gets cleaned if it is visibly gross. Otherwise, nope who has time or energy. Even when my kid has a cold.
plaura94515
New member
@doomedhyclic The only time I clean toys is when they’re visibly grody, and it’s more about gunk removal than disinfecting. I did wipe down toys from the toy library with disinfectant wipes when I had premmies (twins) and they were very young, but even then I didn’t keep it up for long.
idontadamandeveit
New member
@doomedhyclic I’ve cleaned toys after other kids have handled them in the house (by putting them in the mouth) but otherwise, I haven’t really. Haven’t really even thought about it. 
nurdreams72
New member
@nurdreams72 I can barely keep the house clean, we don’t clean toys unless it’s a really special circumstance
@nurdreams72 I only clean if they are visibly dirty.
@nurdreams72 As mentioned above, colds. My twins have snot gushing pretty much 24/7 after developing colds. It’d just be good measure to kind of clear away some of the germs. Otherwise no I don’t clean the toys anymore unless visibly soiled by dirt or food. They’re 17m old
@fab01 You don't need to clean toys after colds. Most viruses do not survive on plastic surfaces for very long. Plus if your children have already gotten sick, there is literally zero utility in cleaning the toys since they've already been exposed to the virus. The only time I could see it being of actual utility is if your kid was actively sick and you wanted to give another baby not from your household a toy your child had just slobbered all over. You absolutely do not need to disinfect household toys and in fact it could increase the chance of asthma for your children.