How To Clean Bath Toys

Did you know that you should be cleaning your bath toys on a regular basis to keep mold
and mildew from building up? Here is a detailed guide on how to clean bath toys by hand, and how to clean bath toys in a washing machine, so your baby can take a safe and clean bath.

Toys can be a bit of a pain to clean and keep clean. Having kids is already busy enough, and finding the time to keep the house dirt-free, the kitchen clean, and wash your floors on a regular basis is tough.

Bath toys allow kids to use their imagination while they play and splash around during bath time. While baths do create a large pool of water on the floor, they are still one of my favorite parts of the day because it allows my children to really use their imaginations without any distractions.

That said, playing with toys is a lot of fun but cleaning excess water and soap scum from inside of the toys is a pain in the bum. It’s not a hard task, but it is one that you have to actively remember to do, which in your world is what makes it more difficult.

But my new methods make it easy to keep kids’ toys dry after bath time.

I like to also clean the toys on a weekend so that I’m not rushed or tired to take on this cleaning task, not that it’s hard or time-consuming but you know how hard mom life is.

Without further ado, here are several methods for you to try to clean those bath toys.

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Why You Should Clean Moldy Bath Toys

Cleaning bath toys isn’t a task that is a top priority for most parents because life with kids is busy! I totally get it, I have 3 kids. However, I really should be making it a priority to clean your children’s bath toys to ensure you are providing a safe and clean environment for your little ones to bathe in.

Mold growth can be very harmful to the health of you and your children, so try to prevent it as much as you can. Researcher shows that indoor mold has been the cause of asthma in a lot of children who are exposed to mold.

Infants and young children who are exposed to mold growth are at risk of respiratory problems and other health problems.

Overall, it should be your goal as a parent to keep the environment where your children grow up as mold-free as possible. Keep your bathroom clean, clean baby bath toys regularly, and ensure your house is not in an unhealthy state to the best of your abilities.

How To Clean Bath Toys Using The Dishwasher

Do you love using your dishwasher to clean things that aren’t dishes? I do! Pop your dirty bath
toys into a mesh bag like this one and place the bag in the top rack of the dishwasher.

If you have stand-alone toys like stacking cups, you can skip the mesh bag and place them directly into the top shelf of the dishwasher. You can run other items in the dishwasher if you like, just try to avoid washing toys with plates and cups with food build-up on them.

Be cautious when using the dishwasher to wash bath toys and make they won’t melt in the
dishwasher. Soft toys such as bath books like this one should not be washed in the
dishwasher.

Hard plastic toys and rubber toys are generally dishwasher safe for the top rack of the dishwasher.

Make sure that your dishwasher-safe bath toys are fully dry after your dishwashing cycle before storing them away for the next bath time.

If you question whether or not to use the machine at all, you may want to hand wash with soapy water or disinfectant wipes.

How To Clean Bath Toys Using The Washing Machine

Another way to clean bath toys likely is to use your machine with clean water. With kids, you might be doing laundry daily, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a load of clothes to throw some bath toys in with.

Place your bath toys into a mesh laundry bag and run the machine on a cold, warm or
cool cycle. Do not use the hot cycle as this can melt some of the toys. For more laundry tips, I use a daily laundry routine (yes daily, because I have 3 kids and I use a lot of clothes)!

Cleaning Bath Toys With White Vinegar

If you’re not new here, then you know I love to clean with vinegar. It has great
cleaning powers and you can use it to clean your children’s bath toys.

Vinegar also has disinfecting powers and it helps prevent future mold and mildew growth.

To use vinegar for cleaning toys,

Fill your clean kitchen sink with warm or hot water.
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar.
Place the toys into the solution and let them soak for an hour.

Any child’s bath toys that float up top should be weighed down with a heavier item such as a cutting board.

If the toys require a scrub after the hour has passed, use an old toothbrush or a dish
scrub brush to carefully remove and scrub away any limescale buildup. Rinse off the toys well and lay them down on a dish rack or a towel to dry completely. You can choose to use disinfectant wipes to clean further but it’s not needed.

Cleaning Toys With Hydrogen Peroxide

You can also use hydrogen peroxide to clean your bath toys. Hydrogen peroxide is kind of like
bleach but it is a natural, non-toxic cleaner which is what I love about it.

To clean your bath toys with peroxide you can use full-strength or a 50/50 solution of peroxide and water in a bucket or the kitchen sink. Wear rubber gloves!

Let the toys soak in the solution for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have elapsed, use an old
toothbrush or a cloth to rub off any additional dirt or mildew that you might see on the toys.
Rinse the toys properly and allow them to air dry.

Disinfecting Bath Toys With Boiling Water

Just as when you sanitize your baby bottles for newborns, you can boil bath toys to sanitize and disinfect bath toys as well.

This is something you can do after you have cleaned the bath toys because this is simply a
sanitizing step.

As long as the plastic and rubber toys won’t melt in hot water (check the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning), boil your toys by placing a large pot of water on the stove and let them reach boiling point.

Once the water has boiled, place your bath toys into the water and boil for 3-5 minutes. Boiling
toys for too long can cause toys to deform.

Take the toy out of the water and lay it out to dry fully.

Cleaning A Bath Toy With Bleach

Sometimes I have to call upon regular bleach for help. To clean your bath toys with bleach water, simply fill a bucket or the kitchen sink with a 50/50 solution of bleach and warm water.

Place the toys into the bleach solution and let them soak for 10 minutes. Weigh the toy down with a cutting board or something if the plaything floats. Use a scrub brush to clean off any remaining gunk on the toys.

Make sure to rinse the toys off properly. Use dish soap and warm water to clean the toys after letting them sit in the bleach water.

Ensure that your toys are fully dry before placing them away for storage.

Cleaning Bath Toys With Holes

When it comes to keeping baby’s bath toys that squirt water and have those tiny holes in them, you can use peroxide, vinegar, or a cup of bleach to clean out the inside.

Take a pipette, just like the one you might find in any science kid your kids have laying around, and fill it with a cleaning solution. Squirt the cleaning solution inside the bath toy and swish it around well. If you don’t have a pipette, that’s ok! Simply squeeze the toy and allow the toy to soak up the cleaning solution.

Let the toy soak for a while and then when you are ready to clean it out, simply squirt out the
solution. Make sure to get all of the solutions out of the toy, and rinse the inside of the toy out
with water. Then, squirt water out and drop a few drops of rubbing alcohol on the hole itself to evaporate water. Leave outside in the sun to dry.

You can even prevent water from getting into the small hole in your new toy and rubber duckies in the first place by using a hot glue gun and blocking the air.

To clean the small holes themselves, you can use a pipe cleaner or cotton swab to scrub inside the hole to make it sparkling clean (a good idea if you notice fecal matter from a messy bath or anything else gross in the hole itself).

Best Bath Toy That Is Easy To Clean

If you are looking for some new toys that are easy to clean, these float and clean bubbles are a good choice. Foam letters like these are also always a good option as well as baby bath books like these.

Frequently Asked Questions On How To Clean Bath Toys

How Often Do You Need To Clean Bath Toys

You should be making sure that your bath toys air dry properly after each bath. Water-squirting toys are a breeding ground for mold and bacteria due to excess moisture and inadequate airflow. This moisture can get stuck inside the item, causing germs to thrive.

After a good cleaning, store your bath toy away from showers (which can keep the toy moist) to prevent mold growth. Give your squirting toys a proper deep clean once a week.

Bath toys can be cleaned with tea tree oil, a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. In a quart of tap water, add about 10 drops and spritz the toy. Wipe with a soft cloth.

How Can I Properly Dry My Bath Toys So Mold Won’t Grow

To dry out your bath toy, you can use a bottle drying rack like this one, a regular dish drying rack, or by placing them on a towel to air dry for a little while. An open window is a good way to let all the air dry the items as well. If you don’t have a few windows at your disposal, the bathroom exhaust fan works well to prevent mold development.

You can also place them outside to dry for a little while and the sun will do the job for you and disinfect the toys at the same time, after a proper cleaning. Standing water is never a good thing for wet items, so make sure those duckies are never left in a full tub of tap water!

How Do I Store Baby Bath Toys To Prevent Mold

You should keep your bath plaything in a dry place to keep them mold free. This could mean somewhere like a bath toy holder like this fun one, as long as the tub isn’t being used by other family members. If you have a shared tub, then store your bath toy in a cool dry cupboard to keep them safe for your little ones and prevent mold.

What If All My Bath Toys Have Holes In Them And I See Mold?

If your bath toy is growing mold at first sight, you can use the cleaning methods described above to try and remove the mold. If you cannot remove the mold, then it might be time to throw the toy away and replace it with cleaner, safer ones.

When To Throw Away Bath Toys

Sometimes, an old bath toy cannot be saved. If your squirt toys have mold that just won’t budge, then it is time to throw them away. Keep your family safe and don’t be afraid to toss a toy that’s moldy and gross, even after you’ve tried all of your fabulous cleaning methods. to prevent mold.

Wrapping Up On How To Clean Bath Toys

Did you know about all of these awesome ways to clean inside a squeeze toy like rubber ducks? It is so important to ensure that your bathtub toy dries fully after each bath and that they are stored away from water to help prevent the growth of mold which can be harmful to the health of your child.

It is just as important to clean your bath and shower clean so that your family is breathing in
healthy air as they clean up daily. And let’s be real-no one wants yucky bacteria and mold floating in their’s baby’s bathtub!