How To Clean Mold Off Wicker Baskets

6 Ways to Properly Clean Your Children's Toys to Remove Mold

Even though bath time gets your kids squeaky clean, it can be making their toys grow mold.

why iStock/ugurhan

Why do toys grow mold in the first place? Is it harmful to my child?

The best part of bath time is getting to play with your favorite rubber ducky. But for parents, the worst part is worrying about the mold that bath toys collect. Mold can form when toys aren't properly drained or dried out. If your child is exposed to or ingests the mold in or on their toys it can easily damage their weak immune systems and lead to respiratory problems and allergies. Keep in mind that bath toys aren't the only items that can grow mold. If your children's toys are kept in the basement or occasionally left in a damp area outside they can also develop mold. These tips can help you to clean your toys and get them free of mold, but sometimes even the deepest clean can't remove all of the grim, in that case throw them away. It's always better the invest in new toys than possible have your child become sick from playing with dirty ones.

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boiling-water iStock/StockImages_AT

Boil the toys in water

Place your child's toys in a pot of boiling water. Squeeze them out to remove all the mold and then lay them out to dry and cool down.

vinegar iStock/Pat_Hastings

Clean with vinegar

Mix together one gallon of water and ½ cup of white vinegar. Let the toys soak in the mixture for one hour. Squeeze them out and scrub them down. After letting them dry, if they still smell like vinegar, rinse them off and lay them out to dry again. Here are other household uses for vinegar.

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Soak them in bleach

Mix one gallon of water and ¾ cups of bleach in a bucket and allow the toys to soak overnight. After taking the toys out of the solution rinse them down with water three or four times before putting them out to dry.

cover-holes iStock/nanantachoke

Cover the holes

A lot of bath toys have holes in them to allow your kids to squirt water or make squeaky noises. While this might be entertaining for them, it also easily allows the toys to store water and grow mold. When you are sure the toys are thoroughly dry, plug up the hole with a drop of hot glue.

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Rinse with hydrogen peroxide

Mix two parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide in a bucket or spray bottle. Soak or spray your toys to sanitize them. Scrub them and rinse with water and let dry. Try these other unusual uses for hydrogen peroxide.

Originally Published: February 06, 2017