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View Full Version : Disinfecting many toys at once



Marie
02-16-2012, 08:36 AM
I'm not sure if this topic has already been brought up but I was wondering if anyone had any advice for disinfecting LOTS of toys. As it is now I have a large play area with lots of toys. I do rotate the toys...I disinfect the toys then they get put away and I rotate them with other toys that have already been cleaned. Cleaning all the toys is a huge job because there are so many. There's also lots of smaller toys along with bigger ones. Right now I wipe down each toy with a disinfecting wipe and then rewipe it with a damp cloth. There's got to be a better, less time consuming way...how do you all clean lots of toys? Is there some kind of spray safe for kids or anything like that?

michellesmunchkins
02-16-2012, 08:40 AM
I wipe them all down with the disinfecting wipes at night after the kids are gone too. Takes FOREVER...would love to know what others are doing too...not to mention the cost of all the wipes it takes to do so!

Cadillac
02-16-2012, 08:57 AM
I wipe with disinfecting wipes with they are starting to look a little dirty. otherwise, I spray with lysol once or twice a week (or when they are being put away)

I use coupons to keep costs down. I buy when the product is on sale and use coupons to bring the price down even more. When I do this I also buy in serious bulk. You might say that I have a SERIOUS stock pile of disinfectants.

Shoppers has the best deals on their sunday/monday only sales. They usually have something I use for the daycare on super-duper sale every few weeks.

But . . . I digress . . . . . I also hate disinfecting. I get my assistant to do it LOL

Marie
02-16-2012, 08:59 AM
Is spraying them with Lysol safe for the kids? I have two kids that constantly put things in their mouth and I'm worried about the harsh chemicals from a spray.

michellesmunchkins
02-16-2012, 08:59 AM
I used to do the Lysol spray until one parent said her child got sick from putting a toy in her mouth that had been sprayed, ugh!

michellesmunchkins
02-16-2012, 09:01 AM
I should clarify that this parent was a 'peach' to work with and complained about everything. Her child actually had pneumonia that I'm sure wasn't caused by the Lysol, but that's what she blamed it on. I use the new line of green products that they say are safe for the children even if they put in their mouths just in case.

Cadillac
02-16-2012, 09:13 AM
Is spraying them with Lysol safe for the kids? I have two kids that constantly put things in their mouth and I'm worried about the harsh chemicals from a spray.

I looked it up but can't find a clean answer.

one suggestion i saw a lot was to use diluted white vinegar. That would make my home reak though

playfelt
02-16-2012, 09:51 AM
I'm still a bleach person. I figure if they put it in our drinking water it can't be as bad as some of the other stuff out there. (1tsp to 2 cups of hot water is teh dilution I was given to use on toys and to dip for 10 min where possible then air dry). Those I can't dip I have set on an old sheet and sprayed 3 times in 10 minutes and then let air dry.

I find repeatedly putting toys in the dishwasher seemed to make them wear out faster as in it broke down the plastic - especially on infant teether types making them unsafe sooner.

To be honest I do not disinfect often. I wash with soap and water and just a quick dip in rinse water that has bleach in. I have a huge playroom and the actual amount of time any one of the toys is being played with is minimal. Therefore I only wash the popular toys routinely.

And even then only when we are in flu/cold season or someone in the home seems unwell. Otherwise we use the germs on the toys to build up our immunity.

Play and Learn
02-16-2012, 10:30 AM
At the end of each week, ALL toys (small ones) get washed in the sink with regular dish soap and HOT water, and then air dried. At the end of each month, all small toys are washed in the sink with bleach and hot water, and air dried.

The big toys, the Fisher Price Little People Farm, House, Garage, etc. get cleaned with wipes. Every day, their booster seats get cleaned.

IF any toy gets put in a childs mouth, it gets tossed into the sink for when I do dishes next.

I did this when working in centers, so I'm just used to it now!

Dreamalittledream
02-16-2012, 11:05 AM
I rotate toys every week. Dollarama sells mesh laundry bags. I put all my non-battery toys in this and they get a bleach/water dip once a month (I simply hook the mesh bags up in the shower and voila all dry the next morning. Toys with batteries and the large toys that stay in the daycare all the time get wiped with dishwashing soap (sanitizing) and warm water once a week (Friday nights for me). My 6 year old and 2 year old helpers love to help with the wiping down. The stuffed toys get put in the freezer once a month. I do use the lysol wipes on all counter surfaces, tables, chairs, microwave etc. each evening (I also go around the house and do all the doorknobs and taps)...it's a quick 10 min. max routine that I've gotten into.

sunnydays
02-16-2012, 12:22 PM
There is a natural disinfectant spray that I got at All About Kids here in Ottawa..it is expensive, but I don`t use it all the time on everything. It smells kind of herbal and at least I don`t worry so much about it being toxic. I would definitely NOT be spraying with Lysol anywhere in the home (it gets into the air and we breath it), and definitely not on toys that could be put in kids`mouths. Otherwise, soap and water or sometimes bleach as it does evaporate when dry works as well. I am not convinced that disinfecting all the time actually prevents germs from ebing passed...I could wash all the toys at the end of the day, but then when the kids are here, they pass toys from kid to kid, they sneeze and cough on each other, put fingers in their noses and then touch their friends...etc. They will probably still get sick depsite your hours fo daily disinfecting...plus, as Playfelt said, they do ahve to build their immune systems up.

Dreamalittledream
02-16-2012, 12:32 PM
, but then when the kids are here, they pass toys from kid to kid, they sneeze and cough on each other, put fingers in their noses and then touch their friends...etc. They will probably still get sick depsite your hours fo daily disinfecting...plus, as Playfelt said, they do ahve to build their immune systems up.
So true!! I just shake my head when yet one more child mouths a toy, gives another a big kiss...at least we can say we do what we can.

Spixie33
02-16-2012, 12:34 PM
I barely ever disinfect toys unless a child wipes their nose on a stuffy or sneezes directly on something.
If it is a matter of mouthing things then I am not too worried. Most of the kids are over 2 and barely put stuff in their mouth and I only have one infant who does still taste everything.

personally I find the smell of bleach and possible risks much worse and same with Lysol. I did find that superstore has a natural disinfectant spray so once I wipe down teh change table i use the disinfectant spray that is natural on it.

I have a very small group of kids and barely ever any turn over so I am not too worried about the germs on toys.

Like some others have said - I am much more worried about the kids not covering their mouth and coughing directly on each other or close to each other's face or sneezing and wiping noses on things around the house.

We are really vigilant about hand washing here - even for the kids

I also mop and clean the house a lot

The toys occassionally go through a sanitation cycle in the dishwasher if they ended up in the bathroom on the floor or in some dire circumstance but I really don't worry about the toys much

Play and Learn
02-16-2012, 12:35 PM
Another great, and natural disinfectant is vinegar and water. We use this a lot too!

Inspired by Reggio
02-16-2012, 01:52 PM
I barely ever disinfect toys unless a child wipes their nose on a stuffy or sneezes directly on something.

This is me as well - I keep a vinegar and water solution on the top off the shelve out of reach with a 'towel' beside it and clean anything that is 'mouthed' in that and toss it to air dry beside and than back into the playroom. I do not use 'chemicals' to clean the house with but rather 'enjo' cleaning clothes, a H2O steam mop and an organic toilet bowl cleaner and good old vinegar and water for glasses and surface cleaning ... occasionally if there is an actual outbreak of something with a client I will use bleach and water to sanitize but only THEN not daily!

I worked in centre care for decades before waking up to realize that being in a home environment was more in-tune with my child-rearing philosophy....when I made the switch I was engrained with the anal disinfecting practices of 'centre care' and washed my mouthed toys daily, all the toys weekly and anything 'fabric' went into the washer and dryer.... it was TIME CONSUMING and than I reflected 'why am I doing this so often?' .... if a centre has 150 children playing in it plus all their parents in and out sure they have way more germs flying around, if each room has 24 kids playing in it sure things might get dirty quicker ... but this is my home with only FIVE children playing in it - surely this is not 'necessary'!

I stopped doing the 'everything gets cleaned weekly' thing - toys get cleaned AS NEEDED ... if they are mouthed or if they are visibly dirty somehow than they get cleaned and put back as they are 'found' ... if something is not being played with often and I want to rotate it out I will clean it THEN before putting it away - but no more of the everything every week.

Compared to my experience in 'centre' care despite my lack of 'anal cleaning' my crew is RARELY sick here and when they do catch something the whole community has it anyway so they likely caught it at the grocery store or church and what not - it rarely goes through the 'whole program' here the one family will get it and maybe one other ... unlike in a centre where despite their anal cleaning if a rotavirus or chicken pox or what not comes through pretty much bet the entire classroom will get it ... have to wonder if it is not because their little immunities are being damaged by the constant exposure to bleach and antibacterial disinfectants in that environment?

playfelt
02-16-2012, 02:00 PM
I went through that same thinking with bedding which of course is supposed to be washed weekly. Then when I didn't feel like doing it one week it occured to me that they only nap in it 2 hours times 5 days or a total of 10 hours a week, and it airs out in between. That is only equivalent to one nights sleep at home. You can bet most parents don't change their child's bedding daily so why do we. Monthly is working so much better for me. Usually I do pillowcases weekly and all bedding monthly. I know not the norm but have had no issues. Also we do outside play at the end of the day so it isn't like they are bringing sand or ants into the beds with them either.

Inspired by Reggio
02-16-2012, 02:09 PM
Yup - had the same epiphany with the bedding as well - I wash it as needed due to an exploding diaper, training accident or visible dirt like a bloody nose or whatnot but other than that I do it monthly too which is the equivalent to 'weekly sleeping hours' of their bed linen at home assuming parents washed bed linen weekly - no lots of people who do not even do their own bedding at home that often ;)

Again I can empathize that in a CENTRE which these rules are made for that the need would be higher because of how bedding is stored, exposure of germs being higher and so forth - however in my 'home' each child has their own personal cot and it is not stored with 'other cots' in a pile like in a centre but rather tucked into a closet in which ever room they are sleeping - no worries there!

The only sheets I do 'weekly' are the two infants crib sheets from the pack and plays because they drool more, leak more often and so forth and well I take those down every Friday for the weekend so am 'stripping' them anyway!

lunademiel
02-16-2012, 02:31 PM
Check out the video for the H2O steam mop. Steaming the toys is safe and easy. The H20 steam mop is an "as seen on TV" product with not all that great reviews but the steamer idea is what I am getting at. There is also the portable shark steamer that would do the same thing. I think it kills like 99% of germs and is SAFE and easy!

sunnydays
02-16-2012, 04:39 PM
I have a steam mop, sanitizer, but I barely ever use it (it's a Dirt devil) because it takes awhile to heat up, then I read that you have to expose things to steam for 15 seconds to kill germs, so I am thinking that is actually a long time to hold it over each toy when you start counting...maybe the H2o mop is better...I was disappointed as I thought it would be the solution to all my problems!

Inspired by Reggio
02-16-2012, 08:19 PM
I love my H2O mop - wish I had held out a bit longer and got the newest version with the 'handheld' piece you can take out for your clothes, curtains and would be awesome for the toys - just lay the little pieces out over the a towel ... although IMO it would not 'clean' them if visible dirty you would still need to 'wash them' anyway to remove any soiled dirt/food or things that might have go transferred by little hands?

mlc1982
02-18-2012, 12:27 AM
I am not overly anal about disinfecting. I do the bedding once every couple weeks/monthly. I do the bigger toys with lysol wipes every couple weeks. And I throw smaller toys in the washing machine with a touch of bleach roughly every 6 months. My group has not had any bad illness go through here that they`ve all caught.

mom-in-alberta
02-18-2012, 03:33 AM
I am so glad to see that I am not the only one... hahaha. I really tossed and turned, wondering if I needed to be more of a disinfecting freak, but I didn't really feel good about it.
If a kid mouths a toy (which I REALLY discourage and put a stop to fairly quickly), I will wipe it down and set it aside. But I don't do a daily spray-down. I clean toys on an "as needed" basis, really.

Inspired by Reggio
02-18-2012, 12:17 PM
I agree - I think we have to seriously 'reflect' on where all this 'anal disinfecting' came from and if it is really doing more harm than good ... I agree that good HYGIENE is key .... washing our hands before eating and after being outside or in the washroom, washing fresh fruit/veggies/meat before being consumed and keeping a 'clean home' by taking off our shoes from outside and doing a wipe down of surfaces and so forth .... however I do not think we need CHEMICALS to do this ... after all we EVOLVED without all these chemicals and ironically without such high % of 'cancer' and other diseases that seem rampant despite our access to 'chemical cleaning solutions'?

playfelt
02-18-2012, 04:31 PM
Now if we could just get parents on board who are still in the I have to sterilize everything stage for their baby when they come to interview us.

lunademiel
02-18-2012, 06:27 PM
I am so glad to see that I am not the only one... hahaha. I really tossed and turned, wondering if I needed to be more of a disinfecting freak, but I didn't really feel good about it.
If a kid mouths a toy (which I REALLY discourage and put a stop to fairly quickly), I will wipe it down and set it aside. But I don't do a daily spray-down. I clean toys on an "as needed" basis, really.

I am wondering how old you LO's are? I have a 10 MO and 12 MO. Obviously at this age everything goes in their mouths. Should I begin discouraging this?

playfelt
02-18-2012, 09:06 PM
I start by 12 months to discourage mouthing of toys. Basically once the first 4 teeth have come through the need to chew for teeth is less. Yes some kids have a real oral fixation and if you take the toys away they will resort to fingers. But you can limit them to a toy.

For me it is also about the other kids and the fact that if you chew on a toy long enogh the face disappears or there is too much wear and tear on the figure. Since the toys need to last for several years worth of kids it isn't fair for one child to destroy them. I have some infant toys and as long as a child spends most of their day chewing those are the only things they may play with. Gradually they get a few blocks,etc. that can stand up to the teeth.

I start by doing the switch - take away the toy they are mouthing but shouldn't and give them an infant toy or remove the toy and move the child over to where the bin of mouthable toys are - usually this one. After awhile they respond to "not in your mouth" said in a firm just loud enough to get point across that I am serious.

By 18 months it isn't an option. No toys at my house are allowed in the mouth.

Since I have been starting earlier to ban mouthing toys I have actually seen less biting take place and assuming they are getting the concept that nothing but food I serve goes in the mouth.

mom-in-alberta
02-18-2012, 10:03 PM
Yup, we are the same. Around 12 months, ONLY FOOD GOES IN OUR MOUTHS. (OH, if I had a nickel for everytime I have had to say that, lol). I discourage hands and thumbs in the mouth too.
For one, it just grosses me out. Two, at that age, it's no longer a developmental stage, it's a habit. Three, for sanitary reasons I think it's not good in a multi-child environment.
Some kids will still do it, and some more than others, but it actually doesn't take that long for them to catch on!! They do have an issue with putting the playfood from the kitchen area in their mouths on occasion. We just teach an exaggerated and silly "pretend" eating, all loud and silly, and make Cookie Monster eating sounds. It's hilarious!!

Inspired by Reggio
02-19-2012, 12:15 PM
I am the same way without mouthing things ... I GET that infants NEED to mouth stuff so I have teething toys and will redirect them to that 'bin' to choose something because regardless of your age you do not mouth anything else in my program - you get redirected back to 'teething toys' which are designed and intended for that purpose - if a child is particularly 'oral' I will place a teething toy right on their shirt with a short ribbon.

IMO while I empathize that infants are 'oral' and learn about their world through their sense it is never to young to teach children to respect their environment - there are things you can 'put in your mouth' and things you cannot and I do not want my materials full of 'teeth marks' or the paint chipped off of the wooden food and so forth :(

lunademiel
02-19-2012, 10:07 PM
Good advice once again! Thank you all!

Momof4
02-19-2012, 10:24 PM
Wow, I have definitely calmed down over the past few years regarding disinfecting toys and I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. My older kids are awesome and know that if one of the babies put a toy in their mouth they can just run it out to the kitchen and throw it in the sink. It makes me laugh and wonder every night when I do my dishes which one of my two little 3 year olds brought something out to the kitchen sink without me even noticing. I love these little monkeys!

I'm a germaphobe but I really believe that children have to contract viruses and build their immune systems so I'm better than I was when I started out in this business.

Daycare123
02-20-2012, 06:34 AM
I use pure white vinegar on my toys for disinfecting and cleaning-it actually doesn't smell after and hour or so :) and is safe!

mom-in-alberta
02-21-2012, 03:12 AM
Yesterday I found (on Pinterest) that you can place some citrus peels (lemon, orange, whatever you like better) in a quart of white vinegar and let it "steep" in a sealed container for a week. Then mix with equal parts water in a spray bottle to use for all purpose cleaning.
Will definitely be trying this!!! :)

jec
02-21-2012, 08:32 AM
I use vinegar/water/essential oil lemon. I have a couple of little ones who I am constantly telling to take toys out of their mouths (teething fun) and I take the toy away and place aside to wipe down later. I clean all toys a couple of times a week

treeholm
07-09-2012, 06:42 PM
I used a small steam cleaner (shark) at the music studio where I taught Kindermusik, so I plan to get one when I open my daycare. We always had tons of toys that the babies would mouth, and it would have taken forever to wipe them all. I would just spread them on the carpet after class and steam them. We were ready for the next class then!

Harmoni
07-31-2012, 08:37 PM
I used to put all toys in bathtub with bleach water and then just a water rinse. But now I put them into the front load washer on gentle cycle, works FABULOUS on all those little play dishes and food! Then they come out rinsed and layed on towels to dry. I still use the bathtub method with the trucks and other little things like that with little pieces that might get lost in washer. But honestly I don't wash them all very often unless it is potty training time or someone has had an accident.

BlueRose
07-31-2012, 08:49 PM
I don't start my dc until Oct. but what I do with my kids toys is, anything that can go in water gets thrown into the bathtub with very hot water and vinegar. I leave them there until the water is cold, then wipe them down as I take them out. For stuff toys i put them in pillow cases put a not in the end and throw them in the washer. if it can't go in the washer or tub I wipe it down with hot water and vinegar. I am planning on doing the same thing with the dc toys.

treeholm
07-31-2012, 10:41 PM
When I taught Kindermusik classes, we used a shark steamer on all the toys between classes. I only had 10 minutes to disinfect all the toys before the next class arrived. It worked very well. I am looking for one for my daycare now. I believe the Kindermusik studio owner said she bought it at Canadian Tire. you just plug it in, wait a minute, and spray the toys.

kidlove
08-01-2012, 07:01 AM
Bleach is the BEST way to go, you dilute in water and use rag to wipe all toys down. I have been told if you use a product like lysol, you just have to wait for it to dry then its ok for kids, but i feel the chemicals are still there. heres the thing, although I am a germ freak and enjoy bleach because it works great, there is also nothing wrong with bleach like once every week or two and just regular soap and hot water daily or semi-daily. I think too many people are too afraid of germs, when I started I was this way, but I came to realize.......builds immunity to come in contact with a little germs. The ONLY time I REALLY worry about germs is when a child is ILL (cold symptoms/runny nose/coughing) then I will take away alot of the toys, use a chosen bunch and clean them really well at the end of the day. Another idea for small/hard toys is to throw them in the wash machine on super hot with bleach. Works Great and easy!

kidlove
08-01-2012, 07:02 AM
Awsome idea!!!!! steam them clean, way easier than wiping every nook and cranny!!! :)

playfelt
08-01-2012, 07:41 AM
Awsome idea!!!!! steam them clean, way easier than wiping every nook and cranny!!! :)

How is the steamer at getting into the nooks and crannies of the toys or do you still have to do that periodically. Toys seem to have so many ridges and corners and parts.

I normally just use dishsoap and water and a toothbrush for the crannies and only do it every couple months. I figure if dishsoap is good enough to wash the dishes we eat off and silverware we put in our mouth it is good enough for the toys.

Daycare123
08-01-2012, 08:11 AM
As far as kids putting toys in their mouth-I have a basket beside the sink-as soon as I see a toy go to the mouth it goes in the basket for washing/disenfecting.