Keeping Your Baby Bath Toys Clean and Hygienic

You would think that bath toys that spend all their play time in the bath would naturally be clean. Don't they get soaped and rinsed at every bath? Not always.

Most baby bath toys have ridges and crevasses that can collect soap residue. Unless they are thoroughly rinsed clean at least weekly this residue can build up. Not only is the white film building up on the toy unsightly, it can provide a nice growth medium for mold and mildew. Your baby will naturally chew on the toy, and you certainly don't want mold and mildew in his mouth or contaminating his bath water.

Once a week or so, take all the bath toys out of the tub or storage bag and give them a good scrub. An old toothbrush works well. Those that won't be damaged in the dishwasher can have a good wash there. Allow them to thoroughly air dry before putting them back wherever you store them.

Routinely clean squirting and other toys that can hold water inside with a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water. Suck the bleach solution up into the toy, swish it around thoroughly, and squirt it back out. Then do the same a few times with plain water to remove all the bleach. Shake out as much water as you can and allow the toy to air dry on a towel. This will prevent the buildup of mold and gunk inside the toy.

Store baby water toys in a mesh bag or other container that allows air to circulate. Buckets and other closed containers are not a good idea, because water will pool in the bottom. Toys that sit in this pooled water are breeding grounds for mold, mildew and bacteria.

Don't forget to clean the toy bag every now and then, too. If it's a mesh bag, it can probably go right into the washing machine. Be careful of hot dryer temperatures if your bag is made of plastic or nylon. It would probably be safer to air dry these types of bags.

Keep bath toys for the bath. If your child carries bath toys around the house they will pick up contaminants you really don't want to bring into the bath tub. When you make bath toys "special," it's more exciting for your child to have the chance to play with them only in the tub. This makes bath time itself special, which always makes it easier to get kids into the tub without a fuss.

Keep a regular schedule of cleaning your baby water toys and they'll last a long time without posing a health hazard. It doesn't take long if you avoid letting things build up.