Keep Toys Clean

It is important to keep your child's toys clean, especially for preschool age children. Young children don't know about germs, and most are spread by touching or putting their hands in their mouths. A lot of small children put toys in their mouths and then share their toys with other children. Besides washing your child's hands, you should also clean their toys. It is also important for schools, daycares, and businesses with waiting room toys to clean the toys they have. For example, in a doctor's waiting room area with toys, a lot of sick kids can come in contact with the toys so it's important to clean them every day or every few days to reduce the spreading of germs. Here are a few ways you can clean toys.

Washing toys on a regular basis will keep them clean and free from germs. The washing schedule will depend on where the toys are kept and how many kids play with them. Toys in a daycare should be washed every day or once a week while home toys can be washed once every couple of weeks. A lot of toys can be washed in the dishwasher, but be sure to place them on the top shelf of the dishwasher. If you are unsure if the toys are dishwasher safe, hand wash them with hot water and soap. A lot of stuffed animals or cloth toys can be washed in the washing machine, and then lay them out to dry. If a toy looks dirty, wash it. You don't need to wait every couple of weeks to clean it.

A common allergy for kids and adults is a dust mite allergy. Stuffed animals are magnets for dust. If your child plays with a lot of stuffed animals or sleeps with them at night, be sure to clean them once a week. The best way to kill dust mites is to freeze them. You can place stuffed animals in plastic bags and freeze them for five hours. This should be done once a week to eliminate your child from suffering from allergies.

You may think that bath toys may not have to be cleaned because they are always in hot soapy water. However, this isn't true. Bath toys should be cleaned every few weeks in really hot soapy water. Unfortunately, mold can become an issue with bath toys. If a bath toy gets a hole in it, when it's not supposed to, you should throw it away. Water can get trapped in the toy and mold can grow in it. It is better for your child's health to throw out the toy or replace it.

Keeping toys clean will also keep children healthy, and be sure to follow these cleaning tips.