Wondering what the "proper" way is to clean a bath squirt toy. The kids had one last nite that had some yuck in it. Wondered if I need to throw it out or if there was a proper way to clean them to keep the yuck out.
I regularly throw these things away and don't bother attempting to clean them. How can you know you are getting them really clean, is my take. My son received some pretty neat ones as a gift not long ago though that have an actual opening that opens and shuts to fill with water, these I may actually hold onto b/c I can see inside them to clean them.
Whenever I cleaned my son's bath toys, I used a mixture of bleach and hot water. For the squirt toys, I would dunk them under and squeeze to fill them up, then shake them around pretty good, then squeeze them out. I repeated this until I thought most of the gunk was out. Then I rinsed the toys off with plain water. It also helped to make sure the squirt toys were emptied after the bath. I know it's impossible to get all the water out, and the gunk, but I felt better after using the bleach water. Just don't forget to wear rubber gloves! Good luck!
I would say to toss it...if it is mold, it isn't worth the chance of the children ingesting some of it and mold is so hard to get rid of. Bath toys are so reasonably priced...that it is easier to just go and get another one for them.
When my oldest was a baby (she's almost 13 now), she had some bath toys and when she squirt out some water some of the "yuck" had come out of it as well. I was grossed out and took them all out, washed them with bleach water and sucked in the bleach water, shook it and squirted it out. Well a chunk had come loose and I couldn't squeeze it out. I opened the hole a little and got a real good look at all the mold and mildew that was in there. I actually took scissors and cut it open to get a better look and I was completely grossed out. I opened all her toys that were squirt bath toys and found all the same. The holes are supposed to let air dry them out, but it doesn't work. It's just a garden for germs, my opinion.
From then on, I let my kids play with bath toys that were easy to clean, without the squirt hole, to keep the mold from growing inside them. most "bath" toys have the squirt holes, so I bought other things like measuring cups, small pool toys that floated like boats and the spundge balls that I could just throw in the washer.
Hi T....
Honestly, I am not getting more bath squirt toys for the kids (mostly for the little one). The toys get so dirty inside, and even when I used to put them in water with a little bit of chlorine, I did not think was the best way to keep them clean. My older kid was used to take all the water out before finishing his bath, something we did together, but it is not enough to get rid of the mold or whatever it is. After that experience, I just threw those rubber duckies, little whales and plastic toads, and I got, for my little one, just big legos, cups, and boats to play with. Letters and numbers are great, and I do not have problems with mold, I just let them dry overnight and that is!
I hope this helps...!
Alejandra
T.,
As a Health and Wellness Advisor along with being a Mold Remediation Supervisor - I would recommend that you wash the squirt toys inside and out with Basic-G (new ones need only be washed on the outside), rinse thoroughly and completely dry. Rinse and Dry completely inside and out after each use. It only takes 48 hours in the right conditions to start a biogrowth (the Yuck)... Disinfect weekly with the Basic-G http://www.shaklee.net/ser/product/00525
As a mold remediator I know there are NO safe levels of mold. Your own immune system will the deciding factor in how you are affected by mold. The very young and the very old are more greatly affected. The young because their immune system is not developed until the age of 5 and the old because they are losing their immune system. Those who are immune-compromised are also affected more easily.
If you are interested in getting the toxic chemical cleaners out of your home and 'going green' I can help you with that as well http://www.shaklee.net/ser/prodHou
Again, because I was dealing with a health challenge (my son had asthma) I was urged to go out and find safe, non-toxic cleaners for the home, laundry and dishes. I have been using these products for over 25 years and I love them.
They always come with a money back guarantee!
I hope this was helpful.
Feel free to call/email me any time.
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S. Riemann
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Looking forward to hearing how things go for you
I always ran them through the dishwasher, but my mom said to soak them for 5 minutes in bleach water. My best way for combatting the yucks in the squeezy toys was to get the water out of them after bathtime...I know its an extra step, but they are clean from the bath, so if you do that then they stay clean.
they get SO nasty! basically we have just bought the cheapie ones and when they start to get icky, throw them out. i don't know that there's a good way to clean them - one of the great ripoffs of motherhood...
ps, i know you have three so you've probably figured this out but LOTS of things make great bath toys, and are much easier to wash! measuring cups, plastic silverware, and lots of their little plastic toys go in the tub just fine. my son plays more with them than the squirt toys!
