Hi, I'm due to give birth to my second baby next month. My older son will be almost 4 by then. We plan to use same portable pack and play as a crib for the first few months, along with a used small crib that a relative gave to us. We also have used toys from my older son's infancy (some nice wood, some plastic, some cloth). How much of these things did you wash, and how in preparation of arrival of your second (or third etc.)? What should I clean the crib, crib mattress, and pack and play with - they are plastic and wood? And other toys that are wood or plastic? I'm hoping for something that's not too toxic. I guess cloth toys that say they're washable, I'll just throw them in the wash. If they are not washable, would you not let the new baby use it (germs from the older baby)?
Thank you for your input!
I only wash the things that go directly in a baby's mouth --teething rings, keys, etc. The rest of the toys? I don't worry about. Her immune system can handle anything that is on them,
I spent more time cleaning out closets and decluttering the house. In fact, i got rid of 30% of everything in the house. I'm so glad I did ;-)
I would probably run anything that can handle it through the dishwasher on a sanitize cycle, or boil it. Anything else, I would wash with an anti bacterial soap, or wipe down with Lysol or something, then rinse reeeeealy well.
I definitely would use them. Heck, consignment shops THRIVE on used baby stuff. :)
ETA: If you are washing a car seat, DO NOT wash the straps... You can wipe them with a damp cloth, but don't submerge them. It will strip the flame resistance out of them, and can cause them to weaken. The cover can usually be tossed in the washer, and everything else wiped with a cloth.
Pack and play's are hose down outside.
Plastic toys are washed like the dishes are.
Soft toys are thrown in the machine.
Carseats are stripped apart, and washed (check for expiration).
High Chairs washed down outside. You'd be surprised the food that hides in them.
Clothes, are washed days before needed, same for blankets.
I didn't wash anything for the second baby.
By the 5th baby I did because things were needing it.
In general the stuff and clothes got so much use they'd get passed down and stay in good shape (no dust, etc.)
Anything that can go in the washer can be washed with a gentle detergent, Dreft is great but there are store-equivalents that are cheaper. Preschools wipe all toys down (or dunk or soak them) in bleach water, basically a sink full of water or bucket with a cup full of bleach (the bleach bottle will give proportions on label). If it is your own you know what is has been through and I assume you put it away clean, so it will only need a wipe down and clothes a refreshing wash. If it is handed down by others I would give a thorough cleaning since you do not know how others took care of things before storing. Also, I found that a lot of white onesies that I washed before storing had food stains that showed again when I took clothes out of the ziplock I stored them in even though I KNOW they were white when they went in there, so some stains come back after time. I soaked them in diluted bleach water and washed in the washer and gave them an extra rinse to get all the irritants out. Congrats on the new baby :)
Cleaning a crib mattress
http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Clean-Crib-Mattresses-/100...
Cleaning a crib
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-clean-a-nursery-c...
