Cleaning bath toys

[elsmum]

Cleaning bath toys

---

Hey guys,

I was wondering what you all do to clean out the kids bath toys when they get all mouldy and yuck, mainly the inside of the rubber ducks!

We've got the Shannon Lush Spotless book which DH reckons has got something in it, but unfortunately it has been packed for when we move in a couple of months.

I'm really not into heaps of chemical cleaners, so something kid-friendly and using stuff that we've already got around the house would be great!

Thanks!

[emd]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

I tried cleaning the rubber duckies by putting them in a bucket of baby bottle sterilising solution in it (only use I had for the free sterilising tablet samples when first baby was born) but it didn't work. So I've just thrown them out and refused to buy more. Oooh I'm a mean mummy!

[Jakaluma]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

I cleaned them with hot soapy water - just squirted water in and out of the squeezy bit - was semi successful, but I also tossed them fairly early on. We found that some of the best bath toys were squeezey bottles (old sauce bottles) and plastic animals (not the soft plastic, but the hard plastic with no holes). Easy to clean and no fiddley bits.

[elsmum]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

mmm, maybe we should just toss them, he much prefers the bath books we've got anyway, and boats.

I just hate waste!

[Purly]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

We learned the hard way not to bother with toys that have nooks and crannies that gunk can grow in too.

Would a bi-carb vinegar combo bubble the nasties out?

[monique]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

i bin them.... and find other things for her to play with a plastic bottle is great

[Julianne]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

It does seem to be such a waste to bin bath toys just because they're dirty. I have been unsuccessful cleaning the old rubber duckie, and the new batch of toys are getting pretty grotty on the inside. My 3 year old still loves her plastic bath toy animals, but I guess I'll see how she goes with the sauce bottles. Thing is, I can imagine there will be much more water all over the floor...

[elsmum]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

yeah, it's the bl00dy ducks mostly! all our other bath toys are open, boats, cups, books etc

it doesn't matter how much you squeeze and squeeze, there is always water left in there to get grungy!

who designed them to have a hole in the bottom anyway?

[mischasmama]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

I've done it with milton's (pretty much the only thing I've used it for LOL) which is really just a weak bleach solution... not exactly chemical free though.

Soaking in vinegar should work too... make sure you squeeze the toy to draw in the vinegar for the soak.

[Jaye2]

Re: Cleaning bath toys

---

It's easier to just avoid those hard-to-clean bath toys... like other posters have said, squeeze bottles, open containers etc. Mum used to give us a variety of old tupperware containers when we were little, and they worked just fine.