How to clean bath toys. Cleaning bath toys is not something people really talk about. Right?
We assume the soapy bath water will wash away any grime and mold. Yet our shower and bathtub walls need to be cleaned regularly, so should your children’s bath toys.
Here are 5 genius hacks that will make cleaning bath toys easy! You’ll be the expert on clean bath toys in just a few short minutes. Here are a few ideas to prevent mold in your bath toys in the first place. And some of my favorite bath toys that make cleaning a breeze.
1. The Dishwasher
We use the dishwasher to clean all our dishes – why not the bath toys? The dishwasher makes quick and easy work of cleaning our dishes and bath toys all at the same time!
I typically use regular dishwasher detergent. Other times I used vinegar in my dishwasher soap compartment.
I recommend the washing bath toys on the top shelf of the dishwasher. I’ve had a few plastic items get deformed with the heat when I put them on the bottom shelf.
Wash only plastic or rubber toys in the dishwasher. Toys with batteries are not recommended.
Take the bath toys out before the dry cycle or skip it altogether. I’ve used the dry cycle before without a problem, but you never know. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Let them air dry thoroughly before putting them away.
Small bath toys can be stored in a bottle dishwasher basket. I still use my basket daily for sippy cup parts and small items even though bottles are a thing of the past in our home.
The dishwasher is just one answer in our quest to answer how to clean bath toys.
2. The Washing Machine
Another awesome hack is to put your bath toys through the washing machine. Yup – it can be that easy!
Put all your bath toys in mesh laundry bags like these. Don’t pack them into the bag, make sure they are loose enough to move around a little.
I wash my bath toys in warm water with a little detergent or vinegar. A hot wash cycle would work too but I am a little paranoid about melting a toy. I’m sure your washing machine is a workhorse too – the risk wasn’t worth it for me.
3. Get Your Kids Help
I bet your kids love to help you with grown-up jobs like my kids do. Especially when it involves anything with water!
My 5-year-old is more than happy to wash the bath toys for me. I fill the sink with soapy dishwater. He pours in the bath toys and goes to town.
He gets a dishcloth to scrub them down and feels like a big boy.
This one may take a little Mommy supervision. This can easily be a job your child does while you prepare dinner or clean up the kitchen.
If the sink sounds too messy, you can do the same thing in the bathwater. Have your little one scrub them with soap and a dishtowel while they are in the tub. Babyganics is our favorite baby soap. Get the unscented kind as the scented version isn’t as safe. Really any unscented version of soap or lotion is best but that’s a whole other story.
Here’s my 5-year-old son splashing around in the sink while cleaning bath toys at the same time. He has fun and Mom has one less thing to do!
4. Spray them Down
Another super easy option is to spray down the bath toys with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. I usually spread the bath toys out in the bathtub and spray them there.
Let them sit for 15 minutes before wiping them down with a damp cloth or microfiber cloth.
I use microfiber cloths every day. The are amazing and will transform your cleaning routine. I don’t say that lightly – I use microfiber clothes all the time! They clean up messes better with less scrubbing. While I still use some paper towels, microfiber is my go to. The awesome thing is you can reuse them over and over again – a huge saving!
Vinegar is great for killing mold and germs. You do not need to use bleach! It’s bad for your health and the environment. I avoid using bleach in my house altogether. The rare times I have used bleach – it always splashes it on my clothes. So annoying! Vinegar is a much safer and effective alternative to bleach.
Here’s my 4-year-old daughter in action, excited to be cleaning! It’s one less thing Mom needs to do.
5. Prevent Mold
Cleaning your toys regularly will prevent dirty, gross, moldy bath toys. I clean my bath toys every 2 or 3 weeks. You also need to bath toy storage organization or storage to help toys dry out between uses.
I would recommend you throw out and avoid buying any bath toys with holes in them. Like that fun squirting rubber ducky.
Some people try to clean the squirty toys. Suck up some cleaner into the toy and squirting it out. While other people squirt out all the water out after bathtime (that was me).
Unfortunately no matter what you do – eventually the inside will get moldy. Do you really want your little one squirting molding water into their bathwater? Or worse yet, squirting that moldy water into their mouth (you know you’ve seen them do that).
For more tricks to prevent moldy bath toys check out this post – 5 Easy Ways to Prevent Gross Moldy Bath Toys.
Take Action
Today is a great day to start cleaning your bath toys on a regular basis. These 5 hacks make it easy and I’m sure there is a solution that works best for your family.
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You can get clean bath toys without the bleach!
