How to safely clean baby toys

With Christmas only a few nights of sleep away (hooray!), we're willing to bet that many of you are starting to look around your home and wonder, 'where are we going to put all the new toys?!'.

You're not alone- it's the eternal parenting conundrum! With this in mind, let's talk about how to clean them. Whether you're storing outgrown favourites away or just having a general de-clutter, hopefully, our quick guide on cleaning toys will be helpful!

Why it's important to clean toys properly

If living through a global pandemic has taught us anything, we probably weren't washing our hands as much as we should have been! But that's in the past, and now we're used to washing our hands frequently throughout the day. And we do this because we want to keep germs at bay, right?

So why wouldn't we do the same with toys? Especially when you consider how our children like to explore with their mouths (why does everything go in there?) and how they want to touch things after playing. With all of this in mind, cleaning your child's toys is very important!

How to clean toys properly

Many toys will have cleaning instructions either on their label or in the instructions guide. If you've cut the tag off, or the instructions guide is long gone, you can do a quick search on the manufacturer's website. Ultimately though, it's safe to say that soft and hard toys will need different approaches. 

Soft toys:

Teddies and other soft toys should have washing/ cleaning instructions on their care labels, so following these guidelines is always a good idea. But if there are no instructions (or you just can't find them), follow these easy steps:

For toys that cannot go into the machine

Use a damp cloth to gently wipe the toy and work in circular motions to remove any surface dirt or stains. You can use a gentle detergent on the fabric, too— just add a few drops of our Laundry Lover non-bio detergent to a bowl and add warm water. Use this solution to go over the entire toy, rinse your cloth thoroughly, and wipe it again.

Make sure you wring out your cloth, so it's not wet. This will help to prevent the toy from becoming saturated and sudsy. Leave the toy to air dry, or use a hairdryer on a very low setting to help fluff the fur and dry it a little faster.

For toys that can be machine washed

Always use a non-bio detergent (obviously, we recommend our Laundry Lover here too) and make sure you place the toys into a pillowcase. The pillowcase will keep them protected during the cycle- we know how our children become attached to their favourite teddy bears! Select a gentle cycle, and when it's finished, you can either toss them in the dryer on a delicate cycle or follow the steps above to dry the toys.

Bath toys and plastic toys:

Plastic toys that your little ones play with every day should also be cleaned daily. Just use our Sticky Stopper antibacterial spray to ensure they’re sanitised and ready for next time. You can use this as often as you like too. 

Bath toys need a little extra TLC to keep them clean. Again, our Sticky Stopper is perfect for keeping them in tip-top shape, but because bath toys are used in the water, you’ll need to pay extra attention to how they dry. 

Check bath toys regularly and get rid of them if you spot any gunk lurking inside. Some bath toys will collect water that you will need to remove after every use; otherwise, that horrid black mould starts to form. Also, they need to be thoroughly dried after each use too. 

Occasionally, you can put some plastic toys in the dishwasher for a super deep clean on a regular cycle. Check with the manufacturer’s instructions first, and if in doubt, stick to the antibacterial spray.