Cleaning Toys

[busymommy0420]

Ok so I just cleaned EVERY and I mean EVERY toy in the playroom. I hand washed then soaked in bleach water for 5-10 minutes and air dried. It took me almost three hours and had the help of my son and hubby and three toddlers watching our every move. :: Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?

One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.

Thanks!!!

[Cat Herder]

My training says daily at minimum.

[busymommy0420]

You are able to bleach every toy daily?

[Cat Herder]

You are able to bleach every toy daily?

Yes, very easily. I run my playroom "old school". :: It was how things were done for many, many years.

I have MANY bins of theme toys and rotate them throughout the day instead of "centers". I guess in theory the entire room becomes a different "center" a few times a day...:confused:

Anyway.. say I used bin A this morning. When we clean up for lunch I dump all collected toys in the tub with disinfectant. During nap I drain and hang them to dry in a mesh bag. When they wake up bin B is set up for the afternoon. On a particularly busy day (can't go outside) we may swap out 3 -4 bins.

When we clean up for going home I dump all toys collected to soak, drain and hang......start fresh everyday. Been a routine for over 17 years....

I tried the "stay out centers" where every toy is out at all times, but I was exhausted trying to clean/disinfect everything every day. ::

Everything that can't be soaked gets wiped and sprayed. I admit I purposely choose toys I can soak. A toy has to be a "Must Have" for me to be willing to wipe them all the time. ::

[PitterPatter]

Ok so I just cleaned EVERY and I mean EVERY toy in the playroom. I hand washed then soaked in bleach water for 5-10 minutes and air dried. It took me almost three hours and had the help of my son and hubby and three toddlers watching our every move. :: Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?

One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.

Thanks!!!

I wash as I go. I see a smudge or know a child had sneezed etc it gets wiped off before put away. Other than that it's just a rotating process every weekend a few toys here and there, round and round.

Electronice like our leap pads and books etc all get wiped down with a clorox wipe. If I run out for some reason I spray it with lysol then use a baby wipe until I get clorox wipes in

[DaisyMamma]

Lysol wipes

[daycare]

Yes, very easily. I run my playroom "old school". :: It was how things were done for many, many years.

I have MANY bins of theme toys and rotate them throughout the day instead of "centers". I guess in theory the entire room becomes a different "center" a few times a day...:confused:

Anyway.. say I used bin A this morning. When we clean up for lunch I dump all collected toys in the tub with disinfectant. During nap I drain and hang them to dry in a mesh bag. When they wake up bin B is set up for the afternoon. On a particularly busy day (can't go outside) we may swap out 3 -4 bins.

When we clean up for going home I dump all toys collected to soak, drain and hang......start fresh everyday. Been a routine for over 17 years....

I tried the "stay out centers" where every toy is out at all times, but I was exhausted trying to clean/disinfect everything every day. ::

Everything that can't be soaked gets wiped and sprayed. I admit I purposely choose toys I can soak. A toy has to be a "Must Have" for me to be willing to wipe them all the time. ::

I store all of the stuff in my garage and well pull it out as we need it, but I do have too much out.

I am going to adapt to this idea....As early as next week. Already starting the process of making the buckets today...

[Cat Herder]

I store all of the stuff in my garage and well pull it out as we need it, but I do have too much out.

I am going to adapt to this idea....As early as next week. Already starting the process of making the buckets today...

I swear it simplifies my days and minimizes my cleaning after closing.

PLUS, the room always smells so fresh and clean....the toys stay new looking AND it keeps me in a better mood during the dreary winter months when my motivation is severely lacking.

[daycare]

I swear it simplifies my days and minimizes my cleaning after closing.

PLUS, the room always smells so fresh and clean....they toys stay new looking AND it keeps me in a better mood during the dreary winter months when my motivation is severely lacking.

I bet... I am so tired of saying...only one toy out at a time....Pick up one mess before creating another.........Oh I want those days behind me......

[MarinaVanessa]

For the electronic toys I mix a bleach/water solution (1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water) in an empty milk gallon container and then I fill a spray bottle with it. I lay a towel out on my table and then lay out the toys on top. I then spray the toys and let them air dry. Once dry I flip them over and do the other side.

The bleach/water solution formula is what CA licensing requires us to use for disinfecting toys. The minimum that we're required to disinfect is once a week but I remove mouthed toys immediately and will tipically disinfect each toy bin and toys about 2-3 times a week. I keep only a few small bins of toys out and everyday too to make it easier on myself.

[renodeb]

I rotate wiping toys down daily then on the weekend everything gets it. You have to find a system that works for you keeping in mind the regs for your state. I would just wipe the electronic toys with clorox wipes. I have one child that licks everything so when hes here I hit everything I can think of with wipes! Wierd kid! (should be whole other post).
Debbie