Sanitizing Toys

[countrymom]

I just walk along the toys and spray the lysol, I should say I do it once a week unless there is some sick kids. I'm picky on lysol spray so it does have to smell nice, I love fabreeze, esp. when someone does a stinky or when I have people coming over.
I have to say that by doing this routine I never have kids sick here, not even my own are ever sick thats why I don't really concentrate on cleaning, I also open windows here, even in the winter for a few minutes (its been proven that its good for your soul) but there is no way I would put toys in the dishwasher or wash every toy by hand, it would take me several months to clean ever little thing.

[SilverSabre25]

Yeah...I don't really hyperfocus on sanitizing toys. I don't use antibacterial wipes or sprays either. No Lysol, nothing like that. Yuck. I can't imagine putting all those chemicals on surfaces that are so near kids and are bound to get in their mouths a lot.

Most germs don't live outside the human body for terribly long, anyway. Plus, there's PLENTY of research showing that plain ol' soap and warm water is sufficient to remove normal germs from things.

The kids in my daycare are very healthy, for the most part. I believe VERY strongly in the value of germ-exposure to build and strengthen a child's immune system. Dirt, germs, etc, not scary to us. The worst illnesses we've had in the ten months I've been doing this have been ear infections--nope, not contagious, not an issue. We've had runny noses and colds make the rounds, but they're gone in a week or so and everyone's back to being healthy for several months.

All of my parents know coming in that I don't clean with chemicals (the bathroom is the sole place I make an exception) and that we believe in letting kids get dirty--the dirtier the kid, the more fun they're having!

[misol]

Depending on how much time I have on my hands I either spray the toys with Lysol like a previous poster mentioned or I do a diluted bleach dip then rinse and let air dry. For electronics and other items that can't be submerged I use the surface wipes. When I have infants in care I do this once a week with items that are mouthed (which usually ends up being everything). Otherwise, when no infants are in care I do this once a month unless someone is sick. When someone is sick I will clean the toys a few days in a row.

As much as I hate using bleach and other chemicals, I still have a hard time finding anything that I can "trust" to kill germs. A lot of green cleaners that I see claim to clean but none of them claim to disinfect. I will look into the 7th Generation disinfectant that someone else mentioned. Can anyone recommend any others? FYI, licensing requires whatever solution we use to be EPA approved.

[Abigail]

I like using the dishwasher. For the small things like legos and I would put them in a bag and on the top rack of the dishwasher. The bags for bras, I don't remember what they are called, but they have a zipper and are fairly small and holes in it made of a mesh material.....anyways, those work great for putting small things in them. Just make sure you take them out of the dishwasher (whether using a bag or not for any item) when the dishwasher is done because some things collect water/dirty water if they're upside-down or sideways and it's just gross to see something floating in them! This happens once in awhile with our plastic cups, I run them through again.

For things I can't submerge, like the Peek-A-Boo blocks for infants, because they can get water in them. They get cleaned with a rag from a bleach and water solution and air dry for a good half hour. It's usually done at the end of the day anyways, so they get put away after kids leave.

I'm assuming she means she sprays them with lysol disinfectant spray. I do this to all my hard surfaces such as light switches, door knobs, stair railings, etc.

How expensive is this? Do you buy a spray nozzle or a touch-the-top nozzle like bathroom air freshners?

It's cranberry something....at least that was the flavor last year. :-)

Mmmm I love Yankee candle. I like the Bath&Body works plug ins too. I got a really smelly one though and need to get a replacement because it's smells like bug spray!

OK, THIS MADE ME LAUGH...So many people (including my mom!) use words that mean something else, but we get what you meant. Sprays are not meant to be tasted, so they are not "flavors". They are meant to be smelled so they are "Scents". LOL, I know what you meant and the others who used the same word, but it made me laugh. No offense either, my mom does the same thing.

http://www.ndchildcare.org/providers/health-safety/docs/Toy%20Sanitizing%20Policy.pdf

I just found what our local procedures are for toy cleaning.

[TGT09]

I like using the dishwasher. For the small things like legos and I would put them in a bag and on the top rack of the dishwasher. The bags for bras, I don't remember what they are called, but they have a zipper and are fairly small and holes in it made of a mesh material.....anyways, those work great for putting small things in them. Just make sure you take them out of the dishwasher (whether using a bag or not for any item) when the dishwasher is done because some things collect water/dirty water if they're upside-down or sideways and it's just gross to see something floating in them! This happens once in awhile with our plastic cups, I run them through again.

I'm not sure why but I would have NEVER thought to put one of those bags in the dishwasher, that is genius!!! I just put it on my list for the week. FWIW: I know exactly what bag you are talking about.

How expensive is this? Do you buy a spray nozzle or a touch-the-top nozzle like bathroom air freshners?

I'd say if you catch a sale as cheap as $3 a bottle but as much as $5. They are aerosol like bathroom spray....at least all the ones I've seen are.

OK, THIS MADE ME LAUGH...So many people (including my mom!) use words that mean something else, but we get what you meant. Sprays are not meant to be tasted, so they are not "flavors". They are meant to be smelled so they are "Scents". LOL, I know what you meant and the others who used the same word, but it made me laugh. No offense either, my mom does the same thing.

It is kind of funny when thinking about it. It's just one of those things that kind of comes out. I use flavors for lotions too and I suppose those are scents too, huh? :-)

http://www.ndchildcare.org/providers...g%20Policy.pdf

I just found what our local procedures are for toy cleaning.

Good to know, thanks!

[QualiTcare]

sanitizing toys could be a neverending task. i think spraying most hard surfaces with lysol like pp mentioned is a good route. if you really want to clean a lot of hard toys at once - you could soak them in the bathtub with some bleach vs the sink. drain the tub and sit them out on towels to dry.
i've done that before, but it would definitely not be a regular thing!

i think the best thing to do is keep a small plastic bin on a shelf where the kids can't reach. if you see someone put a toy in their mouth or if they're snotty/coughing, etc., just grab the toy they were handling and toss it in the bin to be sanitized. when the bin gets full - wash those toys.

[TGT09]

i think the best thing to do is keep a small plastic bin on a shelf where the kids can't reach. if you see someone put a toy in their mouth or if they're snotty/coughing, etc., just grab the toy they were handling and toss it in the bin to be sanitized. when the bin gets full - wash those toys.

I do this sometimes but some days it's hard if it's a child that crawls or walks. I normally can keep up with I know what the baby has put in his mouth. This is what most centers do...or at least the ones I've seen.

[BentleysBands]

i, too, believe in building immunities but i'm also anal LOL

i use clorox wipes and lysol spray. i do all heavy cleaning weekly on fridays and spray pnps daily.

toys that can be sumerged in water go into pillow cases and into the washer. it holds more than my dishwasher and i have an extra rinse cycle . and do it on delicate

also, the dishwasher uses more electricty than a washer and holds more and will tumble the items rather than just sitting .

[momma2girls]

It's cranberry something....at least that was the flavor last year. :-)

Mmmm I love Yankee candle. I like the Bath&Body works plug ins too. I got a really smelly one though and need to get a replacement because it's smells like bug spray!

If you like the bath and body works, and yankee plugins, you should try SCENTSY!!!!

[TGT09]

If you like the bath and body works, and yankee plugins, you should try SCENTSY!!!!

I almost bought one of those this summer at a few festivals. I might have to look up a rep in my area.

[My Daycare]

Thanks, Kidkair, silversabre & Bentleys. I have always believed that too much disinfecting created super germs & in their less resistant form we develop immunities to fight them. I don't feel so alone now.

I also know that some germs can be dangerous, so I clean diaper changing areas and bathrooms w/ 7th generation (smelly) during daycare & a homemade disinfectant on weekends. I spray toys w vinager/water (smelly too, but goes away when dries) or wash them. I wash stuffed animals in hot water and detergent.

[melskids]

here they expect us to bleach soak / clean ALL the toys every week. could you imagine? thats all i'd do is clean all the time. they even suggested sanitizing the outdoor toys including the climbers. yeah , O.K. like i'm gonna go outside once a week to sanitize a climber that sits on the ground anyway

[My Daycare]

here they expect us to bleach soak / clean ALL the toys every week. could you imagine? thats all i'd do is clean all the time. they even suggested sanitizing the outdoor toys including the climbers. yeah , O.K. like i'm gonna go outside once a week to sanitize a climber that sits on the ground anyway

My rep said to sanitize everything everyday after the kids leave and throughout the day. If not, I am doing a huge dis-service to my family who will be sick all the time due to my career choice.

[AnythingsPossible]

We are required to sanitize toys weekly in a bleach solution of 50 ppm. We are not allowed to use lysol or clorox wipes on toys the children handle. I would worry about spraying lysol on toys they are going to touch and potentially put in their mouths. We also can not use our dishwashers as a sanitizer.
So, on a rotating schedule I clean/sanitize my sink, fill it with water, add bleach to get the 50 ppm, then give the toys a dunk and let them air dry. For the large lego's that we have, I do the same thing, only with my washing machine. Fill the tub of the machine, add bleach to get the 50 ppm, then turn the machine on to the spin cycle and let it go. I also do the bag thing for stuffed animals and zip them through the dryer. Each day, I do a different set of toys in the sink so that I am not spending all of my weekend sanitizing toys. It seems crazy, but it's our requirment. Gotta love being licensed!!!!

[Unregistered]

Sanitizing

Because I have an autoimmune illness, I do take extra precaution when it comes to sanitizing the toys and surfaces in my daycare. I also have a very strict illness exclusion policy which I adhere to without exception. If I didn't have health concerns, I might be a little more likely to not be overly concerned with germ-killing.