It’s quite easy to see that an unwavering compulsion exists in all babies to place any nearby and graspable object in their mouth, regardless of what it may be and where it came from. Curiosity in this instance absolutely takes the place of awareness (which is developed a little bit later on), which means that what your baby is putting into its mouth may not be the most sanitary. With that being said, we’re all guilty of putting pens and pencils in our mouths while on auto-pilot, but even these are a little more sanitary than what babies can find. In this blog, we examine ways you can keep baby toys clean so they aren’t putting bacteria-laced objects in their mouths (too) regularly.
A few cleaning tips to get you started
Keeping a baby’s toys super clean is so important because they haven’t had the time to develop the strong immune system that adults take for granted. Exercising good hygiene when you can is the key to helping them along during this developing phase, and toys are by far the most important objects to focus on because of this. So next time you receive a baby gift hamper, make a mental checklist of all of the toys in there that you’ll have to soon clean! You should ideally be scheduling a clean of all of your baby’s toys once every two or three weeks, unless the toys have had contact with a baby suffering from an illness or infection, a family pet or if your baby has allergies to certain things. You will also need to clean the object properly to ensure its properly clean. A quick wipe of a sanitary cloth is a start, but you need to get into every little crevice to make sure that there’s no chance of bacteria – a baby will make every effort to get into all the nooks and crannies of a toy, remember!
Home remedies for cleaning baby toys
Although they’ll obviously do the job, you don’t necessarily have to use cleaners bought from a supermarket for a thorough clean. There are a variety of very safe, effective and ecologically friendly cleaning solutions that can work just as well as these alternatives, plus they’re a lot cheaper to boot. Vinegar is a pantry staple in many homes, and it is also a highly effective cleaning agent due to its acidity. To prepare a cleaning solution, just mix equal parts vinegar and water, and you may also wish to add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid. A combination of mild soap and water is also a proven way to eliminate bacteria – just use a toothbrush to get into all of the crevices of the toys. Baking soda, another pantry staple, can also be used as a cleaning agent. Just combine it with a small amount of water to form a paste, and then apply it to your baby’s toys with a toothbrush.
Clean more toys more often
Although there is a distinct need to regularly clean your baby’s toys, it’s at the very least an affordable thing you can do (unlike many other things baby-related). With a few pantry staples, you’ll be able to ensure that your baby isn’t guzzling down bacteria by the bucketload. Just remember to get into all the little grooves of the toys, as you have to get every little bit to make it count!
