Cleaning Your Children's Toys

Children's toys, particularly those of babies, have a tendency to get dirty rather easily. While you can do what many parent's do, which is not worry about it, this can potentially lead to some rather serious health problems. By periodically cleaning your children's toys, you can go a long way to helping prevent future problems. Just follow these guidelines and directions. Be aware that these directions are broken down according to what type of toy you are dealing with, and as such these directions are for the most common types of toys.

• Plastic and wooden toys. In all actuality it is really surprisingly easy to clean plastic and wooden toys. The reason for this is that most (if not all) of the various methods that you can use to clean one type of material can also be used on the other. For example, one of the best ways to clean these types of toys is to create a cleaning mixture out of equal parts white vinegar and water. Put the mixture into a spray bottle, and then spray it onto the toy in question, and then use a clean rag, scrubbie, or sponge and begin scrubbing away. Be careful that you don't scrub too hard, or you may damage the toy, so instead use only enough pressure to get the stain off. Generally speaking all you will need to do is rub the toy down with your rag and cleaning mixture. Another method that you can use for any plastic toys that don't have electronics is to wash them the same way that you would your dishes; it will do the job just as well.
• Stuffed toys. Stuffed toys typically need a little more work to get clean than do plastic or wooden toys. That being said, they can still be fairly easy to clean as long as you use the right method. First, take a look at the tag on the stuffed toy, and see if you can locate any washing instructions. If you do, then simply follow the instructions for getting them clean. In the event that you don't find any, you will need to put some baking soda onto any stains, and allow the toy to sit for about thirty minutes. Once the time has passed, put the toys into your washing machine, set it on a delicate cycle, and then put about 1/2 cup baking soda, and one cup white vinegar in as well, and wash everything as normal. Be sure that you inspect your toys for any stains prior to putting them into the dryer.

Another side benefit to keep in mind from cleaning your children's toys is that they will tend to last longer. After all, if you don't clean them up periodically, not only will they look nasty, they could also accidentally get thrown out with the garbage. This way you will be able to help ensure that your child's favorite cuddle bunny is around for years to come.