Whether it is eating or bathing, it is always playtime for babies. It is the best part of growing up. Talking about bathing, kiddos love the company of their favorite bath toys like ducks, ships, or any other animals. There are also some kids who don’t like to bathe at all! But to make their bathing experience more exciting and fun, parents give them toys to keep them entertained.
All these things are fine, but do you clean your kids’ bath toys? We sanitize all their belongings and in the same way, we need to clean their bath toys from time to time. If you don’t, then there is a high chance these toys might become harmful to them.
Some of you might not be aware that bath toys are continuously exposed to moist environments, even if they are kept in the water tub, bucket, or on a counter in the bathroom. If bath toys are kept in a humid or moist environment for even a day, they might become a breeding ground for fungus, bacteria, germs, and whatnot. Germs might grow inside them and form mold and other gross things. Apart from that, the kid’s body sheds dead skin while they take a bath and that too might get inside the toys.
Sounds gross, right?
So, like other good parents, you don’t want to compromise on your kiddo’s health, now do you? To keep your baby’s immunity strong and save their delicate skin from any fungal infection, you need to know how to clean kids’ bathroom toys and get rid of the bacteria and mold settled on their bath toys.
And so, here we have curated a blog for you to learn and practice how to clean your kid’s bath toys frequently.
5 Ways to clean infant bath toys:
You are a parent, so by now, you must be a pro at washing their clothes. But do you know how to disinfect your toddlers’ bath toys? Below we have shared a list of the most followed techniques on how to clean kids’ bath toys and ways to prevent mold formation.
1. Clean bath toys with vinegar

Whenever we talk about cleaning or disinfecting something, using vinegar is the first thing that comes to our mind. According to the sources, it has some antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Apart from this, vinegar is acidic in nature. It is extremely powerful, which might help you to remove the icky deposits, residing minerals, grime, mold, mildew, and grease.
There is no need to dilute pure vinegar. You just have to submerge the bath toys in the solution and keep them sitting for a couple of hours. Keep checking the toys every 30 minutes to check whether the mold has dissolved or not. Once you are satisfied with the result, you can rinse the toys thoroughly. Make sure to use only pure vinegar for quick results.
2. Clean bath toys with hot water

The next effective solution to get rid of mildew and mold is to clean bath toys with hot water. You can boil the bath toys in hot water. This is the most used water to disinfect almost anything since ages and it has proven beneficial.
This is how to clean bath toys in boiling water:
- Firstly, take a large vessel and pour water.
- Then bring the water to a boil and dip the bath toys in it.
- To avoid burns, use a pair of tongs to switch sides of the toys.
- Keep the gas slow and let the mold come out.
- Wait for a few minutes.
- Once the gooey fungus comes out from the toys, remove them.
- Keep the toys on a dry cloth or a towel to dry.
This boiling hot water technique can be used on both soft plastic and hard plastic toys.
3. Clean bath toys with bleach

This technique should be followed with caution because bleach is a hazardous chemical. You can take assistance from a professional to clean kids’ bath toys with bleach. Sources reveal that bleach is an effective way to get rid of mildew and mixture.
Here is how to remove mold with bleach:
- Get a bucket and mix 1 part of bleach in 10 parts water.
- Dismantle the toys.
- Let the bath toys soak in the solution.
- Make sure the mixture has reached all the nooks and crannies of each toy.
- Once the toys look squeaky clean, rinse them carefully and thoroughly.
- Make sure there is no residual bleach in the end.
- Wash the toys in clean water and let them dry.
Bleach attacks the mold growth in areas where fingers cannot reach. But before starting the bleaching process, make sure to wear protective goggles, masks, gloves and other gear for your safety. If bleach comes in contact with your skin, it can be really hazardous.
4. Clean the bath toys with the dishwasher

The next best way to clean kids’ bath toys is by cleaning them with a dishwasher. If you are one of those parents, who does not have time or capacity to follow the above methods to clean bath toys, then this technique will do wonders within a few minutes. This is the easiest and safest way to clean almost anything.
Here is how to clean the bath toys:
- First of all, check the manufacturer’s instructions on whether your kids’ bath toys are dishwasher safe.
- Once you have determined the toy’s safety, simply put the toys inside the top rack of the dishwasher.
- Then run them on the hot cycle.
- Once the toys are clean, let them dry naturally.
You may also like: At What Age Do Kids Stop Playing with Toys and Why?
5. Clean the bath toys with disinfectant wipes

Let’s suppose the bath toys are not heatproof or dishwasher safe, then what should you do? If some of the toys do not fall under the above washing categories, you can clean them with disinfectant wipes. If the bath toys do not hold water or are made up of completely closed spaces, then this method is the best. For cleaning, you need to use only alcohol-disinfecting wipes to see the wonders.
We hope our blog has helped you! Before following any of the above procedures, make sure to read the manufacturer’s note.