To be honest, by the time it’s bath time, I’m exhausted from the day. For us bath time is after dinner and I’m ready to get everyone to bed as quickly as possible and sit down and watch Jeopardy. That being said, when I give baths it’s more of a quick clean-off. Bubble baths are for days when I’m not exhausted and want to give them more time to play. Full on baths seem to take longer. They also can be hard to get kids out of, require toys, and clean up of said toys.
I dread using the bath toys because it is another thing to clean up at the end of the day. This is of course after you put the other toys, books, and dishes away. So I’ve been searching for some of the best ways to keep toys clean – no thank you mold and mildew. I’m also searching for the best ways to store them to prevent them from getting gross. Sometimes it just seems like a waste of toys if you happen to forget to dry them or store them properly because they can get dirty so quickly.
Bath Toy Storage
I found this article on some of the best storage ideas out there. Some are really unique and some are really simple, like storing the toys in a colander. The idea here is that they are in a container that has good ventilation and allows them to dry. Your best bet is to empty or squeeze all the water out before even putting them in there. But at least if you miss that step they are still going to dry well.
Another tip that is interesting and would work best on squirt toys is basically taking away their squirting ability. You can actually put a dot of hot glue on the hole on the bottom of the toy, that way no water can get in the toy and therefore you will have mitigated against the risk of mold growing inside it.
Cleaning Methods
So those are great ways to prevent mold and mildew build up, but what are some of the best ways to keep them clean (as long as they aren’t completely unusable)? One popular suggestion is using a mixture of vinegar and water about once a week. Another method is using good old fashioned bleach for when things start to get mildew. The most likely method for me to use is the dishwasher. That’s right, all those plastic and rubber toys that don’t have batteries can go right in the dishwasher. The heat on a regular cycle is plenty, you don’t need to add any extra heat!
New Toys
It’s also good to replace bath toys often. I may also take a look at some of these toys and add some of that hot glue to the squirt toys! That way I won’t feel like I’m constantly throwing these toys out and my girls can have a fun bath time.
