What is the best way to clean toys?

A question we get asked a lot is what is the best way to clean toys, and is there an easy to use spray that can magically clean both soft and hard toys?

Before we talk about the best things to do, let's first talk about what NOT to do. One of the biggest challenges with toys is that kids have a truly personal relationship with them - which means they spend more time licking and kissing their toys than playing with them!

When thinking about what to wash toys with, always remember, whatever you put on them will go straight into your baby's mouth. So definitely don't use anything that you wouldn't want your baby to swallow. So no products with alcohol, bleach, acids, anti-bacterial drugs.

Of these, the ingredient that is easy to miss but is deceptively dangerous is Alcohol. Accidental alcohol ingestion is quickly becoming a leading source of poisoning among children. See literature on WebMD, FDA. Whatever you do, please do not use products containing alcohol.

Most hand sanitisers and sprays that evaporate contain alcohol. It is strongly advised NOT to use such products for cleaning toys and other surfaces that may be licked by your baby.

For toys, we recommend the following:

1. For hard toys, use a safe and gentle soap, much like our very own Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner, rinse with water and leave to air dry in the sun.

2. For small soft toys, dump them in the laundry and use a safe, natural laundry washing liquid to clean them just like your regular clothes. We suggest Windmill baby Natural Laundry Detergents, which get the job done without leaving behind harmful residues on clothes and toys. Never tumble dry soft toys, as that may destroy them. Squeeze excess water out as best as possible and air dry under the sun.

3. Larger soft toys are the hardest, but also attract a lot of dust. These must be hand washed using a safe, natural laundry cleaning liquid and then air dried under the sun.