Depending on how old your children are, there’s a good chance they’ve had their toys in their mouths at least once today. With cold and flu season well underway, it’s understandable that you’d want to make sure your kiddos aren’t getting sick from their favorite toys at home, but you can’t exactly toss all of their toys into the washing machine or dishwasher and hope for the best. Legos, stuffed bears, and squeaky rubber ducks all have to be cleaned using different methods.
We spoke to experts to learn the best way to clean our kids’ toys, what products to use and not to use, and when disinfecting and sanitizing are necessary. Spoiler alert: Disinfecting and sanitizing don’t have to happen as often as you’d think.
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Shanina Knighton, PhD, research associate professor at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western University in Cleveland, recommends disinfecting or sanitizing toys if children or visitors to the home have been sick, if toys have come into contact with food or sticky hands, after toys have been used outside or on the floor (especially if you wear shoes indoors), and if toys are shared between several kids at home. “Doing timeouts to wash hands before, during, and after toy play can help cut down on germs and the need for cleaning them frequently,” she says.