TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham doles out tips on how to keep children's toys clean.
- Stuffed animals have been known to attract dust mites. To kill them, place them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 24 hours. Repeat this process once a week. Tell the child that his or stuffed animal friend is on vacation in Iceland.
- Sanitize tub toys by washing them in the dishwasher. This will even get all the nooks and crannies clean.
- If children use squeeze toys in the tub, make sure to get all the water out of them after each bath. Otherwise, the toys may become contaminated with mildew.
- To wash and disinfect a plastic toy, simply scrub it in warm, soapy water, using a brush to reach into the crevices. Rinse in clean water, then immerse it in a mild bleach solution for approximately 10 to 20 minutes. Finally, remove the toy from the bleach solution, and rinse it well in cool water. Let air dry.
- Clean plastic toys such as dolls with a mixture that combines 1/2 cup baking soda with one tablespoon liquid dish soap. Use the paste with a toothbrush to scrub the toy. Wipe off with a damp sponge.
- Pour bleach and water on a damp sponge to wipe off dirty vinyl toys. Rinse with a damp sponge or cloth.
- Make sure that you only buy stuffed animals that can be laundered in the washing machine.
- To make an old teddy bear washable, first cut a small slit in the bottom of it and remove the stuffing. Hand wash in cold water and let it dry. Restuff it with a washable stuffing such as old pantyhose or foam, then stitch it back up.
- Prevent board games from getting beaten up too quickly by spraying them with a clear shellac before the first use.
- To clean a stuffed doll, put it in a nylon hose and launder it in the washing machine in warm water on the gentle cycle.
