In times of coronavirus, one of the keys to reducing the risk of contagion is to wash your hands well. In addition to this, we must maintain the cleanliness of the home and in the case of children it is important to clean and disinfect their toys well, as we are going to explain below, with natural remedies that do not imply any risk to the health of our children.
Since the schools were closed and the state of alarm was declared, the majority of the population, including children, has not left their homes, but this does not mean that there is no risk of contagion if, for example, we go out a moment to buy or walk the dog and when we go up we touch something with our infected hands. Among the things that we can touch, for example, there may be a toy that your child has left in the middle of the entrance or on the sofa, so in addition to remembering to wash your hands as soon as you return from the street, it is important to clean and disinfect the toys as we now explain.
How to clean and disinfect children's toys well
Apart from the coronavirus, the toy that your son or daughter likes the most is the one with the highest risk of being full of germs, since it is only dragged into any room in the house, but it is sure to have a great time part of the time lying on the ground.
In this way, to prevent dirt and germs from accompanying the child through their toys, there is nothing like cleaning and disinfecting them well. For this we explain step by step and according to each type of toy, how to leave them clean and free of any virus or germ.
Small plastic toys
Any type of small plastic toy, such as hero figures, animals, or building pieces that do not have stickers or batteries, can be easily washed in the dishwasher by placing them on the top rack or, for added safety , especially the smaller ones, in the cutlery container, using to wash a teaspoon of percarbonate and a little ecological dish detergent or even better a homemade dishwashing detergent (you can find a recipe here ).
Larger plastic toys
If these also don't have stickers and batteries, germs and stubborn dirt can be washed away with hot water and an eco-friendly detergent, using a toothbrush to get to the stubborn parts. After cleaning the tougher grime, you can rinse and sanitize the toy with a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar, which you can mix with a spray bottle.
Battery-operated plastic toys
First of all we have to remove the batteries, then with a sponge that we will have dipped in warm soapy water (also in this case you can choose an ecological or homemade detergent), we have to gently wash the toy avoiding the mechanical parts and the electric cables. Once the stubborn dirt has been removed, rinse and sanitize gently, using a clean cloth soaked in a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar.
Dusty stuffed animals
If your son or daughter's stuffed animals are just dusty, you can brush them off with a clothes brush. After that, you can put them in the freezer, in a plastic bag, overnight. The cold will kill the dust mites.
Or you could proceed with a dry cleaning: place the stuffed animals inside a plastic bag and add a teaspoon of baking soda and a salt for each stuffed animal to put in the bag, plus 10-15 drops of oil tea tree; close the bag tightly; shake and let sit for 2-3 hours.
After this time, remove the stuffed animals from the bag and brush them again to remove all traces of baking soda and salt.
Dirty stuffed toys
Place the stuffed animals in a cloth bag or pillowcase and wash them in the washing machine selecting a delicate program with organic or household detergent. You can also add a teaspoon of percarbonate to disinfect and citric acid, dissolved in water, as a softener. Can be sun dried or blow dried.
Dolls hair
First, remove any accessories from the doll, such as earrings, clothing, etc., untie the hair and run it under warm water. You shampoo with a little mild soap (for example, the one you use for children), and then rinse with warm soapy water again.
Rinse well, style, and allow to air dry.
Wooden toys
Wooden toys can be easily cleaned by gently rubbing a cloth dampened with a little water and an ecological detergent on the surface. Once this is done, you can also disinfect by wiping the toy with a cloth dampened with a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar.
Books
To disinfect book covers, you can wipe them with a cloth slightly dampened with a solution of water and vinegar. After doing this, immediately blot with a dry cloth.