Toy Safety
Flu season is in full swing, so it’s best you start taking precautions to keep your whole family flu-free!
It’s a hard thing to admit to ourselves, but our children’s toys are covered in germs. We don’t want to think about our precious little ones playing with things that are so dirty. Wooden toys are some of the worst, too. But what’s the best way to clean them?
The influenza virus can live on hard surfaces for up to 24 hours, including your child’s plastic toys. Children are extra-susceptible to catching the virus, so it’s smart to disinfect their toys regularly to keep them healthy. If you have one sick child and want to keep the other from catching the virus, be sure to disinfect all the toys the sick child has played with as well as any hard surfaces they touched in their bedroom or in the bathroom.
Be sure to use an antibacterial cleaner to make sure you bust all the viruses and other illness-causing bacteria there! You can also use a 100% natural spray cleaner or a water-laundry detergent mix to wash them. Just use a clean washcloth to rub the cleaner on the toy’s surface. Be sure to wipe off the excess! Set the toys aside to air dry. You can do this for all toys, not just wooden ones!
If your child’s toy box is jammed packed with toys, maybe it’s time to donate some of them! Even as adults it’s easy to remember just how hard it was for us to give up our favorite toys when we were children, so be easy on them as you go through this process. You know your child better than anyone, so you can either include them in the cleaning or do it on your own.
Empty the toy box and start with the toys you found at the bottom. Odds are, the toys found at the bottom of the box have been there for a while. Start with them. Ask your child if they would like to donate those toys to other children. Let them know how important it is to donate them and how happy they can make other children if they gave them the toys.
While the toy box is empty, wipe down the inside and wipe off the toys to make sure everything is clean. Finally, consolidate all the toys that can be donated and take them to the nearest donation center.
