Cleaning your kids’ toys can be a tedious task. Luckily, there are numerous natural ways to keep them clean and disinfected without using harsh chemicals.
Baking soda is one of the most effective cleaning options for kids’ toys because it’s non-toxic, inexpensive, and readily available at any grocery store.
Not only does it work well against bacteria since it has anti-microbial properties, but it also removes odors from stuffed animals and other plushies—all while being safe for children to play with again!
In this article, I’ll show you how to clean your kids’ toys by using baking soda.
Let’s get started.
Plastic Toys
What You’ll Need:
- Baking soda: You can buy it at the grocery store in boxes in the cleaning product or grocery aisle.
- Warm water: Warm water softens the surface of toys so they’re easier to wipe off after cleaning with baking soda.
- Clean cloth: You’ll want something that will clean without damaging surfaces (i.e., no rough paper towels). A microfiber cloth works great for this.
- Spray bottle
Steps:
- In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups of water with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Shake well.
- Spray the toys with the solution and let them sit for 15 minutes.
- Rinse the toys with warm water. Make sure you rinse off all traces of baking soda.
- Dry them with a soft cloth. You can also leave them outside to air dry. Avoid drying the toys under direct sunlight.
Plushies and Stuffed Toys
One of the best ways to clean your children’s plushies and stuffed toys is with a damp cloth and baking soda.
For example, if you have a plushie that has become dirty from use, you can use this method to disinfect it.
First, dip the cloth into some water and squeeze it so that it’s damp but not dripping wet.
Then sprinkle some baking soda onto the cloth (you don’t need much), which will help exfoliate any dirt or grime on the surface of your toy.
Lightly rub in circles over the surface of your toy until all visible dirt has been removed.
Wipe off excess moisture with a dry part of your rag or towel before putting it away.
Benefits of Using Baking Soda for Cleaning Children’s Toys
These are some of the benefits of cleaning toys with baking soda:
- It’s safe for kids and pets
- It’s non-toxic, cheap, and easy to use
- It not only cleans but also deodorizes
- It’s odorless
Baking soda is also safe for the environment, so you can feel good about your green cleaning efforts!
How Often Should You Clean Your Children’s Toys?
As a general rule of thumb, you should clean toys at least once a week and after each use.
If your child has been sick or you’re in the middle of potty training, you might want to increase the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning.
Here are some additional instances when it’s good to give your kids’ toys a deep clean:
- Before using them again (or if they’ve been stored for an extended period)
- After dropping them on the floor (toys made with hard plastic can be especially susceptible to this)
- When shared with other kids
- When you have pets playing with your kids
- When the kids play with their toys outside in the mud or dirt
If you have high-traffic areas in your home—such as hallways, playrooms, and kitchens—you’ll want to make sure toys are cleaned more often than every seven days too.
Conclusion:
I hope these tips have given you some ideas on how to disinfect children’s toys naturally with baking soda.
If you’re looking for more cleaning uses for baking soda, check out my article on how to Get Rid of Pet Urine Smell Naturally with Baking Soda.
Thanks for reading.
-Baking Soda Guy
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
