How do you clean new/existing toys/books that you know are going directly into LO's mouth?

[gracemamma]

Sophie fell on the garage floor. Friends brought a new poly sock monkey made in China. Books are printed in China & US- some say non-toxic, some dont. One toy fell in front of the cat litter box- and its surface clean only!

Everything is going in the mouth right now- reading a book is nice but tasting it is better! I know a little dust & cat hair should help get those antibodies going but a teething toy on the garage floor/near litter box needs special treatment-what do you do? Do you clean books off when you bring them home &/or regularly if they get sucked on alot?

Mom also brings us used books- fine but a few smell like mildew. I figure these need to stay away til she stops sucking her books. I use Earths Best wipes on books sometimes.

Ped says clean very carefully anything that falls when we are out, be more mellow at home but clean everything 1x/wk. All BTDT mama thought/recommendations welcome!!

[larzanna]

Anything soft i wash on cold/gentle (or in a net bag) and lay flat to dry even if it says not to. Anything else i just use a bum wipe and give it a quick wipe off.
Even when things fall on the floor out of our home i don't worry very much. Ha i also don't wipe the toys nearly as often as i should.
I just keep telling myself that BM keeps him healthy!

[j_p_i]

Sometimes I throw a rattle or something that won't melt right in the dishwasher, as these often get thrown on the floor while I am cooking or during dinner. Otherwise, I wash things with soapy water, or a wipe if water would be harmful.

[sunshynbaby]

For Sophie-like toys, I wipe with vinegar and rinse or run them through the dishwasher on the top rack if they seem sturdy enough. For cloth toys, I tie them in a pillowcase and wash them on gentle in the washing machine (even if they say surface washable only). I haven't washed books, but I don't let him teeth on them either. I'm kind of OCD that books are for reading, not playing (unless playing means looking at the pictures or reading).

[Just1More]

Mostly, I don't wash stuff much at all. The cat litter...was it wet? Or just touched it? Wet, I might be grossed out beyond repair, dry, eh, wipe it off with a hot soapy cloth and let it air dry, or, if there's not a rattle or something inside, throw it in the washer. Put it on the porch in the sun for a while?

Really, it takes a lot for me to worry about it. I always think, "EXACTLY, what could happen?" Mostly, not much...

I think cleaning stuff all the time is precisely WHY kids are so sick. I'm not sure this is why, but my kids are rarely sick, and when they are, we don't do much about it. Comfort them, but mostly, we ride it out. I have 3, and this year they each had a fever for one day, and no colds or ear infections. That's it for the whole year. YMMV.

[nukuspot]

If something falls on the floor while we are outside of the house (usually Sophie) or if we bring our own toys to baby playdates I wash them with soap and warm water when we get home. In the home I don't usually wash anything other than her spoon, though I would if it touched the dog (or in your case--cat litter!) We don't bring any stuffed toys out with us, her organic cotton stuffies stay home. Only Sophie, wood toys, and the Green Sprouts corn plastic toys leave the house.

Books, we don't wash. I don't know how. We try to stop her from chewing on them but it is hard. Really hard. However, they are indoor only at this point.

I have put some things away until later when the chewing isn't so intense (like a sock elephant that is polyester and made in China and things my MILK sent from the UK that smell mildewy to me).

[blumooned]

I was wondering about this for new toys. I am picturing LO getting toys for Christmas and me not wanting him to play with them until I've had a chance to wash them, which probably won't get to happen. Maybe I'll just have wipes ready. Usually, I wash new toys before he gets them.
At home, for his existing toys, I wash stuff that has left the house - usually just soap & water in the sink. For things that hit the kitchen or bathroom floors, I also wash in the sink (although sometimes they just get a rinse if he is doing it over & over )
I don't know why, but it never occurred to me to wash the books!

[lifeguard]

If it isn't machine washable it isn't going to last in this house. Toys need to be durable, if I need to be careful washing them they will get tossed (eventually) 'cause they are not going to stand up to the abuse they will receive.

Books - I never thought to wash them. If they were getting that grungy I'd probably just recycle them.

Toys that come from questionable sources - I might throw them throw the washer (I like the dishwasher idea too!) or just toss them or give them away.

Ds was not much of a chewer so perhaps that makes me less worried about it all.

[gracemamma]

Thanks for all the great ideas! Dishwashers, vinegar, just throwing things in the wash even if they say not too- might as well try it!
I'm very happy to instill a love of reading- she's really into it- but particularly the Dr. Seuss board books she wants to chew on because of teething (5 months today-hurray!) . Sometimes I think this is better than chewing on plastic but am not sure- she was really wanting to chew on the phone today!
When we're talking kitty litter (dry) & gas leaked-upon garage floor, the issue is disinfection and cleanliness, but with the toy from china (that went into her mouth within seconds of being openned) & the books its more a potential chemical toxicity issue. I understand the antibodies issue, but I guess because its my first baby & she's still little, I am still a bit hesitant!

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by Just1More

Mostly, I don't wash stuff much at all. The cat litter...was it wet? Or just touched it? Wet, I might be grossed out beyond repair, dry, eh, wipe it off with a hot soapy cloth and let it air dry, or, if there's not a rattle or something inside, throw it in the washer. Put it on the porch in the sun for a while?

Really, it takes a lot for me to worry about it. I always think, "EXACTLY, what could happen?" Mostly, not much...

I think cleaning stuff all the time is precisely WHY kids are so sick. I'm not sure this is why, but my kids are rarely sick, and when they are, we don't do much about it. Comfort them, but mostly, we ride it out. I have 3, and this year they each had a fever for one day, and no colds or ear infections. That's it for the whole year. YMMV.

[Kelly1101]

I just wash soft toys with the clothes in the washing machine. Hard toys in the sink with soapy water. Books or anything else like that, wipe down with soapy water.

[lmclanahan]

I am a germophobe, and have anxiety about illnesses.
That said, in my 16 years of parenting five children, things sure have changed!! I used to wipe down the toys, usually with baby wipes. Antibacterial gel after going into stores or being around other kids. My first had a few colds, some high fevers without any other symptoms, etc. until he was 4. He nursed until 4, too. He is now 16, and is healthy. He had te flu this year, as we all did, but otherwise, healthy.
With each child, I have gotten less and less worried about dropped items, even Cheerios, and crackers/cookies. My current baby is almost 4 months, and her toys are all over the house already. I am careful to make sure people don't sneeze/cough on her, but I lay my sling and her blankets in the shopping cart. I have dropped her pacifier on my car floor and then put it in her mouth after a dry wipe. So far, so good.
I think that my second child cured me of worrying about some of these things. She used to lick the bottoms of her shoes while in her car seat. Once she chewed some already chewed gum from a shopping cart. She chewed on handles, ate cat litter AND dog poo, and completely freaked me out. Except for bronchitis at 6 months, once, she wasn't sick in her first year. One ear infection ever, etc. She is now 11 and very healthy. SHe nursed or 3 1/2 years.
My third one won't wear her jacket or socks when it s cold, and is skinny as a beanpole, but healthy as a horse too. She nursed until 5. :-)
Number 4 is still nursing at 3 3/4. No major problems, first antibiotics last week for strep throat. Touched EVERYTHING, especially at public restrooms, and always has a snotty nose from allergies. So, a breeding ground for bacteria, but still healthy.

My thought- nursing helps, a LOT. Probably more than any of us realize. There are germs everywhere, and a healthy immune system needs to exercise its functions. I think that it is okay to be clean, nothing wrong with washing toys, especially around cat litter. Yuck, lol.
If you choose to be more laid-back, see what happens. If my kids were sick often, I would disinfect more often. I don't worry about the bathrooms either. I used to use bleach, but now just use Greenworks. It looks clean, everyone is healthy, so its all good.

Sorry about the spellling!
I think that some kids just get sick more often, that's all. Soap and gel can help, adn I do use it. I just don't worry about dropped toys and things like that as much as I did at first.

[gracemamma]

lmclanahan- thanks for the perspective of cleaning issues over a span of 5 kids-really interesting!
A friend shared an Erma Brombeck story- with the 1st kid, you sterilize the pacifier when it falls on the floor, with the second, you wipe it off & with the 3rd you have the dog fetch it!

[starling&diesel]

I'm not big on washing her stuff ... I figure it all helps boost her immune system. Heck, she chews on the dog toys! We are out at a lot of places where she gnaws on all kinds of stuff too. Meh. She's pretty hearty so far.

[saritajoy]

I don't worry too much about stuff that gets dropped around the house...
just wash hands with soap after playing with the dog or out in the dirt.

For questionable things I do spray them down with a tea tree oil solution:
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend

or if I have one of these natural baby wipes around: http://www.naturalbabyworld.com/home...aby-wipes.html

Out of the house I try to be more vigilant... cleaning off surfaces with hand sanitizer or something like that, then with a more gentle wipe to clean off the chemicals. I think that any time we do this as moms it's such an inexact science...you don't know which is more harmful - the cleaning solution or the potential germs!!!

It's the made in China plastic toys and printed books that really worry me... I try to make sure that he doesn't put them in his mouth too much and eliminate the ones I can from our house altogether.

[lmclanahan]

It's funny-we were at the store today, and I started thinking of everything they were touching. I gave them wipes to wipe the cart, lol.
We stopped at a pet store to buy a new hamster and my 7 year old touched the baby before hand gel. I was like, "Stop!!" I hope I didn't jinx myself, lol. She touched the paci, sigh...