I melted my son's winkel!

[texmati]

His winkel!!!

He was playing with it and it fell on the floor in the parking lot. So I put it in the sterilizer and it melted. What is the best way to sterilize toys-- especially ones that have been puked on?

Or do I need to relax a bit on the cleanliness scale?

ETA: Any specific advice on stuffed toys (soft animals, ect?)

[organicpapayamama]

I would just wash it with soap and water. If thats not available maybe take a sanitizer wipe or spray to it, wait a few min for it to take effect and rinse off the chemicals cuz more than likely hes gonna put it in his mouth.

[just_lily]

We have one of those, and I had no idea that was its name. I was thinking something else entirely.....

Since I run a home daycare, I am required to santize things with a weak bleach solution. It is about 2 tsps of bleach to 750mLs of water in a spray bottle. People have mixed feelings on bleach though, so YMMV on that one. If it were just for my own kid I would just throw it in the sink with some warm water and dishsoap.

Actually, if it were my own kid I would probably just pick it up and give it back to her. After wiping off the puke, of coarse.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Yea, I would ease up a smidge.

Your babe is going to eat dirt and bugs and all sorts of things when you aint lookin. I just try to chant to myself, "Germs are our friends, Germs are our Friends."

Our water runs REALLY HOT if you push the nobs all the way to the left, so I usually fill the sink with antibacterial soap (Mostly just in the winter time. I try to ease up the anti stuff for half the year) and then really hot water. Then rinse and air dry.

ETA-I was a little freaked out about what this post was actually going to say when i got here

[lonegirl]

I say relax A bit of soap and water and good to go....maybe in the dishwasher and airdry....

[LynnS6]

Relax. Germs give the body's antibodies something to do. If they don't have anything to do, the look for things.

I'd do soap and water. You can put stuffed animals in the washer (inside a pillowcase) if they get really dirty. Otherwise, I just sort of sponged them off.

[zinemama]

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

[AFWife]

I say ease up...I pick things up off the floor (even in public) and give them back all the time...and he's only been sick twice.

[oiseau]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

You should have seen the panic stricken look on my face!!

[greenemami]

Yes, I would just wash it.

For stuffed toys/dols, we just toss them in the washer with a load of towels, usually in a lingerie bag.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

I wasn't quite sure what to think when I saw his winkel had melted. I didn't know that could happen. LOL Good to know it was only a toy.

In the future, for toys that have been puked upon, I would put toys like that in the dishwasher. I would probably put cloth toys in the washing machine. I probably would not sterilize a toy that just fell on the ground unless it fell in nasty stuff like dog poop.

[KristyDi]

I'd relax a bit. If dd's toy fell on the ground I'd just hand it back to her unless it fell in a puddle, or in some other kind of mess. I don't sterilize anything. Unless your kid is immune compromised, I just don't see it as necessary.

But generally speaking, if it can't survive either the dishwasher or the washing machine it dosen't last long term at our house.

[Grace and Granola]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

Nope. Me too!

[moxygirl]

I'm diagnosed OCD, and I don't sterilize anything (except his bottles and that only very occasionally). I wash his new toys, soft or otherwise, with mild soap and water. I wash the ones he takes out of the house with soap and water, too, before I give them back to him at home but that's an OCD thing. If something falls on the floor, I give it back to him without washing. If something falls on the ground I don't give it back to my 4 month old without washing, but an older baby/child I would, unless it fell in something obviously dirty.

I rarely use bleach and don't use antibacterial anything. As for the puke, I'd wipe it off with soap and water, or if I was out, whatever I had available (napkin, tissue) and give it back to him. Unless it was another child's puke (ew!) and then I'd wash it thoroughly and maybe even bleach it before I gave it back to him.

[tessie]

Originally Posted by Grace and Granola

Nope. Me too!

And me!

[moaningminny]

My DDs loved their Winkels - it was their favourite toy.

I would ease up a bit too, but I know how hard it is!

[mama2myloves]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

I saw this thread on New Posts and was quite shocked!

[nextcommercial]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Was I the only one who thought the "winkel" in the title was a euphemism for "penis"?

I did. While I was waiting for this thread to open, I was thinking "Good heavens, what could you have done to melt a penis!?"

My nephew called it a "Winkie". He told me once "Mommy says I need good Winkie manners". (took it out in church to look at it)

[pianojazzgirl]

Originally Posted by texmati

Or do I need to relax a bit on the cleanliness scale?

Uh... probably this. On a super-mom day I'd take it home and wash it with soap and water. On most days I'd just brush it off and call it clean.

For stuffed animals I'd toss them in the washer on the gentle cycle or just spot clean them with a damp cloth.

[Jaesun's Dad]

I got a chuckle out of the topic and first two sentences of the original post ... and then I went to amazon and bought one!

:-)