Do you ever CLEAN your kids' legos?

[taubel]

My three boys are all obsessed with legos, and we have thousands and thousands of them. For the most part, they are stored all spread out on our train table and in a wide, shallow plastic bin under the table. When the legos get on the floor, I just throw them back on the table or in the bin.

The problem is, the top of the train table gets dirty and dusty, and so do all the legos. It doesn't help that my sons like to sit ON the train table in the midst of the legos. Then sand from their pants pockets, dirt, whatever gets all over the table.

Anyway, I'd like to be able to wash the legos periodically. I was thinking I could put them in a mesh bag and then do it in the tub? Does anyone have a better method? Please share!

[doubledutch]

i was thinking mesh bag and in the dishwasher, or salad spinner (or just a regular colander in the sink/tub).

[philomom]

Test a few in the dishwasher. Use that mesh bag on the top rack.

[clutterwarrior]

If you try the dishwasher, don't use normal dishwashing powder or tablets though, as it is probably not good for the plastic which has not been designed to be dishwasher safe. Putting it through with just water will wash them well enough anyway I am sure.

[Teensy]

I've washed some in the dishwasher before with no problem.

[OkiMom]

I use a colander in the sink and run them through some water. I don't use soap since water takes off the dust and grime without it.

[confustication]

I am probably not very crunchy about it, but I soak mine in a very dilute bleach solution once in a blue moon (after kids have been sick etc) in the sink- a big pot of boiling water poured over them with a tablespoon or so of bleach gets them clean every time. I toss all the hard/plastic things in this way.

[weezix]

my sister stuck hers in her jacuzzi tub

[larablue]

put them into a pillow cover (only if can be zipped close safely) or mesh bag and put in together with the laundry not too hot.

[mattemma04]

I got some recently from goodwill and just sprayed them with lysol.If I wanted to go all out cleaning I would do the mesh bag in the summer so I could lay them out in the sun.He has TONS.If I needed to do it now I would just lay them out on a towel and toss them around every so often to knock off the water.

[astrophe27]

I've done it in a mesh bag or a tied up pillowcase (make sure it is secure) in the washing machine with the towels or sheets.

Then spread out to dry or hang up the mesh bag so they dry in there.

A.

[Jenn_M]

Originally Posted by confustication

I am probably not very crunchy about it, but I soak mine in a very dilute bleach solution once in a blue moon (after kids have been sick etc) in the sink- a big pot of boiling water poured over them with a tablespoon or so of bleach gets them clean every time. I toss all the hard/plastic things in this way.

I work in a daycare and we are required to use bleach solution or some equivalent to clean our toys and this is basically how we do it too. But not boiling water- just really hot from the tap.

[mamadelbosque]

I don't think my or my brothers legos ever got cleaned... we each stil have a huge tub of them (I can't wait for the boys to be old enough for real legos!!)

[LaughingHyena]

I put duplo blocks through the dishwasher with no problems, DS likes to print with duplo and paint or stick them in the playdough so we get to test that regularly

I use one of the little baskets designed for baby bottles to keep them contained, I think the small lego pieces would fall through the holes though.

As kids we used to get given the baby bath tub of soapy water and the box of lego. Once we'd finished building boats the lego got spread on a sheet to dry out. Great fun and clean lego. Though we did learn you can't make great boats from lego, the water gets between the bricks and they sink

[EdnaMarie]

Wow, what a great thread. My toddler peed on her sister's legos and I soaked them but I was wondering what would happen if she had a different kind of accident. :P

[A Mom's Love]

Yep-soaked 'em in hot water in the sink. The really icky ones went in the dishwasher.

[meg-momto2]

i've dumped them in the tub with hot water a very small amount of bleach. stir them with a big wooden spoon and rinse. i make sure i have a mesh cover for the drain so none of the small pieces wash away.

[phathui5]

I've only done it once, when the cat peed in the Lego bin.

[Ruthiegirl]

I washed ours once after a some unidentifiable food was found rotting in the bin. Just dumped into a sink of hot, soapy water and dried them on a big towel. Makes me want to wash more of our grubby, sticky toys.

[BabyBearsMummy]

My daughter inherited my brothers old Lego that had been sitting in my mothers storage room for more than 15 years gathering dust. It needed to be cleaned first. I dumped it in batches into one of my giant soup pots with a little bit of Sunlight swirled it let, let it soak and then swirled it again. I then used a wire strainer and drained all the water from it I could. Then I wrapped it up in a clean dish towel and rolled it around to dry a bit more. I left it wrapped in the towel until dry. It was actually quite easy. The hand me down looks as good as the brand new stuff she's bought from the Lego Store. And she loves that she has uncles Lego.