Toys from "the garbage"

[April 2007]

O.k., so they weren't exactly IN the garbage can (big one in my apartment complex), they were in a box in front of it.

I was taking the trash out today and found two big boxes full of decent looking toys. SO I brought them back to my porch and went through them. I found 7 brio trains, three of the track pieces (including a really cool covered bridge thing), almost an entire electronic train set, with a bunch of the cars that go on it (doesn't have the piece that makes it go, but it can be used without the power....I like the ones that have more imagination requirements anyway)

I also found a bunch of little metal farm toys. I found one plastic toy that I kept and a WHOLE BUNCH of wooden pieces, odds and ends, etc.

ANyway, I have NO IDEA who these belonged to, what they've been through, how crummy they are, etc., so they need a REALLY GOOD cleaning before I'll let them anywhere near Noah.

I'm thinking like a long soak of some sort since there are so many. Any suggestions on something that I can soak the wooden, plastic, AND metal toys in that would clean, disinfect, AND sanitize enough for YOUR child to play with?

TIA!
-Devin

[April 2007]

Any suggestions?

Please? My mom is getting sick of these toys sitting in the sink! lol

TIA,

[sea island mama]

I guess I would probably use vinegar (a cup or two in a sink full of water). I don't know about soaking metal or wooden toys, but I guess if you can dry them thoroughly afterwards it would be worth it to know they were clean all over.

[BusyMommy]

and then let them set in the hot sun for a long time.

I think I'd prob. spray them well w/ bleach, too, just to be safe.

[April 2007]

Originally posted by BusyMommy
I think I'd prob. spray them well w/ bleach, too, just to be safe.

even if they'll be going into his mouth?

[Marco Esquandolas]

About the bleach-from what I understand, if you're disinfecting plastic toys that'll go in the mouth and want to use bleach to do so, then you need to ridiculously dilute it something like 2-4 drops per gallon of water. I don't do that one but my mil often does (she buys used toys for all her g-kids, ALL the time...I mean ALL the time : ). I just dilute tea tree oil in water and soak and then scrub with dish soap and rinse well.

[sea island mama]

I just remembered GSE as well. That's Grapefruit Seed Extract containing Citricidal extract of citrus & it is a fabulous disinfectant, anti-fungal, etc. It is intended to be taken internally, so would actually be good for your kids if they put them in their mouths. Depending how many toys/how much water, I would use 20-40 drops (or more).
I can't believe I still don't think of this first. I recently used it to get rid of thrush in ds & me.
HTH

[April 2007]

Thanks for the suggestions. I realized that I didn't have any vinegar with me today (it all spilled out in the car a couple months ago...bleck!!), so I did a soak of water and dr bronners

I was going to then lay them all out in the sun but then it started storming and it doesn't look like the sun will be out the rest of the day. So I'll pick up some vinegar and do a vinegar spray and then maybe somethnig with tto...I don't have money for GSE but I wish I did! I'll try the sun tomorrow.

Thanks again,