8 Useful Ways To Clean And Disinfect Ride On Toys For Toddlers
Did you know that thousands of different kinds of germs and bacteria are in your toddler’s toys? They carry it around the house, placing it just about anywhere, and puts them in their mouth. And because of this, many children get sick due to the presence of bacteria on the toys that they have ingested. Thus, keeping the toys clean is a must.
To help you out on how to clean and disinfect ride on toys for toddlers, we have written this guide for you.
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How often you should clean your toddler’s ride on toys?
Keep in mind that some viruses can live on a surface for more than 48 hours. Therefore, it is a good habit to always clean the ride-on toys after using it, right before keeping it in the storage.
By doing this, you can be assured that the next time your children uses the toys, it will be free from germs and bacteria. There are days that they don’t use it of-course, so you are not required to clean it every day.
Ride-on toys are normally made of several materials like plastic, cloth, rubber, and others. Cleaning each material is different, so you need to take note of this too.
When to disinfect your kid’s ride on toys?
It is recommended that you disinfect your kid’s toys after every usage. The following situations require immediate disinfection:
Keep in mind that cleaning is different from disinfecting. In cleaning, you only get to remove the dirt, germs, and other impurities with the use of water and soap or detergent.
Disinfecting on the other hand means that you kill the germs/bacteria with the use of chemicals.
Both processes can stop the spread of infection, but disinfection is a step further as compared to cleaning. It because cleaning alone may not be able to remove all the impurities on the surface. However, it is still best practice if you clean the toys before disinfecting them.
8 Ways on How to Clean and Disinfect Ride-on Toys
Yes, cleaning your kid’s ride-on toys can be done with soap and water but this is not enough to get rid of all the germs and bacteria. Below are some methods of how to clean and disinfect your toddler’s ride-on toys.
1) Wash Using the Dishwasher
Some parts of your kid’s ride-on toys are dishwasher safe. You can simply throw them in the dishwasher once a week to clean them thoroughly. Parts of ride-on toys that you can wash in the dishwasher are those tiny parts that are made of plastic.
Place the small parts of the ride on toys in a lingerie bag or silverware holder so it will not fall on the racks. Make sure that the toys do not contain batteries, fabric, or buttons.
2) Clean Fabric Parts in Washing Machine
Parts made of fabric can be cleaned using your washing machine and set it on a delicate cycle. Never wash toys with battery packs using the washing machine, as this can damage the equipment.
And if you are concerned about a ride on toy parts that cannot survive the washing machine cycle, you can put it in the pillowcase before placing them in the laundry.
3) Use Bleach to Disinfect
You can use bleach on washable, nonporous toys. Just remove the excess dirt using a wet sponge. Mix ½ cup of bleach and 1 gallon of water, then use a sponge to wipe the ride on toys.
Since you can soak the toy as it is quite big, allow the solution to sit on the toy for a couple of minutes before rinsing. Let it air dry before storing it. You can use this option with toys made of metal parts.
4) Water and Vinegar Solution
People have been using water and vinegar solution in cleaning toys and it is the best option for toys that are not safe for the dishwasher. For instance, if the toy has wood parts, mix 50 parts of water and 50 parts of vinegar.
5) Use Natural UV Rays
This method has been used before cleaning products were invented. It is known to all that sunlight can kill bacteria naturally.
During sunny days, you can place your toddler’s toys under the sun or you can place it in a room where the sun rays can penetrate.
Allow the toys to sit under the sun for several hours, enabling the ultraviolet rays to disinfect them naturally. This is the best way to clean and disinfect the toys and at the same time, remove bad odors.
6) Germ Fogger
To disinfect the entire ride-on toys, you can use the germ fogger along with the cleaning methods mentioned. All germ fogger in the market is approved by EPA. It does not leave any residue on the toys and is safe for children in case of ingestion.
Germ fogger can kill 99% of germs that can cause cold, staph, MRSA, flu, and others. You can activate the germ fogger if there is someone with flu in your area to get rid of any viruses and bacteria present.
7) Magic Erasers
If you can, it is best to invest in magic erasers to get rid of grease, grime, and dirt. You can use the extra-large erasers in washing the ride on toys and other toys such as toy houses and swing sets. It can clean the toys well without damaging the surfaces. Also, the bigger size can help you cover more surface.
8) The Power of Baking Soda
This powerful substance can eradicate not just dirt and grime but can get rid of bad odor. Add water to the baking soda to produce a paste and scrub it in the ride-on toy surface.
Then wipe the toy with a clean cloth and rinse off with water. This cleaning method is best for bigger toys like ride on firetrucks or even train that comes with tracks.
Final thoughts
Keep in mind that the health of your toddlers is very important. Cleaning and disinfecting their toys are one way of protecting them against viruses and bacteria. It is definitely worth spending time and money on this for your peace of mind.
We hope this how to clean and disinfect ride on toys for toddlers guide was able to help you in keeping your little ones healthy and protected.