How to Clean and Disinfect Baby Toys With or Without Bleach
Parents know that nothing loves baby toys more than a baby’s mouth. Learn how to disinfect toys with or without bleach to help reduce the spread of icky germs in your home.
Icky germs can be especially dangerous for kids, so it's a good idea to disinfect baby toys with a Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach solution to help to reduce the spread of cold and flu viruses. You can use the same solution on high chairs, cribs, changing tables and other baby furniture.
What you need
Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach with CLOROMAX® - Concentrated Formula
Plastic dishpan
Rubber gloves
Measuring cup
Large plastic spoon
Paper towels
Sponge
Clean white towel
Steps to disinfect baby toys with bleach
Prepare the disinfecting bleach and water solution
Measure 1 gallon of water (4 quarts) into the plastic dishpan, and then add 1/3 cup bleach to the water and stir the solution with the spoon.
Pre-clean toys
If necessary, use a paper towel dampened with water to wipe any obvious dirt or grime off the toys before the disinfecting step.
Apply the disinfecting bleach solution
Drop smaller toys into the bleach and water solution and stir with the spoon so all surfaces stay wet for 6 minutes. For larger toys that won’t fit easily in the dishpan, use the sponge to apply the bleach and water solution to the toy. Reapply the solution as needed to keep the toy wet for 6 minutes.
TipWearing gloves, hold bath toys with air holes like rubber duckies in the solution and squeeze to work the solution inside the toy.
Thoroughly rinse each toy
Make sure to completely rinse away the bleach solution with clean water, including squeezing clean water into and out of bath toys.
Air dry
Lay the toys out on the clean towel and allow them to air dry.
Bleach-free cleaning
For a bleach-free alternative, try Free & Clear Disinfecting and Sanitizing Mist, a germ-killing mist that’s safe around kids, pets and food.* It’s free of fragrances and dyes, and works on hard and soft surfaces.† Just spray and go, no rinse required.
Supplies
- *
When used as directed.
- †
When used as directed. See product label for list of bacteria and viruses killed on hard surfaces and bacteria killed on soft services.