Often times, parents ask me how I clean children’s toys naturally. I thought I would share a few of my tips with you for soft, wooden, or plastic (ugh) toys. My methods are gentle for the earth and your family, as I don’t use harsh chemicals like bleach water, however, they may not kill viruses such as RSV.
Should plastic toys have crept into your home from well-meaning relatives, many of them can be cleaned in the top row of the dishwasher. This is the suggested method in a preschool curriculum I used to follow. This is a simple manner of cleaning them, but it may not lighten your impact on the earth. Washing them by hand in a sink full of soapy water may be a better option.
For wooden toys, I usually just wipe them with a damp rag to remove the dust. If other children have been over, and I am concerned about germs, I will wash them in a sink full of warm water and dish soap. I use Ecover Dishwashing Liquid, which I assume if it is safe enough for my children’s dishes, it is safe enough for their toys. Wooden toys should never be soaked in water for long and should be dried immediately, otherwise the wood can swell and the grain may rise to the surface.
For plush toys, I use the hand washing gentle cycle on my washing machine. We have a Maytag Neptune, which is a front-loading machine that uses very little energy and water. Even when our hydro is down, I am able to run the washing machine off of two solar panels. Front-loading machines are more gentle on items, and I have yet to have a plush toy fall apart when washed in cold water.
Just like every other aspect of cleaning your home, toys can be cleaned naturally. The best part about using natural cleaning products is you don’t have to worry about your child being harmed while they help you. Have you seen those horrible images of a boy with terrible rash from a Mr. Clean Eraser Sponge?
Editor’s Note: Thanks so much to Jennifer Lance, who is participating in the ongoing Green article swap between GNMParents and Green Options. Jennifer is a regular over at Green Options, a fantastic site which succeeds in their efforts to “provide a place where you can sort out the flash from the trash, and make informed decisions that allow you to live a responsible, healthy and abundant life.” GNMParents contributor, Tiffany, will have her swapped article posted at Green Options today, so keep an eye out. Thanks for visiting, Jennifer! And special thanks to Jeff at Green Options, for all the help!
[tags]a little greener, ecology, environmental, caring, kids, children, home, toys, cleaning, cleansers, Ecover, gentle[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Erik B, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
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Where Families Connect » Blog Archive » Green Cleaning // Aug 28, 2008 at 5:11 am
[…] Lance’s post, “A Little Greener: How to Clean Toys Naturally” on GNMParents offers helpful advice from a mother who has had to clean all sorts things […]
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