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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Cleaning Toys
busymommy0420 03:39 PM 01-03-2012
Ok so I just cleaned EVERY and I mean EVERY toy in the playroom. I hand washed then soaked in bleach water for 5-10 minutes and air dried. It took me almost three hours and had the help of my son and hubby and three toddlers watching our every move. 
Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?
One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.
Thanks!!!
Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.
Thanks!!!
Cat Herder 03:42 PM 01-03-2012
My training says daily at minimum. 
busymommy0420 03:51 PM 01-03-2012
You are able to bleach every toy daily?
Cat Herder 04:03 PM 01-03-2012
Originally Posted by busymommy0420:
You are able to bleach every toy daily?
Yes, very easily. I run my playroom "old school". You are able to bleach every toy daily?
It was how things were done for many, many years. I have MANY bins of theme toys and rotate them throughout the day instead of "centers". I guess in theory the entire room becomes a different "center" a few times a day...
Anyway.. say I used bin A this morning. When we clean up for lunch I dump all collected toys in the tub with disinfectant. During nap I drain and hang them to dry in a mesh bag. When they wake up bin B is set up for the afternoon. On a particularly busy day (can't go outside) we may swap out 3 -4 bins.
When we clean up for going home I dump all toys collected to soak, drain and hang......start fresh everyday. Been a routine for over 17 years....
I tried the "stay out centers" where every toy is out at all times, but I was exhausted trying to clean/disinfect everything every day.
Everything that can't be soaked gets wiped and sprayed. I admit I purposely choose toys I can soak. A toy has to be a "Must Have" for me to be willing to wipe them all the time.
PitterPatter 05:21 PM 01-03-2012
Originally Posted by busymommy0420:
Ok so I just cleaned EVERY and I mean EVERY toy in the playroom. I hand washed then soaked in bleach water for 5-10 minutes and air dried. It took me almost three hours and had the help of my son and hubby and three toddlers watching our every move. Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?
One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.
Thanks!!!
I wash as I go. I see a smudge or know a child had sneezed etc it gets wiped off before put away. Other than that it's just a rotating process every weekend a few toys here and there, round and round. Ok so I just cleaned EVERY and I mean EVERY toy in the playroom. I hand washed then soaked in bleach water for 5-10 minutes and air dried. It took me almost three hours and had the help of my son and hubby and three toddlers watching our every move.
Well I feel great and vacuumed and dusted playroom and hand washed the floor. My question is how often should this be done? I have to admit I have only been washing the toys the kids out in their mouths (play dishes & tea set) daily and the rest weekly with clorox wipes. I have done the deep clean every month at the beginning of the month. I have been open 9 months and have never had a child absent for illness and my kids have been really healthy too. I have a housekeeper but never had her do the toy room, maybe I should rotate it in? Any thoughts or suggestions?One last item...how do you sanitize electronic toys since they can't sit in a bleach bath? (like little keyboards, phones,toy radios) I just wipe them with clorox wipes currently.
Thanks!!!
Electronice like our leap pads and books etc all get wiped down with a clorox wipe. If I run out for some reason I spray it with lysol then use a baby wipe until I get clorox wipes in
DaisyMamma 12:36 PM 01-04-2012
Lysol wipes
daycare 01:34 PM 01-04-2012
Originally Posted by Catherder:
Yes, very easily. I run my playroom "old school". It was how things were done for many, many years.
I have MANY bins of theme toys and rotate them throughout the day instead of "centers". I guess in theory the entire room becomes a different "center" a few times a day...
Anyway.. say I used bin A this morning. When we clean up for lunch I dump all collected toys in the tub with disinfectant. During nap I drain and hang them to dry in a mesh bag. When they wake up bin B is set up for the afternoon. On a particularly busy day (can't go outside) we may swap out 3 -4 bins.
When we clean up for going home I dump all toys collected to soak, drain and hang......start fresh everyday. Been a routine for over 17 years....
I tried the "stay out centers" where every toy is out at all times, but I was exhausted trying to clean/disinfect everything every day.
Everything that can't be soaked gets wiped and sprayed. I admit I purposely choose toys I can soak. A toy has to be a "Must Have" for me to be willing to wipe them all the time.
I store all of the stuff in my garage and well pull it out as we need it, but I do have too much out.Yes, very easily. I run my playroom "old school".
It was how things were done for many, many years. I have MANY bins of theme toys and rotate them throughout the day instead of "centers". I guess in theory the entire room becomes a different "center" a few times a day...
Anyway.. say I used bin A this morning. When we clean up for lunch I dump all collected toys in the tub with disinfectant. During nap I drain and hang them to dry in a mesh bag. When they wake up bin B is set up for the afternoon. On a particularly busy day (can't go outside) we may swap out 3 -4 bins.
When we clean up for going home I dump all toys collected to soak, drain and hang......start fresh everyday. Been a routine for over 17 years....
I tried the "stay out centers" where every toy is out at all times, but I was exhausted trying to clean/disinfect everything every day.
Everything that can't be soaked gets wiped and sprayed. I admit I purposely choose toys I can soak. A toy has to be a "Must Have" for me to be willing to wipe them all the time.
I am going to adapt to this idea....As early as next week. Already starting the process of making the buckets today...
Cat Herder 02:26 PM 01-04-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
I store all of the stuff in my garage and well pull it out as we need it, but I do have too much out.
I am going to adapt to this idea....As early as next week. Already starting the process of making the buckets today...
I swear it simplifies my days and minimizes my cleaning after closing. I store all of the stuff in my garage and well pull it out as we need it, but I do have too much out.
I am going to adapt to this idea....As early as next week. Already starting the process of making the buckets today...
PLUS, the room always smells so fresh and clean....the toys stay new looking AND it keeps me in a better mood during the dreary winter months when my motivation is severely lacking.
daycare 03:03 PM 01-04-2012
Originally Posted by Catherder:
I swear it simplifies my days and minimizes my cleaning after closing.
PLUS, the room always smells so fresh and clean....they toys stay new looking AND it keeps me in a better mood during the dreary winter months when my motivation is severely lacking.
I bet... I am so tired of saying...only one toy out at a time....Pick up one mess before creating another.........Oh I want those days behind me......I swear it simplifies my days and minimizes my cleaning after closing.
PLUS, the room always smells so fresh and clean....they toys stay new looking AND it keeps me in a better mood during the dreary winter months when my motivation is severely lacking.
MarinaVanessa 09:00 AM 01-05-2012
For the electronic toys I mix a bleach/water solution (1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water) in an empty milk gallon container and then I fill a spray bottle with it. I lay a towel out on my table and then lay out the toys on top. I then spray the toys and let them air dry. Once dry I flip them over and do the other side.
The bleach/water solution formula is what CA licensing requires us to use for disinfecting toys. The minimum that we're required to disinfect is once a week but I remove mouthed toys immediately and will tipically disinfect each toy bin and toys about 2-3 times a week. I keep only a few small bins of toys out and everyday too to make it easier on myself.
The bleach/water solution formula is what CA licensing requires us to use for disinfecting toys. The minimum that we're required to disinfect is once a week but I remove mouthed toys immediately and will tipically disinfect each toy bin and toys about 2-3 times a week. I keep only a few small bins of toys out and everyday too to make it easier on myself.
renodeb 09:42 AM 01-05-2012
I rotate wiping toys down daily then on the weekend everything gets it. You have to find a system that works for you keeping in mind the regs for your state. I would just wipe the electronic toys with clorox wipes. I have one child that licks everything so when hes here I hit everything I can think of with wipes! Wierd kid! (should be whole other post).
Debbie
Debbie