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TGT09 05:52 AM 11-16-2010
What are your sanitizing procedures? How often? Do you clean everything or just the things that are most played with?

How do you clean toys that have areas where water can get in?

Is there a good way to clean stuffed animals? Does the heat of the dryer kill germs?

Do you use antibacterial wipes? If so, how long before you let a baby put something in their mouth?

FWIW: I looked through some different posts but didn't find exactly these questions so sorry if it's been asked before.
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missnikki 07:20 AM 11-16-2010
For hard plastic, I use my dishwasher (works on everything from dolls to trucks to blocks) AND the wipes for in between or if someone is 'sneezy'. I usualy let them dry really well before they can be played with.
If you don't have a dishwasher, I guess I would soak them and handwash them in the sink occasionally, and dry them on a dish rack.

For stuffed animals, I seal them in a plastic bag for 2 weeks (Kills Lice and most infestations), THEN soak them in very mild detergent, and low heat on the dryer. (I rotate once every 2 weeks)
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Greenshadow 08:32 AM 11-16-2010
I wash all the handled toys on the weekends in my sink. I dont use my dishwasher ever. I scrub the toys by hand and let them air dry. Stuffed animals get thrown in the wash with the bedding over the weekends too, if they've been handled. I rotate toys from time to time so thats why I say "if they've been handled". I sanitize throughout the day with a antibacterial spray and washcloth if the kids have runny noses, etc. to keep the germs down.
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countrymom 10:17 AM 11-16-2010
I have way too many toys to deal with seperate washing, so at night I do lysol the stuff and when I have a free moment I wipe down the toys little by little. I usually use soap and water and a mr clean eraser for the hard plastic toys.
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DancingQueen 10:23 AM 11-16-2010
stupid question - what do you mean when you say at night you lysol them?
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TGT09 10:32 AM 11-16-2010
Originally Posted by DancingQueen:
stupid question - what do you mean when you say at night you lysol them?
I'm assuming she means she sprays them with lysol disinfectant spray. I do this to all my hard surfaces such as light switches, door knobs, stair railings, etc.
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laundrymom 10:35 AM 11-16-2010
hmm,.. lol, I cant handle the lysol smells, no matter what 'flavor'. it reminds me of stomach flu. lol. Thats what I use when someone is sick. I couldnt bear it to smell daily. lol. I use quantinary (sp?) water for hard surfaces, the dryer for stuffies, and sunlight for everything else.

Originally Posted by TGT09:
I'm assuming she means she sprays them with lysol disinfectant spray. I do this to all my hard surfaces such as light switches, door knobs, stair railings, etc.

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TGT09 10:38 AM 11-16-2010
Oh trust me, I don't lysol daily but weekly. Normally I lysol right before I'm about to leave for a couple of hours. I HATE the smell too and can barely get done. I have tried all the flavors as well. I can't even stand the smell of febreze (although the Christmas one is ok)
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laundrymom 10:41 AM 11-16-2010
Oh Ill hve to try that one,.. I love my yankee candle plug in things for smells.... I have pumpkin spice right now. =-)

Originally Posted by TGT09:
Oh trust me, I don't lysol daily but weekly. Normally I lysol right before I'm about to leave for a couple of hours. I HATE the smell too and can barely get done. I have tried all the flavors as well. I can't even stand the smell of febreze (although the Christmas one is ok)

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DancingQueen 10:44 AM 11-16-2010
So you spray lysol along the hard surfaces and larger structured toys in the play room - do you think it helps and makes a difference?
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TGT09 10:45 AM 11-16-2010
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
Oh Ill hve to try that one,.. I love my yankee candle plug in things for smells.... I have pumpkin spice right now. =-)
It's cranberry something....at least that was the flavor last year. :-)

Mmmm I love Yankee candle. I like the Bath&Body works plug ins too. I got a really smelly one though and need to get a replacement because it's smells like bug spray!
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legomom922 10:59 AM 11-16-2010
First of all I HATE stuffed animals and do not have any in my house. They are the biggest lint collector of all. I had watched the Today show some time ago and their advice was to get rid of them..So I did years ago. The only stuffed animal that is in my house ever, is if one of the kids bring theirs from home, then it's not my problem and I dont have to deal with it.

I use the clorox wipes on everything on the weekends. I never wash anything in the dishwasher or by hand. Soap still doesnt clean germs like the disinfectants can!

I spray the pnp's with lysol spray daily, and the high chairs nightly.
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TGT09 11:11 AM 11-16-2010
Originally Posted by legomom922:
First of all I HATE stuffed animals and do not have any in my house. They are the biggest lint collector of all. I had watched the Today show some time ago and their advice was to get rid of them..So I did years ago. The only stuffed animal that is in my house ever, is if one of the kids bring theirs from home, then it's not my problem and I dont have to deal with it.

I use the clorox wipes on everything on the weekends. I never wash anything in the dishwasher or by hand. Soap still doesnt clean germs like the disinfectants can!

I spray the pnp's with lysol spray daily, and the high chairs nightly.
Oh, I agree about the stuffed animals and they are VERY limited here....like less than 5. They are actually mine from childhood. My Mom brought them out when I started the daycare.

Yeah, lysol is most effective on hard surfaces. I do spray on some porous surfaces i.e. couches etc but not sure if it actually works. And, to be honest, I'm not sure it works on the hard surfaces either. I was finatical (not a word but you get my drift) last year and my kids were sick A LOT! BUT, I had 1 dcg that brought it all in....she was sick almost every other week. It was annoying. I even kept same dcg for a week while parents were on vacation and she was sick 1 day into it. She just has no tolerance for germs....anyway besides the fact........Yes, I think lysol helps but I don't think ANYTHING will eliminate (nor should) all germs.
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kidkair 11:45 AM 11-16-2010
Wow all of you are very focused on killing germs. I clean things that have been in mouths or are intended for mouthing (teething rings) in the dishwasher.
Other than that I rotate toys once a month and have 12 months of bins so they are stored for 11 months before they come out again.
I don't wash stuffed animals unless they have been outside or chewed then I throw them in the washer with their bedding.
I dust and clean handles, switches, sinks, toilet, windows, mirrors, and chalkboard about once a week.
I wipe hands and faces with a wet washcloth after meals so food doesn't get everywhere and of course hands are washed before meals and after toileting.
I don't go crazy about cleaning because I believe if things are too clean that they spread the bad germs faster and everyone gets sick rather than building immunities slowly.
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WImom 03:10 PM 11-16-2010
I spray the toys nightly with disinfecting spray (7th generation brand) and wash bedding and stuffed animals weekly (I have only 4 stuffed animals and they are annoying enough but the kids love them so I'll keep them for now)
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countrymom 04:17 PM 11-16-2010
I just walk along the toys and spray the lysol, I should say I do it once a week unless there is some sick kids. I'm picky on lysol spray so it does have to smell nice, I love fabreeze, esp. when someone does a stinky or when I have people coming over.
I have to say that by doing this routine I never have kids sick here, not even my own are ever sick thats why I don't really concentrate on cleaning, I also open windows here, even in the winter for a few minutes (its been proven that its good for your soul) but there is no way I would put toys in the dishwasher or wash every toy by hand, it would take me several months to clean ever little thing.
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SilverSabre25 04:29 PM 11-16-2010
Yeah...I don't really hyperfocus on sanitizing toys. I don't use antibacterial wipes or sprays either. No Lysol, nothing like that. Yuck. I can't imagine putting all those chemicals on surfaces that are so near kids and are bound to get in their mouths a lot.

Most germs don't live outside the human body for terribly long, anyway. Plus, there's PLENTY of research showing that plain ol' soap and warm water is sufficient to remove normal germs from things.

The kids in my daycare are very healthy, for the most part. I believe VERY strongly in the value of germ-exposure to build and strengthen a child's immune system. Dirt, germs, etc, not scary to us. The worst illnesses we've had in the ten months I've been doing this have been ear infections--nope, not contagious, not an issue. We've had runny noses and colds make the rounds, but they're gone in a week or so and everyone's back to being healthy for several months.

All of my parents know coming in that I don't clean with chemicals (the bathroom is the sole place I make an exception) and that we believe in letting kids get dirty--the dirtier the kid, the more fun they're having!
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misol 06:07 PM 11-16-2010
Depending on how much time I have on my hands I either spray the toys with Lysol like a previous poster mentioned or I do a diluted bleach dip then rinse and let air dry. For electronics and other items that can't be submerged I use the surface wipes. When I have infants in care I do this once a week with items that are mouthed (which usually ends up being everything). Otherwise, when no infants are in care I do this once a month unless someone is sick. When someone is sick I will clean the toys a few days in a row.

As much as I hate using bleach and other chemicals, I still have a hard time finding anything that I can "trust" to kill germs. A lot of green cleaners that I see claim to clean but none of them claim to disinfect. I will look into the 7th Generation disinfectant that someone else mentioned. Can anyone recommend any others? FYI, licensing requires whatever solution we use to be EPA approved.
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Abigail 11:35 PM 11-16-2010
I like using the dishwasher. For the small things like legos and I would put them in a bag and on the top rack of the dishwasher. The bags for bras, I don't remember what they are called, but they have a zipper and are fairly small and holes in it made of a mesh material.....anyways, those work great for putting small things in them. Just make sure you take them out of the dishwasher (whether using a bag or not for any item) when the dishwasher is done because some things collect water/dirty water if they're upside-down or sideways and it's just gross to see something floating in them! This happens once in awhile with our plastic cups, I run them through again.

For things I can't submerge, like the Peek-A-Boo blocks for infants, because they can get water in them. They get cleaned with a rag from a bleach and water solution and air dry for a good half hour. It's usually done at the end of the day anyways, so they get put away after kids leave.


Originally Posted by TGT09:
I'm assuming she means she sprays them with lysol disinfectant spray. I do this to all my hard surfaces such as light switches, door knobs, stair railings, etc.
How expensive is this? Do you buy a spray nozzle or a touch-the-top nozzle like bathroom air freshners?

Originally Posted by TGT09:
It's cranberry something....at least that was the flavor last year. :-)

Mmmm I love Yankee candle. I like the Bath&Body works plug ins too. I got a really smelly one though and need to get a replacement because it's smells like bug spray!
OK, THIS MADE ME LAUGH...So many people (including my mom!) use words that mean something else, but we get what you meant. Sprays are not meant to be tasted, so they are not "flavors". They are meant to be smelled so they are "Scents". LOL, I know what you meant and the others who used the same word, but it made me laugh. No offense either, my mom does the same thing.

http://www.ndchildcare.org/providers...g%20Policy.pdf

I just found what our local procedures are for toy cleaning.
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TGT09 05:49 AM 11-17-2010
Originally Posted by Abigail:
I like using the dishwasher. For the small things like legos and I would put them in a bag and on the top rack of the dishwasher. The bags for bras, I don't remember what they are called, but they have a zipper and are fairly small and holes in it made of a mesh material.....anyways, those work great for putting small things in them. Just make sure you take them out of the dishwasher (whether using a bag or not for any item) when the dishwasher is done because some things collect water/dirty water if they're upside-down or sideways and it's just gross to see something floating in them! This happens once in awhile with our plastic cups, I run them through again.
I'm not sure why but I would have NEVER thought to put one of those bags in the dishwasher, that is genius!!! I just put it on my list for the week. FWIW: I know exactly what bag you are talking about.



Originally Posted by Abigail:
How expensive is this? Do you buy a spray nozzle or a touch-the-top nozzle like bathroom air freshners?
I'd say if you catch a sale as cheap as $3 a bottle but as much as $5. They are aerosol like bathroom spray....at least all the ones I've seen are.



Originally Posted by Abigail:
OK, THIS MADE ME LAUGH...So many people (including my mom!) use words that mean something else, but we get what you meant. Sprays are not meant to be tasted, so they are not "flavors". They are meant to be smelled so they are "Scents". LOL, I know what you meant and the others who used the same word, but it made me laugh. No offense either, my mom does the same thing.
lol It is kind of funny when thinking about it. It's just one of those things that kind of comes out. I use flavors for lotions too and I suppose those are scents too, huh? :-)

Originally Posted by Abigail:
http://www.ndchildcare.org/providers...g%20Policy.pdf

I just found what our local procedures are for toy cleaning.
Good to know, thanks!
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QualiTcare 07:51 AM 11-17-2010
sanitizing toys could be a neverending task. i think spraying most hard surfaces with lysol like pp mentioned is a good route. if you really want to clean a lot of hard toys at once - you could soak them in the bathtub with some bleach vs the sink. drain the tub and sit them out on towels to dry.
i've done that before, but it would definitely not be a regular thing!

i think the best thing to do is keep a small plastic bin on a shelf where the kids can't reach. if you see someone put a toy in their mouth or if they're snotty/coughing, etc., just grab the toy they were handling and toss it in the bin to be sanitized. when the bin gets full - wash those toys.
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TGT09 07:56 AM 11-17-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
i think the best thing to do is keep a small plastic bin on a shelf where the kids can't reach. if you see someone put a toy in their mouth or if they're snotty/coughing, etc., just grab the toy they were handling and toss it in the bin to be sanitized. when the bin gets full - wash those toys.
I do this sometimes but some days it's hard if it's a child that crawls or walks. I normally can keep up with I know what the baby has put in his mouth. This is what most centers do...or at least the ones I've seen.
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BentleysBands 07:59 AM 11-17-2010
i, too, believe in building immunities but i'm also anal LOL

i use clorox wipes and lysol spray. i do all heavy cleaning weekly on fridays and spray pnps daily.

toys that can be sumerged in water go into pillow cases and into the washer. it holds more than my dishwasher and i have an extra rinse cycle . and do it on delicate

also, the dishwasher uses more electricty than a washer and holds more and will tumble the items rather than just sitting .
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momma2girls 01:54 PM 11-18-2010
Originally Posted by TGT09:
It's cranberry something....at least that was the flavor last year. :-)

Mmmm I love Yankee candle. I like the Bath&Body works plug ins too. I got a really smelly one though and need to get a replacement because it's smells like bug spray!
If you like the bath and body works, and yankee plugins, you should try SCENTSY!!!!
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TGT09 05:26 AM 11-19-2010
Originally Posted by Iowa daycare:
If you like the bath and body works, and yankee plugins, you should try SCENTSY!!!!
I almost bought one of those this summer at a few festivals. I might have to look up a rep in my area.
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My Daycare 07:26 AM 11-19-2010
Thanks, Kidkair, silversabre & Bentleys. I have always believed that too much disinfecting created super germs & in their less resistant form we develop immunities to fight them. I don't feel so alone now.

I also know that some germs can be dangerous, so I clean diaper changing areas and bathrooms w/ 7th generation (smelly) during daycare & a homemade disinfectant on weekends. I spray toys w vinager/water (smelly too, but goes away when dries) or wash them. I wash stuffed animals in hot water and detergent.
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melskids 08:53 AM 11-19-2010
here they expect us to bleach soak / clean ALL the toys every week. could you imagine? thats all i'd do is clean all the time. they even suggested sanitizing the outdoor toys including the climbers. yeah , O.K. like i'm gonna go outside once a week to sanitize a climber that sits on the ground anyway
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My Daycare 08:59 AM 11-19-2010
Originally Posted by melskids:
here they expect us to bleach soak / clean ALL the toys every week. could you imagine? thats all i'd do is clean all the time. they even suggested sanitizing the outdoor toys including the climbers. yeah , O.K. like i'm gonna go outside once a week to sanitize a climber that sits on the ground anyway
My rep said to sanitize everything everyday after the kids leave and throughout the day. If not, I am doing a huge dis-service to my family who will be sick all the time due to my career choice.
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AnythingsPossible 12:25 PM 11-19-2010
We are required to sanitize toys weekly in a bleach solution of 50 ppm. We are not allowed to use lysol or clorox wipes on toys the children handle. I would worry about spraying lysol on toys they are going to touch and potentially put in their mouths. We also can not use our dishwashers as a sanitizer.
So, on a rotating schedule I clean/sanitize my sink, fill it with water, add bleach to get the 50 ppm, then give the toys a dunk and let them air dry. For the large lego's that we have, I do the same thing, only with my washing machine. Fill the tub of the machine, add bleach to get the 50 ppm, then turn the machine on to the spin cycle and let it go. I also do the bag thing for stuffed animals and zip them through the dryer. Each day, I do a different set of toys in the sink so that I am not spending all of my weekend sanitizing toys. It seems crazy, but it's our requirment. Gotta love being licensed!!!!
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Unregistered 12:53 PM 11-19-2010
Because I have an autoimmune illness, I do take extra precaution when it comes to sanitizing the toys and surfaces in my daycare. I also have a very strict illness exclusion policy which I adhere to without exception. If I didn't have health concerns, I might be a little more likely to not be overly concerned with germ-killing.
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Crystal 02:25 PM 11-19-2010
I use the Clorox Anywhere daily hard surface disinfectant. I use this on all of the tables and countertops before and after meals and on all of my hard surface items and big toys at the end of every day. I use clorox wipes throughout the day for cleaning the bathroom sink and toilet, as well as the changing mat and napmats. Anytime a toy is mouthed it goes into a bucket in the kitchen sink for sanitizing - even the kids know if they see a friend with a toy in their mouth, they will tell them to put it in the germ bucket.

About once a month I wash all small toys.....legos, duplos, megablocks, toy animals, dolls, etc.

I wash bedding weekly, napmats daily. Throw rugs, dress up clothes and stuffed animals every week or two, depending on the need.

I clean the ENTIRE downstairs every morning before arrival.....toilets I use disinfectant pine sol and comet, and I pine sol mop the floors. All carpeted areas are vacuumed each morning and evening.

My kids are rarely ill.
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DanceMom 02:40 PM 11-19-2010
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
Yeah...I don't really hyperfocus on sanitizing toys. I don't use antibacterial wipes or sprays either. No Lysol, nothing like that. Yuck. I can't imagine putting all those chemicals on surfaces that are so near kids and are bound to get in their mouths a lot.

Most germs don't live outside the human body for terribly long, anyway. Plus, there's PLENTY of research showing that plain ol' soap and warm water is sufficient to remove normal germs from things.

The kids in my daycare are very healthy, for the most part. I believe VERY strongly in the value of germ-exposure to build and strengthen a child's immune system. Dirt, germs, etc, not scary to us. The worst illnesses we've had in the ten months I've been doing this have been ear infections--nope, not contagious, not an issue. We've had runny noses and colds make the rounds, but they're gone in a week or so and everyone's back to being healthy for several months.

All of my parents know coming in that I don't clean with chemicals (the bathroom is the sole place I make an exception) and that we believe in letting kids get dirty--the dirtier the kid, the more fun they're having!
I agree with all of this. My kids rarely get sick here..if they do its ALWAYS from the weekend..they come in Monday with runny noses etc...they do spread it quickly to the others but I dont stop it as much as most providers might..I always remind my parents that unfortunately they are sick now BUT fortunately when they start kindergarten their immune systems will be built up pretty good by the time they start. Worst sickness we had that spread like wild fire was RSV last year..otherwise it has only been colds. With colds I am constantly wiping noses( make the parents donate kleenex) and washing their hands and using hand sanitizer.

I do Lysol or dishwasher and wash bedding weekly. I dont have stuffed animals at all ( only in daughters room which is hands off from daycare )
I spray highchairs, paknplays, and any hard big surfaces..I am constantly wiping down couters, door handles, doors , walls etc just because Im a neat freak. Mop almost daily with Pinsol, vaccuum daily etc.
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melskids 05:55 PM 11-19-2010
Originally Posted by My Daycare:
My rep said to sanitize everything everyday after the kids leave and throughout the day. If not, I am doing a huge dis-service to my family who will be sick all the time due to my career choice.
well, i clean as necessary, and my family and my daycare kids are almost never sick.

now i'm not saying i dont do it, believe me, all i do is clean. but cleaning toys that werent even touched all week just for the sake of cleaning them is a little extreme to me. (thats what they expect us to do. and thats what i meant in my post)
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My Daycare 08:01 AM 11-20-2010
Originally Posted by melskids:
well, i clean as necessary, and my family and my daycare kids are almost never sick.

now i'm not saying i dont do it, believe me, all i do is clean. but cleaning toys that werent even touched all week just for the sake of cleaning them is a little extreme to me. (thats what they expect us to do. and thats what i meant in my post)
I meant the same thing in my post. I was just commenting on what my rep said, not what I believe to be the only way. So, so sorry if my comment came off wrong.

We do what we can.
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