Toy Cleaning reminders

Toy library toys are shared toys. It is important that shared toys are cleaned on a regular basis.

If the toys are packed in a plastic box, we ask you to clean inside the box as well. Please follow the cleaning instructions on the toy labels. If you have babies and toddlers who tend to put things into their mouths, we recommend that you re-clean the toys you have borrowed from us before giving them to your children to be on the safe side.

Winter is when infections whip around the community. Preschools and daycare centres are commonly considered to be community “hot beds of infection”. It is our preschool children who tend to spread winter ills around the community. Winter ills are generally spread by direct contact from person to person, via mouths and hands. Families where everyone washes their hands frequently, and thoroughly, do not suffer anywhere near as many winter ailments as the rest of the community.

Most pathogens, including the H1 N1 virus, do not live for more than a few hours on toys or other surfaces. But bowel pathogens like roto-virus are suspect, it is likely that they do survive on surfaces.

Cleaning Our Plastic Toys

For cleaning purposes we divide our plastic toys into non battery toys and battery toys. Non battery toys can be washed all over. But the battery units on battery toys cannot be washed, instead, because of water damage to electronic units these units need to be wiped not washed. However all the other components of that toy can still be washed. Fortunately children do not normally put the part of the toy with the battery unit into their mouths because it is usually too bulky and unwieldy.

How to Wash Toys

Cover the toys with warm water; add a few drops of mild real soap solution to the water. Gently rub all surfaces of a toy and all its pieces with a soft clean cloth. Don’t scrub too hard, otherwise the colours may be damaged. Use a soft old toothbrush (then throw it out) or use cotton buds to get into the places that a cloth won’t reach. Rinse the toy pieces. Put them on a clean towel and let them air dry, in the sun if possible. Do dry toys thoroughly. Make sure that all toys are completely dry before packing into toy bags and boxes. If you’re in a hurry you may use a hairdryer but only on its cold setting. But beware - some plastic toys melt more easily than others.

How to Wipe Toys

Please do not use a dishwasher to clean our toys. It can also melt some plastics. Use a combination of one part water and one part distilled white vinegar. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray on a clean cloth and wipe down the unit thoroughly. Then quickly wipe with a dry clean cloth. The vinegar smell will go when the toy is dry. Rub gently. If you choose to use spray & wipe, please read further.

Natural Antibacterials/Antiseptics.

Vinegar is a natural antibacterial/antiseptic product. It is claimed that a 5% solution of white vinegar, that’s straight from the bottle, kills 99 percent of bacteria and 80 percent of viruses in household cleaning use. It is a top natural cleaner and neutralises the dangers inherent in bleach and other wipes. Always read the contents label on antibacterial products. Some commercial antibacterials products do use a natural antiseptic. Teatree oil is a natural antiseptic, so is manuka honey, lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme etc. If you use Spray and Wipe products read the labels carefully. Look for products with no ammonia, no benzene, no bleach, no chlorine, no nitrates, and no petrochemicals. When there is any statement about First Aid or Medical Advice on the label do not use the product on any of our toys that children could put in their mouths. We recommend cleaners like Eco Store Naturally Antibacterial Spray and Wipe.

With thanks to Te Aroha Toy Library for providing much of the information above.