Have you watched the reality show of ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8’? It is about parents Jon and Kate and their eight children of sextuplets and fraternal twins. Living and taking care of eight children of almost the same age is like living in the wild. The older twin girls and their younger six siblings create chaos in the life of their parents. You will find everyone talking over each other and while one drops a spoon the other picks it up to put in its mouth. Monitoring all of them at the same time is a task not meant for the light hearted. Luckily not all parents are in the same situation. It is important for parents to be alert at all times especially when their children are toddlers. At this stage they are inquisitive and are exploring the senses of sight, touch and taste. Whatever they see and get their hands on will go in their mouth, especially toys. This is one of the major issues that parents have to deal with. Sanitizing toys and cleaning furniture and appliances regularly is important so that children do not consume germs and bacteria. From vinyl books, stuffed toys, articles in your child’s room such as the crib or playpen have to be vacuumed, washed and cleaned, preferably on a weekly basis. This becomes all the more imperative if you take toys outdoor to public places or if other children share the toys. Toddlers are very sensitive and their immune system is still developing. During this period, the child is susceptible to get affected by germs and bacteria found in the external environment. Keeping a hygienic surrounding will help your child have a healthy childhood and it will be inculcate good habits in the child. A few tips to keep toys and other articles clean are discussed further.
Tips To Keep Your Toddler’s Toys Clean & Sanitized
- On a weekly basis, you could use a cloth dipped in warm, mild soapy water to wipe vinyl, rubber and plastic toys that your child uses. Rinse thoroughly with water and wipe with a clean towel. Make sure the soap you use is mild and does not contain any toxic residue as children have a habit of putting everything in their mouth.
- Vacuuming is necessary to remove fine dust that settles on various articles such as dolls, stuffed toys, curtains, bedspreads and wall hangings (anything that is hard to launder). Vacuuming book shelves and toy containers by removing books and toys is a good way to prevent dust from collecting.
- Appliances like music players and furniture should be dusted and wiped with a clean cloth to get rid of fine dust that collects no matter how clean you keep your home.
- You should launder or hand wash items like doll clothes, toy coverings and stuffed toys.
- For articles that cannot be washed such as collector items, figurines and coloring books, wipe clean with a cloth to remove stains and sticky finger prints.
- Organizing toys in their respective containers will help cleaning become easier.
- Cleaning toy boxes or containers on a monthly basis is advisable. It will get rid of all the scrap pieces like paper, broken crayons and other such pieces that are usually found in the bottom.
- It is best if you teach your child how to pick things up, how to keep his/her own toys clean and in one piece and how to keep them organized. This will not only make your work easier but it will also help in inculcating a sense of responsibility and cleanliness from an early age.