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Cleaning new toys for a 5 month old?

How many of you put soft toys in the washing machine or sterilise hard ones (like rattles) before giving them to your babies?
I was paranoid yesterday with all the new toys and would not let my 5 month old play or suck anything until I had either put it through a 40 degree wash (which I couldn't do until we got home so she didn't have have half her stuff till it was dry today) or wiped it manically with milton wipes.
Am I being ridiculous?
She is 5 months old and now wants to put everything in her mouth and I am soo paraniod. i am constantly cleaning her hands and toys.
How often do you all clean toys that are sucked, if at all?
please help, am I going mad?
Goodness knows what I'm going to do once she can crawl and has her hands all over the floor.

It's just that everyone goes on so much about bottles being sterilsed to within an inch of their lives then surely everything else should be too??

I clean toys everytime she drops them on the carpet or wash them in the washing machine if they are soft toys. Am I being ridiculous?

Help!

Thank you. x

Replies

  • Hi

    I cold water sterilse her teething rattles but other stuff I give it a wipe as I am tidying up.
    xxx
  • Honestly? I think you might be being a bit over cautious. Sterilising bottles is important as milk is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, it's really not nesecerry for things like toys.
    Personally the only things that get washed in our house are the toys that my two take to bed as they get really horrid. If Barney is sick on a toy then it gets washed but other than that I don't bother. He's 6 months now so everything goes in his mouth but I figure that if the house is basically clean then it's not going to do him much harm. I think the official recomendations are that toys get washed with Milton or similar every few months, or after lo has been ill.
    xx
  • um..people may disagree...but hard toys like rattles I only clean if dropped on dirty floor or an other child has played with them.
    If the toy is in a sealed package I dont wash. If it is in an open packaging and customers could have touched it, I wipe it with disinfectant.
    Toys....tbh I didnt wash any before giving them to lo, only washed if they have fallen on floor outside or she has been sick on them etc,
  • I've never washed toys unless they were sicked on or dirty. Never sterilised new toys. They need to build up their immune system. I never sterilise dummies either even if fell on the floor. They get a wipe or a rinse but that is it. I have NO doubt that they breed bacteria, and toys do too. Of course. But I don't believe the bacteria are necessarily harmful isywim? They need to be exposed to a few bugs to build up their systems.
    My OH had a go the other day cos Gabe dropped his finger food on the carpet and I blew on it & gave it him back. I just laughed and said I always do it. MIL was around and I said did you ever give Andrew food off the floor? She laughed & said yes, if you were to throw all the food your baby dropped on the floor away you'd waste so much money lol. That told him.
    You can't keep your child from everything.
  • I agree with Tiger Lily, you hae to let them build up their immune systems - i think a lot of the reason there are so many sickly children these days is because we are so over cautious and antibacterialise everything, then their bodies don't know how to cope with bacteria when it does get in their systems. Oscar is only young (13 weeks) and breastfed, but when he has bottles obv they are sterilised, his changing mat gets washed and antibacced, and his dummy is sterilised when it gets mucky, but not religiously.

    I can't wait for him to start playing in the garden, getting all mucky and having loads of fun - i'm not going to ruin his fun time by taking toys off him everytime they touch the floor.
  • Hey,

    I was given a load of 2nd hand toys that I did sterilise and would clean teething rings. I sterilise her dummys every now and then or if she's dropped it on the floor where there have been pets.

    I havn't cleaned all Louise new toys except the bath ones because they were in water anyway lol. That said, I was going to clean the animals in her fisher price train but we need to take it back as it doesn't move - but only because it looks grubby.

    I cn't keep up with washing her clothes so don't want to add toys into my day too! lol

    I did tell my mum not to put Louise dummy in her mouth once as apparently that is worse than the dirt on the floor. And my mums dogs have licked her hand then she's put her hand in her mouth....
  • Hi

    When i get the urge I chuck all the plastic toys in the bath with a load of Milton - generally after she's been ill or if we have a very young visitor coming.

    Like Loopyloo the clothes and bedding is enough to be going on with!
  • I must admit I never wash new toys, clothes or anything! I just kind of assume they are ok seeing as they have been in packaging etc.
    Of course I will milton the toys every now and again but apart from that he's never been poorly and I think you need to let them build up their immunity.
    I would say just relax a little. The bottle thing is because of the milk growing bacteria very quickly so don't worry about it applying to everything.

    Once she's crawling I'm sure you'll chill out a little more otherwise you'll be following her with a wet wipe constantly :lol:
  • same as the rest really - dont sterilise anything, will only wash toys that are mucky from being outside or grubby from being snugled too much, and havent really done so since 5/6 months...
    toys that are 2nd hand get a wipe down with a antibac cloth but thats its...

    xxx
  • ill wash them if needed but other wise dont bother, its not good for them to have everything to clean x
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