It’s that time of year when I cringe everytime my daughter sticks her fingers in her mouth. Germs are everywhere and with a thumb sucker in the family, I feel like I have to be extra careful. From here until Spring, I will clean toys in the toy room every three to four weeks (not every toy, but plastic toys and toys that go in the mouth like the pretend food).
Below is the mixture for the solution I use to clean plastic toys. Vinegar is said to have a disinfecting effect and you can add lavender essential oil to mask the smell (this oil also has anti-fungal properties). If for some reason, we come into contact with someone who has a nasty virus, I will clean our stuffed animals. I keep the majority of animals in my daugther’s room. Only our family members play up there so chances are, those animals share our germs only. You can put stuffed animals in a plastic bag, tie it and leave it outside over night. The winter temperatures will kill off viruses. If you are living in warm temperatures, try washing the stuffed animals or bagging them and putting them in the freezer overnight.
From Ehow Home (How to naturally disinfect your home, there are some other really great ideas at this link) To clean toys: combine equal parts distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Add 4-8 drops of lavender oil. Label the bottle. Spray the mixture on toys and let set for 15 minutes. Dry off the toys.
We use essential oils for many things in our home (tea tree oil drops in the diaper pail, lavender drops in our baths, etc.) I will write a post down the road on other great uses around the home for essential oils!