The flu recently swept through our house, and how the round of colds have hit. My husband and I have been able to avoid the colds, but I figured it's only a matter of time before our dear sweet sharing children generously share those fabulous germs with us.
Ugh.
I started spraying down my son's toys with Lysol spray each night after he went to bed, hoping it would kill off the germs. I felt like I was coating layers upon layers of chemicals on his toys, so I came up with an alternative solution:
Use your dishwasher to disinfect your things!
Some things I run through the dishwasher from time to time to kill germs are:
- Toothbrushes
- Binkies
- Retainers
- Hair brushes (once the hair has been removed)
- Dog food/water bowls
- Tub toys
- Various kid and dog toys
Here's how I did it recently with my son's toys:
Before going to bed I filled the dishwasher to the brim with his toys; even the ones he hasn't played with much recently. The criteria I looked for:
- No fabric or soft parts
- Toys where water couldn't seep inside and ruin them (like balls that light up or toys with buttons to push)
- No battery-operated toys
- No wooden toys
- No loose or removable parts
I placed small random things in the silverware holder,
Filled the bottom with the big toys, filled the top with the smaller toys,
And put it on a gentle cycle. This is my aunt's dishwasher, each washer is a a bit different. Just make sure the heated dry is off - you don't want to melt any toys. I added a bit of all-natural dish soap with my wash.
And that's it! When I woke up in the morning I had a whole batch of spiffy clean toys. No more cold germs in our house!
By keeping your home germ-free it saves you money by cutting back on doctor bills, medicine costs, missed work, etc. I suggest running toys or everyday items through the wash once a month or so, even if your family is seemingly healthy at the time.
What an easy way to save!
You're welcome :)
