How do you disinfect?

smilee

I swear, my house is a germ factory.  D is sick, i am sick, DH now has a sore throat...

On saturday, I am sending them both out of the house and I want to open ALL of the windows and de-germ this place.

I have a floor steamer and just ordered a hand-held one for the countertops, bathtub, etc.

But what is baby friendly that you use for hard surfaces that can't be steamed?  What about toys?  Specifically, how do you clean the foam blocks that you have on the floor?

Thanks.   

MonkeysGirl05

Can you submerge the blocks in water? I don't remember the dilution, but fill your bathtub up with bleach and water and give all the water safe toys a dunk. I have lysol on hand as well as clorox wipes too.

smilee

MonkeysGirl05:

Can you submerge the blocks in water? I don't remember the dilution, but fill your bathtub up with bleach and water and give all the water safe toys a dunk. I have lysol on hand as well as clorox wipes too.

I was nervous about using Lysol, but I guess I shouldn't be. 

*Willis*

The steamers only disinfect if you hold them over a surface for so long.  Just using them to mop doesn't disinfect, fyi.

I use Mrs. Meyers all surface cleaner for toys, foam map, high chair, etc.  Or soap and water if I can stick it in the sink.  Stuffed animals go in the washer.  I use something more potent (with bleach) if we've been sick on door handles, light switches, kitchen counter tops etc - things that C can't touch but we do consistently.

I'm sorry.  We are a germ factory too.

emmyloustu

I use the Clorox Anywhere Spray on her highchair and toys and clorox wipes on surfaces like faucets, doorknobs, phones, lights etc...

LucyPevensie

I don't like massive chemical cleaners - I think they do a lot more harm than good and I don't think they belong in a house with young kids (or anyone else really!) I also believe that disinfecting (one's home) is over-rated.  Hospital, yes. Home, just clean normally and you're fine, even after illness.

I would wipe your foam blocks with a mild cleanser - vinegar/water solution or warm water with a dot of dish soap in it.  I think if you submerge them you're going to have a problem.  

I like Method all surface cleaner (the grapefruit one.)  We use vinegar/water solution for the wood floors. 

 

cjsbdl

vinegar and water (1:1 solution)

Mrs.Babbsy

I spray lysol everywhere, wipe everything with clorex wipes, steam the floors and shampoo all carpet areas and throw all rugs in the wash. I wipe everything. I spray lysol every other day, this is on their toys after they go to bed.

 

Sara Scissors

His floor mats and toys I dunk in the tub with the diluted bleach water when he's sick or about once a month otherwise.  In between I wipe all toys, doorknobs, everything really with the Clorox wipes.  

Good luck...I hope all three of you are feeling better soon! 

AuburnBride06

For those who spray a chemical disinfectant on toys or other baby things, do you then rinse or wash them eith water to get the chemical off?

GuitaristsGirl

cjsbdl:

vinegar and water (1:1 solution)

This (at cjsbdl's suggestion!)  I don't like the idea of using chemicals on things that will go in DS's mouth.  (Google vinegar and disinfectant - it's amazing what it can do!)

I will use a spray lysol if and only if I can't find another way to clean something, and I try to do it outside when I do.   

eta:  Or I boil.  I boil a lot of his toys; those that can't be submerged/ boiled get the vinegar spray. 

Hope everyone's feeling better soon! 

mrsolsenk12

AuburnBride06:

For those who spray a chemical disinfectant on toys or other baby things, do you then rinse or wash them eith water to get the chemical off?

When I have cleaned things in a bleach solution I rinse and dry them. If I use a clorox wipe, then no I don't wash it off afterwards.

mbjmaybebaby

When the boys were sick the last week or so I was spraying down the couches, swings, etc. with Lysol every night after they went to bed.  I also wipe down their toys (rattles etc.) with Clorox wipes every night.  Once they start putting things in their mouth I will probably run anything I can through the dishwasher.

LucyPevensie

OMG really?  Lysol guys?  God that is like pure poison.  Eesh. 

dusk42

Vinegar/water or Mrs. Meyer, but I don't go nuts cleaning after sickness (since it's gone through all of us, we're all pretty ramped up immunologically and the viruses/bacteria are going to die on the doorknobs eventually).    I do wipe down doorknobs and stuff like that regularly, but that's just a hold-over from my mom.

sourpop

I boil things and use vinegar/water as my baby toy cleaner. And if they have fabric on them, I will stick in the washer. I clean A LOT. I also wipe down door knobs with bleach water - those things get so dirty. Also, I take a lysol wipe to our cars once a week.