How do I kill germs on stuffed animals?

Question

My daughter has the flu and I want to disinfect all of her toys. But I don't know of any products that will kill germs on fur... Do you???

Answer 1

How about getting the dry cleaners to clean them?

Answer 2

Grapefruit Seed Extract! I know it's sounds weird but this is a natural antimicrobial disinfectant. You can find it at any local health food store/market. It comes in a little bottle, usually called "GSE". You make a spray bottle full of water, squeeze about 35-40 drops of GSE into the water, shake up, and VOILA... you have the world's most perfect disinfectant! This is the SAFEST way to clean things for our little ones. You can spray it on anything, high chairs, toilets, kitchen counters, stuffed animals, pacifiers. Just get your item pretty wet with the spray, leave for about a minute, then wipe off let air dry. GSE is SOOOOO much safer than Lysol or the Clorox "Anywhere" bleach cleaner that they say is safe to spray one things your child encounters :( but it's still made with bleach!!

Anyways, it's the only thing we use in my house, since my toddler's mouth ends up on EVERYTHING, and since you can't throw everything in the laundry. It's so safe he could manage to squirt some in his own mouth and his health would end up benefiting from it! Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I am a preschool director and this is an on going issue......I am sure you can figure out why. Anyway we were advised to take the toys that could not be washed (dolls, hats, etc.) and tie them in a large black trash bag and put them somewhere for up to 2 weeks. Put them in a cold dark place (garage or basement is good) if possible. Most germs will die in this environment. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Make sure community toys are clean.
"You can wash stuffed animals in the washing machine weekly during cold and flu season," Schachter says. "Plastic toys such as Legos can be washed with soap and water and board game surfaces can be wiped down with disinfecting wipes." Horowitz adds: "Kids are touching everything including parts of their own body that may be contaminated and then touching toys or mouthing them and then sharing them with playmates."

Answer 5

YOU DON'T DISINFECT TOYS AT ALL. She will be fine. Children need to be exposed to normal amounts of virus, bacteria etc in order to build up immunity to them. If you don't give her a chance to become resistant to illness, once she starts school, she will catch everything on the go. That's why children who attended daycare are sick less often when they get to school. They were exposed to all kinds of stuff and built up their tolerance. You can't keep the whole world germ free so you may as well leave it alone. Hey, we're all still alive and we never disinfected our whole world did we?

Answer 6

The germs wont live long on stuffed animals or toys. If you plan on touching toys she touches, just make sure you wash your hands.

Answer 7

I know this sounds weird by my sis in law puts her sons fav stuffed animal in the freezer for a while, it kills the bugs, germs and suffocates them...she gives it back cold and clean...good luck

Answer 8

put them in the dryer...get it real hot for 30 minutes or so then when they come out spray them with lysol..sit them outside for an hour or so and let them air out. (dont let her around the lysol fumes) but make sure not to put them back in her room until she is completely over the flu. it usually takes 48 hours for germs to leave after her fever is gone.

Answer 9

Put them all (other than the ones with batteries in and sound boxes etc) in a pillowcase, knot the end and put in the washing machine on a low wash. I do this all the time and haven't lost a furry friend yet. (it says not to on the label but they come up good as new).

Answer 10

A washer. Wash them it hot water and laundry soap. But i know that they did just come out with a Lysol product that you can spray on anything. You'll find any store.

Answer 11

Spray with Lysol Disinfecting spray...wash them!