Before I started daycare, I didn't really think about cleaning toys. I'd really only clean things if they needed it. Now that the toys are getting much more use and being handled by more little hands, they are cleaned and sanitized much more often. I shoot for about every 2-3 weeks...more or less often depending on the amount of time we spend playing outdoors and if anyone is sick.
I fill my bathtub with about 20 gallons of water and add bleach. To sanitize toys you add 3/4 cup of bleach for every gallon of water. The instructions say to soak for 5 minutes. I soak them for 5 minutes, then mix them up a bit since a lot of the toys float, and soak for another 5 minutes. You drain the bleach water and fill the tub with water again to rinse them.
After the water drains out, I shake off each toy and look for any damage or loose parts. I put them all in a large laundry basket to dry.
While the toys are out of the bins, I clean all the bins with Clorox wipes and vacuum underneath the stands.
Obviously, some toys can't be submerged in water. I clean books, electronic toys, etc. by hand. Dolls and soft toys go through the washer and dryer. For dolls with plastic faces, I put them inside a pair of footy pajamas or a pillowcase so their faces aren't marked up. Some toys are also able to go in the dishwasher.
Well, not the most exciting post, but thought you might like to know...
