Do you ever check your child's bath toys? Are you absolutely sure your baby is not using dirty bath toys? Well, if you've never taken a closer look at your baby's floating friends, you might want to do so right now.
In a video titled “Throw out your bath toys!" a UK-based father, Jack Toepfer, made a shocking revelation about dirty bath toys.
He is seen squirting his baby's favourite pirate toy, and to his surprise, he finds pieces of black mould spewing out of its mouth. This, after his child had reportedly already taken a bath with the said toy!
Dirty bath toys are a mould paradise!
Along with the video, Toepfer also shared an important message (as a caption) about the importance of cleaning dirty bath toys.
"Any toys that hold water, that squirt water, or otherwise do not dry completely in an hour or so – throw them out," he wrote.
"Your kids chew on these, drink out of them, and otherwise trust that they are clean because they are in a soapy bath, after all. All of this mould came out of this toy AFTER some had already squirted out in the bath, again onto a bath towel, and then what you see here," Toepfer pointed.
"If I cut it open I'm sure I would find more," he added.
"There is no way for these squeeze toys to dry completely so they sit, with water in them, in dark moist places – and it is mould paradise. If you have any now, throw them out. If your kids insist on using them, throw them out after the first bath. They are cheap and there are better bath toys out there," he warned.
Many cases of dirty bath toys are coming out from around the world
But this is not the first time a parent has found mould growing inside their baby's bath toys.
Just last year, a horrified New Jersey-based mum reportedly found mould in her son's favourite Sophie the Giraffe toy. Child dentist Dana Chianese uncovered poisonous substances growing inside the toy. She was alerted by an unpleasant smell.
The concerned mum then took to social media to share her story.
It was crucial because as a child dentist she herself has been recommending the toy to all her patients.
"I decided to cut into Sophie out of curiosity and discovered a science experiment living inside. Smelly, ugly mould living in my infant's favourite chew toy!" she reportedly told Good Housekeeping.
Soon after, another concerned parent shared his story online. Canadian YouTuber Viva Frei reportedly posted a video where he is seen opening his son's dirty bath toy.
“It is a little known fact what germs and nastiness reside in these little bath toys. To show you why you should throw them out from time to time I am going to cut open this little sailor man and show you what is inside. It will shock you," he warned in the video.
He then took a pair of scissors and cut open the toy to reveal mould growing inside.
"Look what is inside. That black stuff is mould, in bath toys that children play with and sometimes drink the water out of. What grows inside of them is just disgusting," he shared.
"If you have mould on your toy, there is a good chance there may be bacteria there as well"
Commenting on these horrific revelations, hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley told The Sun, "One good thing about mould is you can see it – so if you have mould on your toy then there is a good chance there may be bacteria there as well, so it is definitely time to clean and disinfect it.
"Conversely you can’t see dangerous bacteria or viruses, so you may think the toy is clean enough to give to your baby but in fact it isn’t.
"Moulds can produce toxins such as mycotoxins which are poisonous and which can cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is best not consumed, particularly by babies."
So how can you protect your kids from mould? Here are top five ways to clean your dirty bath toys.
4 ways to clean your dirty bath toys
- Boil the toys in water every two weeks. Squeeze them properly to get all the mould out. Let them dry before you reuse.
- Mix together 3.5 liters of water with 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Soak your toys in this mixture for an hour. Squeeze to get mould and dirt out. Let dry and use.
- After you clean them, cover the holes in the toys with superglue. This will prevent more mould from forming inside.
- Mix two parts of water with one part of hydrogen peroxide and soak your dirty bath toys in the mixture. Alternatively, you can also spray it on to them. Squeeze the mould/dirt out and let it dry before use.
Make sure you maintain proper hygiene when it comes to bath toys and clean them from time to time.
Sources: Independent, RD
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