Personally, I prefer to clean my kids toys with all natural products because they
are not only better for my children but they are better for the environment. So many times you hear of stories of the harsh chemicals in liquid cleansers and sponges causes rashes and other skin irritations in children. All natural is the way to go and in many cases it will actually help save money. Forget the bleach! And if you are looking for things that will kill off viruses then turn to good old fashioned essential oils that have been around for centuries. Tea tree oil is a known antiviral essential oil.
If you need to clean those plastic toys then why not just put them in the dishwasher and put the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. This is the best and the easiest way to clean plastic items. If you do not have a dishwasher then simply cleaning them by hand in that hot soapy water with regular dishwashing liquid will get the job done just as well.
Then there are the plush toys. That is something that is in every home with children. The best way to do this is in the washing machine. I put the stuffed animals in a pillow case and put it on the gentle cycle. I add 3 drops of tea tree essential oil to the liquid washing machine detergent and they come out fabulous. You can also add tea tree oil, lemon oil and lavender oil to water in a small spray bottle and spritz down the plush toys in the evening after they have been played with for the day.
If you have wooden toys you can just wipe them down with a damp rag. If other children have been playing with the toys then you may want to wash it with soapy water but do not let it sit in waterit will ruin the wood. I like to put a few drops of tea tree to the damp rag before I wipe down the wooden toys. Just be sure to dry off all of the toys before you give them to your children.
So now you know how to wash all of those Webkinz, Thomas the Trains and playmobil toys your children will be getting for Christmas. No need to bleach up the toys especially if you have an infant that still puts the toys in their mouths. Doing things that all natural way is best for everyone.