Quick and easy chemical-free cleaning tips to remove mould from inside rubber ducks and other children’s rubber bath toys.
We all love them, rubber duckies are so very cute and such a fun play toy for the kids in the bath. However, just like all rubber bath toys, they get the horrible black build up inside. I’ve shared below my tips on how to clean your rubber bath toys.
How To Clean Rubber Bath Toys
- Squeeze out any water sitting inside the toy.
- Fill your bathroom sink with water, add 1 cup of vinegar, mix.
- Suck water into each rubber toy and allow to soak in basin for 30 min.
- Give a good shake after 15 minutes. Soak for a further 15 minutes.
- Shake and squeeze out water.
- Using a cleaning brush or cloth, clean toy.
- Rinse.
- Allow to air dry.
Check Out These Super Cute Bath Toys
TUBFUN FLOATING BATH BLOCKS– Use these in the bath or in the pool, even for water play in a bucket. These floating bath blocks are sure to keep your little one entertained while getting clean and working on their imagination and motor skills! AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.
CAAOCHO KALA THE WHALE BATH TOY – Rub a dub dub, there’s Kala the whale in the tub! A new bath time friend to play and chew on, Kala is made from 100% natural rubber and hermetically sealed so that bacteria and mould can’t grow inside. AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.
SCOOP AND SPLASH BATH TOY ORGANISER – Easily scoop up bath toys, store back on the suction cup mounting plate then release the toys by un-zipping the quick draining mesh bottom – splash! Make bath time and tidying up bath toys quick, simple and fun. AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE
33 comments
Also to stop water getting in there u can hot glue gun the hole up.
fantastic tip I have two duckies that need a decent clean – thanks!
You read my mind, i was trying to work out how to get them clean yesterday when i had to veto the toys from bath time
I cleaned mine last week by sucking up the bi-carb and vinegar mix (while it was still frothing). Worked a treat and I had great fun. It also didn’t require any soaking time, which was handy.
Vileda also have a tile and grout scrubber which I love for cleaning around the suction cups on non-slip bath mats etc. It’s a bit firmer than the Tupperware one you use.
I solved the problem years ago by not having actual bath toys, I give them a couple of the little Ikea snack bowls and cups a spoon and a small funnel and they have a ball with the bubbles! Afterwards I just wash them with the dinner dishes and put them away. No manky toys and no extra clutter in my bathroom!
I put ours through the dishwasher once a week, the heat kills al the mould and germs. Has never destroyed a duckie and we have some toys for 9 years!
Thank you so much for your tip!!! I hate that black stuff floating in the bath!!!
we just bought more; our others were disgusting and not cleanable! lol
hehe, this has been on my “to-do wishlist” for over a month now 🙂
Wow! I didn’t know you could clean them! I used to just throw them out, now I just buy toys that don’t have the hole……. But my kids have the most fun with a plastic cup I use to rinse their hair with….. Go figure!
My usual method of cleaning plastic bath toys is to throw them out and buy new ones! I’ll be trying this next time…much cheaper. lol.
I’m with you LisaW, the soft ones with holes can’t ever be cleaned well IME … I try and stick to hard plastic stuff I can clean properly and piff any stuff we get as gifts when it needs a clean.
I’ve found the best thing to do is put a blob of silicone over the hole when you first get the bath toys 😉
With our bath toys – I pop whatever can handle it into the top drawer of the dishwasher & then only have to handwash a few! Fantastic!
what about using bleach? is that too strong?
thanks yaar i thought to dispose it two days back.. nw i got gud idea
Another tip I have heard, but am yet to test, is to pop silicone into the hole to stop the water sucking into them in the first place… thinking of giving it a go as then they should float properly too!
somebody else just mentioned they do this and it works for them, such a great idea to stop the mould.
we have started filling the holes with silicone, works a treat, no moldy
bath toys!
What a fantastic idea!
that is an awesome idea, very clever!
We filled all our bathtoys holes using a glue gun and shared details over an our blog. Welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com
Milton…is magic for this. Once a week I put all the toys in the bath, put in enough water to submerge everything and add in some milton. Suck the water with milton into the toys and leave it all for at least 10 minutes. It has worked wonders on the mermaid dolls ensuring there is no mould through their hair etc. Simple, easy and sterilised.
Vinegar is the best for any moldy situation! I have a squeeze bottle that has an 80% vinegar/ 20% water solution that I use to clean walls, ceilings, windows and toys. Fab for the bathroom too 🙂 Josie
I love vinegar too! Such a great cleaning agent for so many things!
Vinegar is great. It is natural and does a wonderful job of killing the mold. We soak lemon or orange peels in vinegar to give it a more pleasant smell when cleaning the mold.
Ooh i like your idea of soaking lemon or orange peels in vinegar. Great idea!
I like to use lime essential oil, which has antibacterial properties and smells great!
Ooh i’ll sounds good, Elda.:)
Good tips!When I found mold in my son’s bath toys I cleaned them in the dishwasher and let them dry very well. After that I glued the holes with a hot glue. That was the best way to stop the mold. Greets!
Great idea gluing the holes up! Yes used to clean the kids toys in the dishwasher too, saves so much time.
Helpful tips really! For baby safety, it really important to clean toys otherwise bacteria and germs will grasp child.so kids bath toys should wash weekly and store properly.
Proper cleaning of bath toy is essential for baby health, otherwise germs can attract baby. Thanks for the idea how to clean bath toy. I have boils toys regularly. I will use vinegar and bleach to wash bath toys. Thanks for sharing really helpful guide.