Cleaning toys

[Smithagain]

Anyone run a playgroup/toddler group/nursery and able to help me with a good routine for keeping toys clean?

I run a weekly toddler group and the cleaning arrangements are a bit haphazard. Nothing is actually obviously dirty, but I wouldn't say the cleaning is terribly regular.

Just wondered what other groups do - how often is "good practice" for a group that meets weekly - and how can I make it take less time to do!!!

It depends pn the toys, for the plastic non electical toys I use a big bucket of diluted milton for the stuffed i chuck through the washing machine anything electrical can be wiped down with diluted milton liquid on a damp cloth.

I would say do it monthly

make a list of all the toys, wash something weekly and tick it off your list. Keep it going, like a rolling rota, with the date washed. that way you can tell when something has not been done for a while. Diluted miltons is fine for most things. Stuff like lego and other plastic stuff can be left overnight in sterilising soultion and left to air dry the next day.

Thanks both of you, that's useful.

I really need to do an up to date list of toys/equipment anyway. That should help me divide it all up into managable batches and get a rolling programme going for the small items and baby toys to be done more frequently. Do you think it's OK just to do the bigger items (play kitchen, see-saw etc) every half term?

Am also determined to enlist some volunteers to help!