Like many household items, children’s toys are not impervious to mold. It is possible for mold to spread on stuffed animals, plastic toys, wooden building blocks, and other things. To help you maintain a mold-free home, review the best ways to clean fungi-ridden toys with your Los Angeles mold inspectors. 

Stuffed Toys

Since mold can spread in stuffed toys’ “fluff,” it is a good idea to make holes in all affected toys with scissors and remove the stuffing. You can order new stuffing online or buy it from most craft/hobby stores. Discard the old fluff and soak the plush toys in hot water. If they are relatively new and durable, you can place them in your washing machine and set it to ‘hot water.’ 

After soaking the toys for at least an hour, clean them with white vinegar. This vinegar is a natural, inexpensive, non-toxic mold killer. Soak the toys in 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 gallon of water for about an hour, then wring them out. If there are any remaining mold spores, scrub them away with a clean toothbrush or similar implement. Rinse the toys in plain water a few times to complete the cleaning process. You can also leave them out in the sun to dry for about eight hours, since sunlight is another natural mold killer. 

Plastic & Wooden Toys

Perform the same cleaning actions for plastic and wooden toys to rid them of mold. You can additionally scrub the toys with a brush dipped in white vinegar to remove spores before setting them out in the sun. If you want to use a bleach solution, such as a ¾ cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water, do a spot test first to avoid damaging the toys. 

Other ways to clean moldy toys include rinsing them with hydrogen peroxide. Like white vinegar, peroxide is another inexpensive, non-toxic mold killer. For extra cleaning power, scrub peroxide-dipped toys before rinsing with water and placing them in the sun to dry. 

If you need mold inspection and testing services in Orange County, reach out to Mold Masters today!