How to Clean Baby Bath Toys (And Stop Mould Coming Back)

How to Clean Baby Bath Toys (And Stop Mould Coming Back)

Wash bath toys in hot soapy water after use, squeeze all water out of any toy with a hole, and dry them somewhere with airflow. That last step does more than the washing. Mould in bath toys grows on the inner surface where water sits, so a toy that dries completely between baths will not grow much, and a toy stored wet in a closed container will, no matter how well you scrubbed it.

This guide is for Australian parents dealing with black specks in the bath. You will get a cleaning routine, a clear answer on vinegar versus bleach, and a way to decide which toys to keep and which to bin.

Key takeaways

• A 2018 study by Eawag, ETH Zurich and the University of Illinois cut open 19 used bath toys and found biofilm inside every one, with fungi present in 58% of them.
• Bacterial densities inside the toys reached up to 7.3 × 10⁷ cells per square centimetre in the dirty-water test group.
• White vinegar works better than bleach on porous surfaces. Bleach struggles to penetrate and can leave moisture behind that feeds regrowth.
• Never mix bleach and vinegar. The combination releases chlorine gas.
• Drying beats cleaning. The single most effective change is squeezing toys empty and storing them with airflow instead of in a closed tub.
• You cannot verify the inside of a squirt toy is clean. For a toy already showing black specks, sealing the hole or replacing the toy are the only reliable options.

Why do bath toys grow mould inside?

Water enters through the squeeze hole, sits in the dark cavity at body temperature, and feeds microbes that form a biofilm on the inner wall. The plastic itself contributes. Researchers at Eawag found that flexible polymer materials release organic carbon that feeds microbial growth, and that bath water adds more nutrients from soap, sweat and skin.

The 2018 study, published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, characterised biofilms inside 19 bath toys used in real households. Every toy had visible growth on the inner surface. Fungi appeared in 58% of the real-world toys and in all of the toys deliberately exposed to used bath water.

Biofilm is a dense layer of bacteria and fungi bound to a surface, which is why rinsing does not shift it. It sticks. The dark liquid that squirts out of an old toy is that layer breaking loose.

Three conditions have to combine: water inside, warmth, and time before drying. Remove any one and growth slows sharply. The only one you fully control is the third.

Is mould in bath toys dangerous for a baby?

The health risk is not well established, and researchers have said so directly. The Eawag team noted that squirting water containing biofilm chunks toward a child's face could result in eye, ear, wound or gastrointestinal infections, and that further study is needed to assess actual disease risk.

There is a counterweight worth stating. Microbiologist Frederik Hammes, who led the study, pointed out that exposure to microbes can strengthen the immune system, which would be a positive. Children also have less developed immune systems, which makes them more vulnerable to certain infections. Both things are true at once.

A reasonable position: this is a hygiene problem worth fixing, not an emergency. Deal with it the way you deal with a mouldy shower. Clean it, dry it properly, replace what cannot be cleaned.

If your child has asthma, eczema or a diagnosed mould allergy, treat it more seriously and speak with your GP. Mould exposure affects those groups differently.

How do I clean bath toys?

Wash in hot soapy water, scrub the outside, flush the inside, rinse, then dry completely with the hole facing down. Cleaning comes before any disinfecting, because disinfectant applied to a dirty surface is much less effective. Organic matter neutralises the active ingredient.

The routine, weekly:

1. Fill a sink with hot water and dish detergent. Hot enough to be uncomfortable for your hands is enough.
2. Squeeze every hollow toy underwater, repeatedly, so soapy water fills and flushes the cavity.
3. Scrub the outside with a soft brush, paying attention to seams, suction cups and moulded grooves.
4. Rinse in clean water, flushing hollow toys the same way.
5. Squeeze out every drop. Press until nothing more comes out, then press again.
6. Dry hole-down on a rack or in a mesh bag, not in a closed tub.

Do this after any bath where a child has been unwell, and after any toy has been mouthed by a child who is sick.

Should I use vinegar or bleach on bath toys?

Use white vinegar for most bath toys. Vinegar handles porous and non-porous surfaces, has no fumes, and does not need the careful rinsing that bleach does before a toy goes back to a child who will chew it. Bleach works well on hard non-porous surfaces but performs poorly on porous ones, where it can leave moisture that encourages regrowth.

Two safety rules that matter more than the method.

Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners. The combination releases chlorine or chloramine fumes. Australian health guidance also advises that children under 12, pregnant women and people over 65 should not be nearby while mould is being cleaned. Do this after bedtime with the window open, not with the baby on your hip.

Can I get the mould out of a squirt toy?

Probably not, and you cannot confirm it either way. The biofilm sits on the inner wall of a cavity you cannot see into, reach with a brush, or inspect afterwards. Flushing vinegar through the hole may reduce what is in there. It will not tell you the surface is clean.

The methods circulating online and what they actually do:

• Vinegar flush and shake. Loosens some material. Cannot reach a bound biofilm on the far wall.
• Boiling. Higher chance of killing what is inside, but ruins many toys and still leaves the dead biofilm in place.
• Cutting the toy open. Works, and confirms the problem, but ends the toy's life.

That leaves three real options:

1. Seal the hole permanently with waterproof glue so no water enters. This is the fix most commonly recommended and it prevents the problem from restarting. Do it on a new, dry toy, not a mouldy one.
2. Replace the toy. For a toy already squirting grey water, this is the honest answer.
3. Accept it and control the drying, if the toy is new and the growth has not started.

Once black specks appear in the squirt, the toy is finished. No cleaning method you can verify will bring it back.

How do I clean bath toys that can't be soaked?

Wipe them, do not submerge them. Wind-up toys, battery-operated toys and anything with a mechanism should be wiped with a damp cloth and detergent, then dried immediately. Water that gets into a gear housing or battery compartment does not come back out, and that cavity becomes the same problem as a squirt toy with a worse ending.

The method:

• Wipe the outside with a cloth wrung nearly dry, using warm soapy water.
• Use a soft toothbrush on seams and around the winding key, where residue collects.
• Wipe again with clean water, then dry with a towel and leave in open air.
• Never put a mechanism in the dishwasher, and never boil one.

Check the care instructions on the specific product. Our wind-up duck bath toy is a wipe-clean item for this reason, while the soft building blocks tolerate a full wash. Two different toys in the same bath often need two different routines, which is why "how do I clean bath toys" rarely has one answer.

How do I clean baby toys that aren't bath toys?

Match the method to the material, and clean mouthed toys after each use rather than on a schedule. Hard plastic toys can go through a dishwasher or a hot soapy wash. Fabric toys go in the washing machine in a laundry bag. Wooden toys get wiped, never soaked, because water raises the grain and can split the finish.

Dry fabric toys completely before they go back in the toy box. Damp fabric grows mould in storage, which is the same failure as a wet bath toy in a closed tub.

Australian childcare guidance under the NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines separates cleaning from disinfecting. Cleaning removes soil and most germs. Disinfecting only works on an already clean surface. For a home with one or two children, detergent and thorough drying handle almost everything.

How often should I clean bath toys?

Rinse and squeeze dry after every bath. Do a full wash weekly. Inspect monthly by squeezing each hollow toy hard over a white surface to see what comes out.

The monthly inspection is the part most parents skip, and it is the one that catches a problem while it is still fixable. Grey or brown water means growth has started. Black flecks mean it is established.

Increase the frequency in these cases:

• Humid climates and wet seasons. Toys dry slower, so growth is faster.
• Bathrooms with no window or exhaust fan. Airflow is the whole control mechanism.
• After illness. Wash everything the child touched during a gastro or respiratory infection.
• Shared baths with multiple children. More nutrients in the water.

How should I dry and store bath toys?

Squeeze them empty, then store them where air moves. A mesh bag hung over the tap, a wall rack with drainage, or a colander on the shelf all work. A plastic tub with a lid does not, and neither does a corner of the bath where water pools.

Storage is the highest-leverage change in this entire article. Cleaning removes what has grown. Drying stops it growing. One is repair, the other is prevention.

What works, ranked:

1. Mesh bag with suction hooks, hung clear of the tub so water drains and air circulates
2. Slatted or perforated wall caddy, checked monthly for pooled water in the base
3. Colander or open basket on a shelf outside the bathroom, if you have space
4. A towel for hollow toys after the final squeeze, to draw remaining moisture out

What does not work: sealed containers, bath corners, the soap dish, and the bottom of a nappy bag. Run the exhaust fan or open the window after every bath. A bathroom that stays humid for hours undoes good drying.

Which bath toys don't grow mould?

Toys with no hole and no internal cavity cannot grow mould inside, because water never enters. Solid silicone, one-piece moulded plastic, and toys that open fully for cleaning are the three designs that avoid the problem by construction rather than by maintenance.

Buy for the design, not the material claim. BPA-free tells you about the plastic chemistry. It tells you nothing about whether water can get inside.

What to look for:

• No pinhole. Turn the toy over and check the base before buying.
• Solid or fully sealed construction. No squeeze cavity at all.
• Openable designs that come apart for cleaning and go back together.
• Simple shapes. Deep moulded grooves and complex seams trap residue on the outside too.

Toys that stack, pour, float or scoop give a baby the same water play without a hidden cavity. Our bath toy range is worth checking against this list before you buy, along with the age rating.

When should I throw a bath toy away?

Bin it when the squeeze water runs grey or shows black flecks, when you can see dark patches through the plastic, or when the outside has cracked. A cracked toy has a new opening for water and no way to dry.

Four clear signals:

1. Discoloured squirt water after a proper wash
2. Visible dark patches through translucent plastic
3. A smell that survives washing
4. Cracks, splits or a perished feel in the material

Bath toys are consumables. Treating a $12 duck as something to preserve indefinitely is how the problem persists. Replace hollow squeeze toys on a schedule rather than waiting for the failure, and seal the hole on any new one you want to keep long term.

Who this guide is not for

• Anyone dealing with mould on bathroom walls, grout or silicone. That is a building moisture problem and needs different advice. Large areas need a professional.
• Parents of a child with a diagnosed mould allergy, asthma or immune condition. Speak to your GP. General hygiene guidance does not cover clinical risk.
• Childcare services. Follow the NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines and your service policy, which set requirements a home routine does not meet.
• Anyone hoping to rescue a toy that already squirts black water. It cannot be verified clean. Replace it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean bath toys with mould inside?

You mostly cannot. The biofilm sits on an inner surface you cannot see, reach or inspect. Flushing vinegar through the hole may reduce it but cannot confirm the toy is clean. For a toy already squirting discoloured water, replace it.

Can I put bath toys in the dishwasher?

Solid plastic and silicone toys, yes, on the top rack with the heated dry cycle off. Heat warps thin plastics and can loosen glued seams. Never put wind-up, battery-operated or electronic toys through a dishwasher.

Is vinegar or bleach better for mould in bath toys?

Vinegar, for most bath toys. It works on porous and non-porous surfaces, produces no fumes, and needs less rinsing before a toy goes back to a child. Bleach performs poorly on porous surfaces. Never mix the two.

Should I glue the hole in a squirt toy shut?

Yes, if the toy is new and dry. Sealing the hole with waterproof glue stops water entering, which prevents the cavity problem entirely. Do not seal a toy that already has growth inside, because you will trap it.

How often should I clean bath toys?

Rinse and squeeze dry after every bath, wash properly once a week, and inspect monthly by squeezing each hollow toy over a white surface. Increase frequency in humid weather or after illness.

Can I boil bath toys to sterilise them?

Only silicone and plastics rated for it, for three to five minutes. Most bath toys warp, cloud or split. Check the manufacturer's instructions first, and note that boiling still leaves dead biofilm inside a hollow toy.

How do I clean baby toys that can't get wet?

Wipe with a cloth wrung nearly dry, using warm water and detergent, then dry immediately. Use a soft toothbrush on seams. This applies to wooden toys, wind-up mechanisms, battery compartments and anything electronic.

Do black specks in the bath mean the toys are unsafe?

They mean growth is established inside. The health risk is not well established in research, but the Eawag team noted possible eye, ear, wound or gastrointestinal infections from squirting biofilm toward a child's face. Replace the toys.