Baby’s Blocks
Baby’s blocks certainly have a rough day. They are dropped repeatedly, thrown into the dog’s water dish and even tossed out of the car window on occasion. To make sure that your baby’s toys, including his blocks, are safe for him, it is important that they are cared for properly. How the blocks are treated will depend on what kind of material they are made from; each material will have to be treated in a certain way.
Your baby explores his world by crawling along and picking up toys and other loose items as he finds them. Everything that he gets his little hands on will be popped right into his little mouth for a nice nibble. Baby’s blocks are slobbery and wet as they are dropped, picking up the dirt and dust from the ground, no matter where the baby is playing. But, that also means that the baby is about to be exposed to every germ that is on that ground.
Plastic blocks can be put through the dishwasher or soaked in a diluted bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) and then rinsed and left to air dry. Do not do this with wooden blocks as it may cause the wood to soften or to splinter. It can also cause some of the ink to leach off.
Fabric blocks, which can be perfect for the very young babies to play with, can be tied into a pillow case and washed with the baby’s clothing. There are also sanitizing sprays that can be used on the blocks, however, always read the label to make sure that they are safe for use around very small children and babies.
If you don’t think that you can get a block sanitary, it is better and safer for your own peace of mind to toss them out and get new blocks. As with any other baby product, if you cannot verify the materials that the toy was made of, its date of manufacture or the country where it was made, it is better to avoid it because it could contain unsafe materials or dangerous paints. Blocks that are sold in packages do not have to be cleaned before giving to your baby, but if they are open, it is safer for everyone if you at least rinse them off so your baby is not exposed to the germs of random strangers.
Your baby will get dirty. Your baby will chew on things that you might not consider very sanitary. He will drop his toys a million times. It is important that you are cleaning the baby’s blocks so that they are safe and sanitary every time he plays with them.
