How to clean and disinfect plastic toy blocks at home

3 safe and effective ways to keep kids safe from dust and germs

Do you freak out when you see your kids chewing on toys and picking up anything that catches their eyes on the dirty floor? Of course, many germs are harmless and even beneficial, but certain nasty germs found in nature can spread colds and other illnesses. By disinfecting and cleaning baby toys, you can greatly reduce the number of germs and viruses that cause your child to get sick. Keep reading to learn the right ways to disinfect and clean plastic block toys easily to keep your baby healthy and safe.

It’s knowing to all that physical disinfection is safer than chemical disinfection, and child-friendly cleaners are safer than adult ones. Therefore, we recommend using alcohol for daily disinfection, using children-friendly detergent or edible citric acid for dirt or grease, and using cleaning soft gel and alcohol for assembled blocks.

Daily or weekly disinfecting with alcohol and water.

This is a common method used by many people if the toys cannot be disinfected at high temperatures.

1. Prepare what we need for the weekly cleanse.

Preparing medicinal or cooking alcohol, fresh water, a spray bottle and a plastic box with lid are needed to sterilize the plastic blocks.

2. Collect the blocks into a plastic box

Collect all the blocks and put them in a plastic box with a lid opened.

3. Mix the alcohol and water.

Make a 70/30 solution of medicinal or cooking alcohol and fresh water in a spray bottle and shake well.

4. Spray down toys and shake it.

Spray the alcohol mixture evenly over the blocks and cover it with a box lid. Shake the plastic box vigorously so that each side of the block is exposed to the alcohol mixture.

5. Sit for minutes to air dry

Let it sit for a few minutes and wait for the alcohol to evaporate and air dry completely before you can use it again.

Removing stains or grease with child-friendly dish detergent

The use of chemical cleaning or disinfection will have more or less chemical residues, in order to be safer for children, we recommend: use special detergent for children or edible citric acid to clean children’s plastic blocks.

1. Prepare what we need to remove stickiness and oil stains.

Preparing a child-friendly dishwashing detergent or edible citric acid, warm water, a basin or sink, a soft clean cloth or sponge and a clean towel are necessary to clean the plastic block building toys when it with stickiness, dirty or oil stains.

Looking for a mild dish detergent that is specifically formulated for children, ensure that it doesn’t contain harsh chemicals or irritants. And before applying the detergent to the stained area, test it on a small, inconspicuous part of the plastic toy blocks to check for any adverse reactions.

2. Pre-treat the stain

If the stain is fresh, blot it gently with a soft clean cloth or sponge to remove any excess. Avoid rubbing, as it can spread the stain further.

3. Dilute the detergent.

Fill the sink or washbasin with warm water and dilute a child-friendly detergent or edible citric acid with warm water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stir the water solution well to ensure that the detergent is properly diluted.

4. Smear the combination onto the plastic blocks and let it sit.

Apply a small amount of the child-friendly cleaning solution directly to the stain. Gently rub it in using a soft cloth or sponge. Be careful not to scrub too vigorously, as it may damage the blocks. Allow the cleaning solution to sit on the stain for a few minutes. This will give it time to penetrate and break down the stain or grease.

5. Rinse it with clean water.

Rinse the blocks thoroughly with clean water to remove any remaining mixture. If there is still stain, gentle cycle the steps 3-4 until the dirt is thoroughly cleaned.

6. Disinfect toy blocks with alcohol or exposure them to sunlight.

Shake off any excess water from the toys, place them on a clean towel, spray the alcohol mixture down on the toys and let it air dry. If available, expose them to the sun to sterilize for about 30 minutes until they are completely dry.

Cleaning the assembled blocks with cleaning soft gel and alcohol

The main purpose of cleaning the assembled blocks is to remove dust and debris and to disinfect them.

1. Prepare what we need to clean the assembled block sets.

 Here are the tools that may be used in cleaning: leaning soft gel, toothpicks, a spray bottle and cold water.

Carefully read the cleaning instructions or care labels provided by the manufacturer before using the cleaning soft gel. Note any specific guidelines or precautions for using the gel on plastic surfaces.

2. Inspect the building collection:

Check the assembled building sets for any loose or detachable parts. If there are any removable pieces, consider taking them apart to clean and sanitize before assembling them.

3. Dust and remove debris

Take a small amount of clean soft gel and rub it in your hands to soften it. Gently press and roll the gel over the surface of the assembled wood block. The gel will follow the contours and crevices, attracting dirt, dust and pet hair. If needed, repeat the pressing and rolling motion to collect any remaining dirt.

For hard-to-reach corners or narrow crevices, you can use a toothpick to gently agitate the gel to remove dirt. Be careful not to apply too much pressure or scrub hard, as this may damage the shape of the plastic block.

4. Gel removal

Once you have finished cleaning, carefully peel the cleaning soft gel off the assembled block. The gel will leave behind any dirt or debris that it has absorbed.

5. Prepare the alcohol mixture

Make a 70/30 solution of medicinal or cooking alcohol and plain water in a spray bottle and shake well.

6. Spray on it and let it set for minutes

Spray the water solution evenly over the entire collection, making sure to cover all surfaces. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate and air dry.

7. Reassemble and inspect

If you had taken apart any removable pieces, reassemble the building collection once the blocks are completely dry. Inspect the collection to ensure that it is free from any visible dirt or residue. Then, store it in its original location.

Tips

• If your plastic building blocks are touched daily, it is better to disinfect them daily. If a block toy has recently been held in a child’s mouth or placed at someone’s feet, it should be washed immediately.
• If your child is under the age of 3, it is best to wash their toys with child-friendly detergent, and then collect their toys in a children’s toy sanitizer box for regular cleaning, weekly or monthly.
• For LEGO, Keeppley or other brands of small blocks, it is necessary to put them in 1 sealed laundry bag before washing. After washing, place them upside down in another laundry bag, also well sealed, and air dry them.
• Warm water or lukewarm water (no higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit) that are recommended to be used to clean the plastic blocks. Because hot water from the dishwasher or faucet may deform their parts, rendering them unusable. This is the reason you cannot use a hair dryer or microwave to dry wet blocks. However, you can use the heat setting to “cold” of the hair dryer.
• In the summer, exposure to sunlight is the best way to physically disinfect your child’s toys. However, the outdoor temperature for exposure should not be higher than 40 degrees.

Summary

Using harsh chemical cleaning or disinfection are more or less chemical residues, in order to be safer for children, we recommend: baby-friendly dish detergent or edible citric acid when cleaning, and using physical disinfection methods when disinfection, such as ultraviolet light, ozone, exposure to the sun.

Reference

Cleaning your LEGO® bricks: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/help/Brick_Facts/cleaning-your-lego-bricks-kA009000001dbldCAA

How to CLEAN and DRY Lego Parts FAST! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXP0vcWqrsM

How to clean assembled LEGO sets：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeo44kgUnw

How to Clean Plastic： https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Plastic

FAQ

Can I put Lego in the washing machine?

Definitely not. The smaller pieces could easily get into a crevice or gap in it + screw up your whole machine. Even if it didn’t – Why chance it? Stop up your kitchen sink + fill it with suds + hot water. 4-5 minutes + you’ll be done and better off. Save time + expense on the electric bill.

How do you keep/maintain your Lego collection? How do you protect your Lego sets from the dust and time deterioration?

They get dusty for sure, and in many cases will attract grease from cooking (and grubby hands) but they will not deteriorate just sitting around ever as far as I can tell. Sure, left in the hot sun for many days and it’ll fade them or dry them somewhat, but I have 35+ year old bricks and they still work and look good.

Cleaning Bricks or other parts: Put old or dirty ones in a “dedicates” clothing bag, drop them all in the washing machine on “Gentle,” take out and dump them on a big beach towel and let them air dry for a couple of days and you are good to go. Make sure the bag is fine enough mesh that no small parts end up coming out and clog your washer parts/drain.

Cleaning Assembled Projects: These are trickier. Some can be dusted with a can of compressed air, a dusty brush etc. Usually a small paint brush or tooth brush can get rid of a lot of the dust and some grime. Obviously it depends on what the project is and where it’s been.

But if they are really “grubby” with oils or other dirt that sticks?

Try putting the set in the shower on the hottest water possible for 5 miniatures or so. Note: Be sure to not have any sections loose or with cracks between or you’ll get water trapped inside the parts.

Use a small brush (tooth brush or stiff paint brush) and a little Windex to scrub away the grimy stuff after the initial shower blasts.

Rinse again in the hot water another few minutes and probably it’ll get most everything off.

Drying this out will be tricky too. You may get trapped water that will take a long time to get out. I’d suggest setting on a towel having a strong fan pointed at it after trying to dry it off with a soft cloth first.

Is it good idea to mix my LEGO sets?

Off-the-cuff snark: duh, of course.

Really, it depends.

If you plan on selling in the future, keeping your sets separated makes it easier. You’ll also want to keep the instructions, if not the box.

If you have no intention of selling (at least as separate sets) then mix away! Of course, this eventually leads to the eternal question of sorting the resulting pile into smaller piles that make it easier for you to build new creations!