This last Christmas, my mom was looking for ideas for my 8 month-old for Christmas. When she suggested bath toys, I told her that I would let her play with the toys outside of the tub, but that we don’t do most tub toys. My mom thought my ban on rubber duckies was pretty mean until I showed her these photos.
Both of my girls love the water and beg to take baths, so we had a large assortment of tub toys at one point. I mean who doesn’t love their kids have every opportunity to soak the floor with every bath, right? Aside, from completely drenching my bathroom every time someone was in the tub I didn’t mind the tub toys.
I knew tub toys had the potential for mold, so I was careful to empty each one and place it in a open basket when we were done, so they could dry completely. I thought we were doing a pretty good job preventing mold until I saw that some of the toys were slightly discolored. Much to my kids dismay I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut one open and this is what I found. After I cut one, I kept going. Every single toy that let water inside was filled with mold, EVEN though they were fairly new and we were careful to empty them.
This started a ban on squirt tub toys in our house. My kids play with cups, bath books and toys without a hole in them while they are in the tub, but no more bath squirters. After watching my daughter squirt one in her mouth and then finding mold inside, we were done.
So what about you? Does this make you rethink your bath toys?
Ick. Just ick. Looks like our drain. Real eye-opener here!
Wow – that's pretty disgusting. I never would have thought to look for mold inside.
I read about this a while ago and threw all of those little bath toys.
OMG!!! I'm getting rid of the rubber duckies right now!! So gross!!
Oh my…we're past the bath toys age, but I so remember it!! I'm sure ours looked super similar to yours!
Oh wow! I'll have to go through ours!
I would have never thought of that!
Oh my heavens-I will never again get that kind of bath toy as a gift again!!!!!!!!
Yes this does!! Although we have a lot of Just Think Bath Blocks. No inside to worry about.
Eww that is so gross! Good to know..thanks for sharing.
SO GROSS!!!!
OMG!! That's so gross! I never would have thought of that! You would think that they would make toys more safe.
I would have never thought to look at that. EW!
I know- they are so gross. We don't use ours for long.
yep… so gross! I don't really care as long as my boys don't drink out of the toys… some of our light colored ones I can see the mold through the side ;o) yuK!!
That is disgusting! My 4 yr old uses cups and things with holes in them. I'm not too keen on the soap scum that gets on them either. I tend to throw them in the dishwasher for a good cleaning and the heat for sanitizing, too.
Wow, that is crazy! I can't believe bath toys can mold like that. Yes, it definitely makes me rethink having them in the tub with kids. It's so sad because bath toys are so much fun.
Okay gross, I had NO idea bath toys collected mold like this. It totally makes sense – but geez! Glad you have a ban on them and decided to open them up!
And gross!! I always preferred non-bath toys as bath toys – ones that were just hard plastic without any holes.
I plug up the holes on the few squirt toys I own with hot glue so no water can get in to make them moldy. I mostly go for bath toys that don't have holes / insides (stacking cups, foam letters).
ok, that's just yucky! And super weird!
Ever since we moved to the south we threw our "bath toys" away because they always smelled funny.We just use foam letters and cups! No mold!
just use a hot glue gun and block the hole in the bottom of the toys, it stops water from going in and the inside stays dry.
My mom always made us use solid, plastic toys in the bathtub that she could soak in bleach every once in awhile.
Oh my gosh I am so glad I read this. I have NEVER thought about that! I'm so disturbed now.
OMG that is seriously gross. Squirt toys are gone!
I don't have kids… but when I do, I pretty sure they're not going to have bath toys.
Totally gross. I usually use a glue gun to stop up the holes before I let them use them. I will have to turn that usually into an ALWAYS
After seeing this I went and checked my sons right away! thankfully he doesn't have many. the cheap-y mini rubber duck got the slice, because I suspected it had mold. Lo and behold, there was a black (more dusty than this gluey mess ^^^) residue in the tail! He got tossed. The others that are difficult to squeeze out got some rubbing alcohol solution inside… later they are getting drained and glued! I am not worried about the easy squeezers though (no musty smell or moisture coming out…) But I was still surprised, considering how diligent I am about squeezing them all out! Can't say the same for hubs though. I guess it's just another thing to maintain…
After seeing this post, I went and preemptively cut holes into the bottoms of the toys where the circular seals are from the toy factory so they can still play with them and squirt them and such, but a toothbrush could fit inside and wash out the inside with bleach. I don't see a reason to ban bath toys as long as you take preemptive measures to prevent the mold from happening.