Gentle homemade cleaner for baby toys and crawling floors
Everything a baby touches ends up, sooner or later, in their mouth. Teethers, blocks, the rattle that falls on the floor every two minutes and the very rug where they crawl. That is why toys need to be cleaned often, but not with just anything: many conventional cleaners leave residues of fragrances, alcohol or disinfectants that you wouldn't want your child to suck on.
In Clean Without Harm, this is the gentlest formula in the whole book, designed precisely for that.
What it has (and what it doesn't)
What matters most about this cleaner is what it doesn't contain:
- No essential oils. Even if they are natural, some irritate the skin and mucous membranes, and they are not recommended around babies.
- No high-proof alcohol, which dries and irritates.
- No fragrances.
What it does contain are two plant-derived surfactants, among the mildest there are and common in children's shampoos:
- Coco-glucoside: cleans and lifts dirt away with very little harshness.
- Coco betaine: softens the formula and improves cleaning.
Both can be bought in DIY cosmetics shops and online raw-material stores.
Ingredients (for 300 g)
- 280 g deionized water
- 15 g coco-glucoside
- 5 g coco betaine
Why deionized water and not tap water? Because the limescale in tap water reacts with the surfactants, cleans less well and can leave a whitish film. It is sold in supermarkets, often as water for steam irons.
Preparation
- Mix the three ingredients gently, without whisking. If you shake hard, a lot of foam forms.
- Pour into a clean spray bottle and label it with the name and the date.
How to use it
- Spray onto the toy or surface.
- Leave it to act for one minute.
- Wipe off with a damp cloth.
- If the toy is going to go in the baby's mouth, always rinse it with clean water and let it air dry.
It also works for the rug or crawling floor, the high chair, the changing table and the crib rails.
An important nuance: cleaning is not sterilizing
This cleaner safely removes dirt and food residue, which is what most toys need every day. For bottle nipples, pacifiers or when the baby has been sick, follow the manufacturer's or your pediatrician's instructions on sterilization.
Also don't mix it with other cleaning products. If you have doubts about which combinations are dangerous, we explain it in this article.
More formulas for homes with babies
Clean Without Harm applies this same precautionary criterion in its baby laundry detergent, also with no added essential oils. The book explains which ingredients are suitable in homes with small children and pets, and which are best avoided even if they are natural.
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