If your baby is anything like mine then bath time is their absolute favorite time of the day.
There’s nothing Christina loves more than splashing around in the tub and throwing her toys all over the place.
I’ve gone from having a few decorative ducks on the side to an entire duck army to control!
If you like a tidy bathroom and, like me, the site of toys everywhere fills you with anxiety, this guide is for you.
I’ll walk you through the best bath toy organizers as well as how to clean toys and a few things to watch out for.
Lets Talk Toys
Before we start tidying bath toys let’s discuss what type of toys should be in your bathroom and what you should avoid.
There are a huge variety of bath toys available on the market – but not all bath toys are created equal!
Firstly, I would recommend not using any toys with squirt holes in the bathroom.
It is impossible to fully clean or dry the insides of these toys leading to a breeding ground for molds and bacteria.
I’ve read that you can seal the holes with hot glue making the toys safe in the bath, but after reading this mom’s story I’m not prepared to risk it.
Make sure you are using toys that are either solid or can be fully disassembled and cleaned.
The second consideration is the material the toy is made from.
The three big nasties to avoid are PVC, Phthalates, and Bisphenols (BPA + BPS).
These three chemicals can leach out of the toy and into the bathwater or straight into your baby’s mouth if they’re chewing.
They can cause a wide variety of health issues and should be avoided.
Keeping Bath Toys Clean
So by now, you should have bath safe toys but without proper cleaning and storage they too could become dirty and dangerous.
Bath toys need to fully dry between each bath. Don’t worry I’m not going to suggest you individually dry each toy, I don’t have the time to be doing that either!
Leaving the toys out to dry is an option, but if you bathe your baby frequently you will quickly find you never get round to tidying the toys before the next bath
A an ideal solution for this is to make sure your storage option has sufficient drain holes to drain water away from the wet toys.
You can further assist this by ensuring your bathroom is well ventilated to allow the toys to dry as quickly as possible.
Be sure to inspect the toys regularly and clean any immediately that feel slimy or you discover mold on.
Depending on the ventilation of your bathroom and type of toys you use, spot checks maybe sufficient.
If your bathroom is very humid set up a schedule for cleaning all toys every few weeks.
I put hard toys in the dishwasher and softer toys in the washing machine. If you are worried about this, hand washing with dish soap is also fine.
I love this baby bath toy range from Green Toys. From stacking cups to submarines there’s plenty to keep your little one entertained.
They’re made from recycled milk bottles, sturdy, and not easily broken however they can be unclipped for cleaning and are dishwasher safe.
Storing Bath Toys
Now lets get onto the fun part, how to actually store all those toys!
As well as drainage you will want to consider easy access.
As a busy parent, it’s important to be able to bundle those toys away at the end of bathtime and quickly tip them out again next time.
With all this in mind, here are the best bath toy storage solutions for you to consider:
Bath Caddy
A bath caddy is a great way of keeping all your child’s toys safe in the bath.
It has the added advantage of acting like a screen to keep smaller babies away from the taps!
Storage space is limited though, so you may need to limit your bath toy collection
A Mesh Bag
This is a fantastic way of storing tub toys and my preferred method.
There is a huge variety of these available, which means lots of choices to suit your style, size, and budget.
They attach directly to the bathtub wall using either suction cups or command hooks.
Due to all the small holes in the bag, the excess water drains directly into the bathtub.
Fruit Basket
I love this stylish tub toy storage method.
It’s such a good idea for a small bathroom and a fun twist on using wire baskets.
Simply hang a fruit basket from your shower rod and use it to store your little ones’ favorite toys.
The large holes in the basket allow the toys to dry fully.
Bath Kneelers
These gorgeous squashy bath kneelers are a game changer at bath time.
No more kneeling on the hard floor. Trust me, your knees will thank you.
Best of all they have large pockets which are great for storing a moderate amount of toys.
The disadvantage to this is as the toys are over the edge of the tub I wouldn’t recommend filling the pockets with soaking wet toys or you will end up with a soaking wet bathroom floor.
Boon Frog Pod
This giant frog attaches to the bathroom wall with suckers.
It’s large enough to hold body wash at the top of the unit, while a detachable scoop makes for easy clean-up.
It’s a great storage unit for a moderate amount of toys.
Laundry Basket
I love the simplicity of this idea. Pop a laundry basket into the tub and it essentially becomes a giant storage bin.
Its great for holding a large amount of toys, and can be easily moved to a new location if you have guests.
DIY Projects
If you’ve got some DIY skills why not consider building your own storage solution?
This can be a good option if you have an unusual shaped bathroom as you can adjust dimensions to your needs.
My favorite two DIY projects are:
- The Custom Rail – This project uses a tension rod and plastic baskets. It can double up as a temporary towel rail or be quickly and easily removed if you need to use it as a guest bathroom.
- The Custom Bag – This resourceful mom can show you how to make your own Mesh Bag. If you have multiple children you could make each child their own bath toy bag.
I hope you’ve found this guide useful. What will you change in your bathroom today?
