Kids learn about the importance of sharing as early as preschool, and the lesson is reinforced through their interactions with schoolmates. Of course, when sharing toys, children are often sharing bacteria and viruses, and chances are they'll be sharing them at home, too. Toys are also repositories for bacteria, mildew, mold and other germs when not cleaned and disinfected regularly. Here are some easy pointers to help you control germs in the toy box. You can also do something to control dust mite matter on toys as well.

The first line of defense is selecting toys that are washable and avoiding, whenever possible, those that are porous, stuffed or generally difficult to clean. You might even consider staying away from bath toys with holes in them, as they are likely candidates for mold growth.

Scrubbing toys weekly is your safest bet, but once every other week will suffice. Clean toys according to instructions, keeping in mind that many toys can simply join your dishes in the dishwasher. You can also wash them with soap and water by hand if the dishwasher doesn't seem to be the most appropriate method (some materials run the risk of melting in a dishwasher cycle – see instructions). To sanitize, spray hard plastic toys with Clorox® Anywhere® Hard Surface™ daily sanitizing spray and wipe with a clean cloth*. To disinfect hard plastic toys use a solution of Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Wash, wipe or rinse toys with water then soak in a solution of ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water for 5 minutes. Rinse, then let air dry. If your child has been ill, you'll want to disinfect hard plastic toys with Clorox® Regular-Bleach daily.

For dust mites, place stuffed toys in the freezer for at least a few hours. You can do this while your child is sleeping or playing at a friend's house.

Beyond these cleaning measures, the most important thing to encourage in your household is hand washing. "The average child has up to six colds a year, but regular hand washing can cut that in half," says Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York. † Have your children clean their hands before playing with toys to help keep germs from transferring. It's a simple way to get your children involved in their own health, and it's likely to make a big difference.

*Use as directed.

†Source www.kaboose.com