I’m using Cavicide to disinfect my toys these days and I’m disinfecting them between each child who uses them. Before the pandemic I used Lysol concentrate and I disinfected each toy monthly (I had a schedule I used).
I took this course in early 2021 and learned that Cavicide needs to sit on a surface for at least 3 minutes for it to be the most effective. Because of that I’ve switched from using caviwipes (which don’t leave as much moisture) to using cavicide spray. Here are the steps I use for this…
Disinfecting Toys
Step 1: Gloves.
Step 2: Dump all the little pieces into a container.
Step 3: Spray the little pieces in the container. I make sure to thoroughly spray the pieces and the inside of anything little fingers go (like the inside of these suit cases).
Step 4: Dump the pieces onto a towel.
Step 5: Spray the back side of the little pieces. (I forgot to take a photo of this one)
Step 6: Spray the big pieces including nooks and crannies where little fingers go.
Optional: Rub the parts that need a little extra. On this batch I rubbed the airplane’s door (because there is still some paint that ran from when I tried disinfecting it with rubbing alcohol) and some darker spots on the white mice.
Step 7: Let it dry.
Problem: The kids have inevitably been asking to play with the toys that are drying.
Solution: “Drying toys bin” I got a fabric under-bed storage bin so that the kids can’t see the toys as they’re drying. Bonus: I can zip the bin closed when I’m seeing children who are impulsive or unable to maintain distance and the toys can continue drying since the bins aren’t air-tight.
Disinfecting Furniture/the Floor
Step 1: Spray the surfaces, chairs and knobs thoroughly and spray the light switches and floor lightly.
Step 2: Wait for at least 3 minutes. I’ll sometimes do the first step at the end of the appointment and the third a full 45-minutes later (after my next appointment).
Step 3: Spray (yes, again) – this time it’s just to reduce residue.
Step 4: Wipe – again, to reduce residue. I use towels for the surfaces, chairs, and knobs and this mop (which has a washing machine safe head) for the floors.
Step 5: Use wipes (with gloves). I’m only using Caviwipes on electronic items like the thermometers and iPads. This is because the surfaces don’t usually stay wet for the required 3 minutes in our dry desert climate.
Note: I’m only disinfecting the “speech mirror” after it’s touched and for that I use rubbing alcohol (because it leaves the surface streak-free) in a spray bottle and then a towel to wipe it off.