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Frequent exposure to mold and mildew can have harmful effects, especially on babies, and the most common culprit for mold and mildew exposure is right down your hallway: The Bathroom. The best way to make sure your bathroom is mold-and-mildew-free is by preventing it from growing in the first place. Keep reading for our 5 tips on keeping baby’s bathtime mold and mildew free for a happier, healthier bathtime!
The Dangers of Mold and Mildew for Baby
Your children are, of course, your number one priority. You’d do anything to ensure their health, and it all starts right at home! While exposure to mold and mildew might not affect us adults much, your baby’s immune system is still developing and it can affect them much differently. Some of the dangers of mold and mildew exposure for your baby include:
- Allergies & allergic reactions
- Respiratory issues such as croup, pneumonia, and bronchitis. According to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (article here), there is a direct link between the dampness of the home to more respiratory symptoms in children
- Skin irritations
- Gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and intestinal cramping
Ready to Get Started? Follow These 5 Tips
1. Use Baby-Safe Cleaners
One of the easiest ways to prevent mold and mildew from growing in your bathroom is by keeping it clean with baby-safe cleaners. As a new and busy mom, this isn’t always as easy as it seems and it can be difficult to keep as a priority. However, making sure you clean it as often as you can - especially during one of the days leading up to bathtime - will make a world of difference.
There are plenty of natural and non-toxic options to help keep your space clean and safe for baby, and one way might be right in your pantry. Take white vinegar and fill a spray bottle with it. (TIP: Don’t add water! Water will dilute it and make it less effective against mold.) Spray down your bathroom and leave it for an hour before wiping down with a wet sponge or paper towel.
It is also important to make sure you remove everything from your bath or shower before spraying it down with vinegar (or any other baby-safe cleaner that you choose). Mildew and mold can quickly grow underneath shampoo bottles, so make sure those are nice and clean, as well.
2. Do Some Quick and Easy Maintenance
Don’t worry - you don’t have to be a professional handyman to do some quick and easy maintenance around your bathroom! Simple and quick tasks, such as sealing grout lines with silicone caulking, tightening the lines under the sink, and regularly machine-washing your bath mats can help prevent bigger problems from forming later.
Also, make sure that your bathroom is well-ventilated and that your vent is clean, too. It is easy for dust to pile up in the ceiling vent, so removing that and cleaning the dust will also help keep your bathroom nice and clean.
3. Let the Light In
Scared of the dark? Mildew isn’t! It thrives in the dark, which makes it very important to keep your bathroom nice and bright. This can often be overlooked, especially when you close windows or curtains for privacy and forget to open them back up, or need to shut off the lights right after a shower. However, making sure you open the curtains or keep the lights on for a little while every day to stop mildew from spreading will make a world of difference for your bathroom.
4. Keep it Dry
Does baby love to splish-splash in the bath? Of course, she does! There are few things more rewarding than watching your little one having a blast, and splashing in the bath is certainly one of them.
As much fun as a splishy-splashy bathtime can be, it is important to make sure you clean up afterward. As new and busy moms, this can be difficult especially if you’re dealing with a fussy baby when bathtime is over. Just do your best to keep up with it, even if it’s just a quick, lazy mop with a towel using your foot!
5. Use Mold-Resistant Bath Toys
Hollow bath toys, like rubber duckies, are a breeding ground for mold and mildew. We made a video of cutting one open this link so you can see just how much is inside. This makes silicone, non-hollow bath toys extremely important for keeping baby’s bathtime mold and mildew free!
Did you know that silicone is naturally mold-resistant? It’s true! The chore of cleaning and drying your baby’s toys bath after a bath to prevent mold and mildew can be made easier by making the switch to silicone toys. For even more ways to make bathtime safer, easier, and cleaner - silicone is dishwasher safe and can be boiled for a nice, deep clean. Silicone is naturally antimicrobial but needs to be kept dry to avoid mold overpower its natural antimicrobial properties. All you have to do is shake off the water and hang to dry after each bath!
Innobaby-Bathin' Smart Rainbow Spots Silicone Bath Toy
Innobaby’s Award-Winning Smart Silicone Bath Scrub
Our Award-Winning Bathin’ Smart Silicone Bath Scrub gently washes and massages baby’s scalp, creating a calming and therapeutic bath time experience. The unique double-sided scrub features shorter strands on one side, great for massaging cradle cap, and longer strands for scrubbing on the reverse. And there’s no need to get rid of it once the baby is grown — the grow-with-me bath scrub also doubles as a quiet and mess-free fidget toy for kids ages 6 years and up.
Innobaby-Bathin' Smart Silicone Duck Bath Scrub
Other reasons silicone bath toys are the best for your baby:
- They’re super gentle on baby’s skin. They’re soft enough for even the smallest babies and they are gentle enough to use your newborn's delicate skin. Our Silicone Fish Scrub also helps remove stubborn cradle cap and exfoliates dry skin.
- Creates a soothing lather. Thousands of soft silicone bristles massage and soothe baby for a calming, positive bath time experience.
- No more stinky washcloths. Say goodbye to your smelly loofah, toss the mildew-filled sponges in the trash, and say YES to our naturally safe silicone scrub.
- They’re not just for babies! - The soft silicone strands also create a gentle massage for Mom’s sore breasts as a result of breastfeeding, and toddlers love using them in the bath, too!
- They’re award-winning. Our silicone bath scrubs and toys have won numerous awards, including the National Parenting Seal of Approval 2017, the Eddy 2017 Award (New educational industry award) and the 2018 Parents' Pick - Top 10 Baby & Toddler Product.
Innobaby-Bathin Smart Silicone Mini Fish Scrub with suction cup for cradle cap