The Easiest Ways to Clean Dirty Plastic Building Blocks - Make Them Look, Feel and Smell like New

Finding a big bucket of plastic building blocks at a garage sale or flea market might feel as if you have won a valuable prize. After all, they are very expensive, and kids want more than just a few dozen to build everything from robots to mansions. However, buying used toys can result in lots of grime and accompanying germs. Even if the various parts and pieces do not look dirty, use one of these easy ways to clean Legos or other bricks and accessories. They will turn out as good as new.

Use a Covered Dishwasher Basket on the Top Shelf

The dishwasher is good for far more than just washing dirty dishes. It is a very versatile cleaning machine. It can be used to clean dirty plastic building blocks, but not without securing them first. Fill a dishwasher-safe basket with a lid, and place it on the top rack with the lid securely snapped into place. Add detergent as usual, and place it on a normal or light wash cycle. They can be washed with or without dirty dishes, and they will come out squeaky clean and germ-free.

Put a Laundry Bag of Dirty Plastic Building Blocks in the Washing Machine

If you do not have a dishwasher or a dishwasher-safe basket with a lid, use a washing machine to clean your kid's dirty plastic building blocks. Do not place them directly into the machine. Put them in a laundry bag, and tightly secure the top. Add detergent according to the desired water level, and run the machine on a light to normal setting. When the washing machine stops spinning, pull out the bag of building blocks. They will be as clean as they were when they were new.

Dry Them on a Garment Rack or on Cooling Racks

Although your child's plastic toys will be clean, they will not likely come out dry. Instead of attempting to dry every nook, cranny and crevice, let them air-dry. Arrange them in a single layer on a garment rack or a series of cooling racks that are typically used to hold baked goods. If your child's patience is wearing thin, add a fan and a thick and absorbent bath towel to the equation. The toys will be dry and ready to play with in just a few hours.

Source: Professional Cleaning Experience