How to keep bath toys dry (mould-free) in shared bath (updated)

[aguinn]

Howdy,

We are a one-bathroom family, and I need your advice. We keep all of DS's bath toys in our tub/shower because we have no storage space otherwise, so that means that they are continuously getting wet when DH & I shower. Is there a solution you've found that keeps them dryer but still allows them to be in the tub/shower area?

I've thought of a mesh bag that hangs around the shower head or a rack that mounts to the wall (like the one at onestepahead.com), so if you have experience with either of these solutions or something that works just as well/better, please respond.

thanks,
;)amy

*UPDATE: I bought something like this at Bed, Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11398464&RN=13&
what i actually bought is the shower caddy by, i believe, the same manufacturer. it pops up and is made of mesh sides and a silky bottom with a drainage hole ~$3.99/ea. i hung it outside the shower on a hook over the shower curtain rod. so far it's working great! thanks for all your input!

[amp]

I try to dry the toys off or let them dry on the side of the tub and then put them in a plastic, handled case (it was a gift pack of baby bath supplies when I got it.) Since it has holes in it, anything that isn't perfectly dry can keep drying. The basket sits on the counter or sometimes the back of the toilet.

[khakismom]

We have a mesh fish bag (mesh bag that looks like a fish :)) from Sassy that suctions to the wall of the shower. All the toys go in there and then drip dry in the shower. I've used this mesh bag for 3 years and never had any mold or mildew on any of the kids' toys.

ETA: Forgot to add that I bought this for like $7 at BRU. I think Target has them also.

[kaitlinsmommy]

I do what Andrea does (and dd has lots of bath toys). We outgrew the first container & I just got a replacement Sterilite one at Target for $2! I love it!

[Thatchermom]

We had problems with the mesh bag mildewing (and all the stuff in it). Found the rack-type toy bin like OSA at a local store and tried it...we love it! Holds a ton of toys and they stay drier. DS loves to "dump" the basket at the start of bath. Thought I had some pictures but couldn't find them when I went to attach, sorry!

[aim]

I just ordered the rack thing from one step ahead. My friend has three kids the oldest is 7 and she has used this from the beginning and never had any trouble. She absolutely loves it.

Amy

[supercalifragilous]

We're using that mesh fish bag that PP talked about but it hasn't been that long so I haven't checked it out for mold! I'm glad I read that so I could be on the lookout for it! Maybe we'll end up buying that thing from OSA as I have a number of other things on my list to buy from there!

One thing we'd been doing is regularly soaking DD's bath toys to prevent mold. Martha Stewart had an article about it in one of her MSL Kids magazines and basically you just soak it in a solution of vinegar and water for 30 minutes and slosh them around a bit. We do this in DD's Eurobath tub since we figure it couldn't hurt for the tub to get a wash too. The amount of vinegar you use is dependent on your tub size - we use about 1/4 cup - it doesn't have to be a lot.

[tippy]

We have the mesh baggie but will soon be outgrowing this! One thing I noticed is the only mold we have had is in his squeeze toys (including his yellow rubber ducky). This is particularly problemsome since he likes to squeeze the water out of them and drink it! (GROSS) I make sure I squeeze all the water out at the end of every bath but it doesn't seem to help. I will try the water vinigar thing and suck some of it up into the toy, shake and soak. Thanks for the good tip!