10 Kids Bath Toys That Don’t Go Mouldy!

Oh I know. You can tell from the title that this is one helluva blog post. Am I the most exciting person you follow? Surely. But no, in all serious, mouldy bath toys are the bane of my life and I have made it my mission over the last few months to find ones that do not become completely disgusting after a few baths with my toddler. It’s been quite the lockdown hobby.

It’s one of those topics that until you have a kid, seems like the dullest thing ever, but when you’re soaking bits of plastic in white vinegar every fortnight (jokes, I don’t actually do it that often, I just don’t want you to think I’m a skank), it becomes quite an important problem that you need to find a solution for. So if you’re reading this, hello and welcome, you are my people.

I conducted a bit of research on Instagram last year to get your recommendations and there were A LOT. So I’ve since tried out a few of them and I am here to tell you which kids bath toys will not go mouldy! Halleloo!

10 Kids Bath Toys That Don’t Go Mouldy

IKEA Boat

First I’ll start with the bath toy I’ve personally had the longest that has survived countless baths without the dreaded mould. And that is the boat we bought from IKEA 2 years ago. It comes apart into two cups and two boat pieces so my toddler enjoys taking it apart and putting it together too. (It doesn’t look like it’s on the IKEA website at the moment, but this is it for reference!)

White Hot Safety Rubber Duck

This one was a recommendation but my toddler loves it, the white hot safety rubber duck by Munchkin. My little girl loves ducks but the ones we had before had holes in them and inevitably became gross, but this one was a winner. Not only are there no holes, but it is also a great way to check if the bath is too hot (a little heart on the bottom goes white, hence the name).

Little Boat Train

Another recommendation from my Insta pals was this collection of plastic bath boats. They’re pretty basic, but don’t go mouldy, and you can pull them along in a little row. Endless entertainment for a little one.

Ball pit balls

This is my own personal success story. A few people told me on social media that they just use normal plastic toys in the bath. No need for specific bath toys right? Well then it hit me – ball pit balls! The colourful balls have no holes so don’t invite mould, they float, they’re colourful, they’re a winner.

Cogs Set

Ahh the world of stick-on toys for the side of the bath. It’s a whole other subcategory really. But still the dreaded mould can get involved so you still have to choose wisely. My friend bought Indi some TOMY bath cogs for her first birthday and I can confirm a year later that have not succumbed to the grossness. I have removed them a couple of times to clean the bath underneath, but otherwise they’re good as gold. And fun for kids to spin.

Pipes Set

Hand in hand with cogs, there are also TOMY pipes you can add to the fun. They encourage creative play, can be used in lots of different combinations and are colourful so I’m on board.

Stacking Cups

Stacking cups are pretty much a baby toy basic, we’ve all got them, right? Well they work just as well in the bath as they do out of the bath. In fact, they’re even more fun as kids can pour water and make potions. (Highlight of bathtime, am I right?) The Tommee Tippee cups are quite good as they can also stick on the bath, and the Nuby ones have holes so that water doesn’t get trapped inside and cause mould.

Heavea Whale and Turtle Set

This was another insta recommendation and is quite pricey, but does look like it solves the problem we’re all facing. The Heavea whale and turtle are squeezy toys but have a large removable piece on the bottom to let water escape when drying. They can also stick on the bath so lots of play options. But yes, pretty spenny so maybe more of a gift item?

Float and Play Bubbles

I have these Float and Play Bubble Toys by Muchkin and I’ve never seen a spec of mould on them so they’re winners for me. When you have babies, they’re good as little bath time rattles, and when they’re toddlers, they’re good for splashing around and naming colours/contents of each ball. Woudl recommend.

Bath Bobbers

This one is more for younger kids/babies, but the Skip Hop Bath bobbers are quite nice toys for early years. Really basic, they just bob around in the water but babies can experient with putting them underwater and seeing them float up. And plus, no mould hun.

Shoutout to these bad boys

Ok those 10 toys were the winners but I felt like I should also give a lil shoutout to the toys that aren’t exactly mould-free but are really low maintanance. These are toys we still use but I keep an eye on if that makes sense?

My little girl’s first bath toys were the Nuby Submarine and Munchkin Wind-up Penguin, and she still loves them. I guess because they move on their own so it’s a bit more exciting. They do get a ~bit~ mouldy, but when you clean them with white wine vinegar, they’re fine. (I don’t mind doing it for a couple of them, not all though.)

I also have a stick-on basketball hoop that she loves. It was just a cheap one off of Amazon and the balls that come with it do have little holes in so may lure the dreaded “m” word. But we use the ball pit balls with it and she loves it.

One of my mum pals also recommended bath drums for some bathtime fun. They may need a clean to avoid mould but are worth it for how much toddlers enjoying making noise.

Top tips for preventing mould in kids’ bath toys

Dry in baskets that allow toys to drip dry

I think the key is to make sure your bath toys can dry properly to avoid them getting disgusting. I use these stick-on baskets from IKEA and the toys can drip dry in their own time.

Clean with white vinegar

I’ve mentioned this a couple of times but white wine vinegar really is the best way to clean bath toys. I would not recommend using bleach, I’ve read horror stories of kids getting bleach in their eyes. NO THANKS.

Avoid squeezy toys at all costs!

And just remember, no more squeezy toys! Sure they’re fun the first bath or two, then they are pure filth. Avoid completely.

If I’ve forgotten any or you want to give a recommendation, let me know if the comments below or find me over on my Instagram. Happy bathing!

Total Blogger Transparency: This post contains affiliate links but I only ever recommend products I love. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.