A concerned mother has posted a string of photos featuring her kids' mouldy bath toys to warn just how dirty they could actually be.
Penning a warning to other parents, Morgan Knighton Rogers said she was "disgusted" at what she had uncovered, showing how the bath toys were completely black on the inside.
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Taking to Facebook, the mum said she'd seen a similar warning on another parent's social media and wanted to pass on the message.
"For those of you who saw the post I shared the other day of the little boy who accidentally squirted himself in the eye with one of his bath toys and it got really bad infected, y'all...
"I just cut my kids' bath toys open and needless to say, they are all going in the trash and I will never buy another and I would suggest you all do the same!
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"They say mould grows in them because they're never able to fully dry out! I've never been more disgusted in my life!![sic]".
She added a disclaimer: "Yes I clean my kids toys but you cannot dry them out fully, therefore mould grows because it's wet."
The post has since amassed 45,000 comments and 261,000 shares, with over 7,300 people reacting to it, too.Meanwhile, another penned: "I chucked all mine out about a month ago after reading something like this".
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A third concurred: "How horrible is that?! No bath toys in this house."
Suggesting a solution to the issue, some people suggested parents could seal up the holes using 'hot glue'.
Others said the best thing was to 'clean them with white vinegar,' which helps 'the water slip out when sitting them out to dry'.
While other mothers say they rinse the toys out with hot water and bleach.
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"I saw another mom post about her sons squirt toys and how her son accidentally squirted himself in the eye with one of his. His eye was swollen shut and got bad infected," Morgan told Tyla.
"So I immediately cut ours open and found all of this. The squirt toys are just a bad idea for water toys because once water (or cleaner) have gotten inside them, you can never fully dry them out, therefore mould and bacteria grow inside of them."
If it's squirt toys your heart desires, MadeForMums suggest there are several ways people can ensure children's bath toys are clean and safe.
As well as the options above, alternatives include putting them in the dishwasher and using sterilising tablets.
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The website also suggests you should regularly replace the toys with new ones. However, obviously doing this is "pricey and not particularly environmentally friendly".
Brb, we're off to douse our bath toys in bleach, ASAP.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash