Would you let your kid kiss a moldy giraffe? If your child plays with teething toys that have an enclosed interior, they’ve probably kissed worse. And it usually doesn’t take a professional mold testing kit to know when a toy is too gross to use.
ABC News reports that one family recently found excessive mold in a “Sophie the Giraffe” doll. The parent, Pediatric dentist by profession, was suspicious when she noticed a musty odor coming from her child’s toy. She cut it open and “discovered a science experiment living inside.”
The company issued a statement:
“First of all, it’s important to know that Sophie la Girafe [Sophie the Giraffe] is composed of 100% natural rubber, so the cleaning instructions have to be carefully respected. As indicated on the packaging and in an explanatory leaflet inside the packaging, we recommend to clean the surface of Sophie la Girafe with a damp cloth. It should not be immersed in the water nor rinsed off, to prevent water from getting inside, as she may become damaged. We thus would like to emphasize on the fact that is it important, while cleaning the product, that no water gets inside the whole.”
Cleaned According to Instructions
The parent, Dana Chianese, told Good Housekeeping that she always cleaned the doll according to instructions, with hot, soapy water and a damp sponge, and was careful never to submerge the toy in soapy water.
And she’s not the only one to have a problem. One customer review on Amazon warns: “Beware!! If you have a drooly baby, moisture will get in the hole and you’ll end up with mold! We’ve had ours for two years and the entire inside is coated with black mold!”
Nasty. And the photo is worth a thousand reviews. You don’t need to have the mold tested to know it’s time to throw this toy out!