We used Milton sterilising tablets after giving them a good squeeze and wash in soapy water. Seems to have worked well. Now do my dd & ds's toys in batches so they're never "bored" in the bath!

After cleaning the ducks as others have suggested, I also suggest plugging the hole. My friend melted wax into the hole. I thought that was genius! No more moldy ducks. Our ducks no longer float the right way up but neither do they get moldy inside!

Please be careful with bath toys, it's not just an aesthetic problem! When I was a child my little sister (2-years-old) drank water from the inside of a bath toy... even though our mother (who was a kindergarten/nursery teacher) always squirted out the water from our bath toys when we got out, there was enough bacteria in it to make her very, very ill... she spent 2 weeks in an special ward at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, an experience which none of us forgot, not even my little sister!

I always make sure water is squirted out of bath toys, & (of course) I supervise children in the bath at all times to ensure nobody drinks from them! I have been known to use a similar method of cleaning that some Mummy's have already mentioned, but I also add a little bleach (only a dash is needed) or if you're into natural remedies, like me, something like tea-tree oil has anti-fungal & antiseptic properties & lavender is also a great disinfecting oil - both are readily available in pharmacies & supermarkets... Lavender smells lovely, & is less "reactive" than tea tree (which just might cause paint to come off collectible ducks!)

I love the Cancer Research ducks too! So glad I am not the only one! Perhaps you could 'retire' them from bath time after cleaning & see if you can find some without a hole in the bottom... they are available, it's a matter of looking!

Dishwasher?? I know ordinarily u wouldnt put plastic in dishwasher but i have used loads or plastic plates before ( picnic set) not specified wether or not dishwasher safe so presumed not that have turned out fine. Maybe like a half load setting so does for like half hour then the steam will dry them out... or

what about squeezing them in soapy water (duck to suck up the soapy water when sqeezed) to get rid of said mildew and putting them in a big bowl of milton and leave to saok for a bit??. This is what i used to do for my nanny charges toys when having a clean up day.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one wanting to know the same thing! My little one will be so pleased to see 'Olly the octopus' now he can come out of hiding, thanks for all the tips

My husband and I were having this conversation just the other night!! So glad to read we aren't the only ones fretting about mouldy old ducks!!

Oh I remember the days of bath toys. And it is indeed mildew - or at least smells like it... Being bit OCD ( or cheap, which ever suits ) I would clean them rather than chuck them out. I did this by putting in a touch of dishwashing detergent with boiling water and giving Mr Ducky a good shake with soapy water. Then squirt it all out, repeat until clean. It would be ideal to have them dry out completely but I never managed. Whilst it did not totally solve the problem it certainly gave them a longer life span. . . Hope that is helpful !

I haven't tried cleaning them, so faar, I have not had that problem. I do squirt the water out religiously after each bath so no water is left inside (or as little as possible). Then leae them with the hole downwards so any remaining water comes out. So far so good! You can also try putting them on a 'drainer' type panel over a radiator or something warm, so any remaining water evaporates quickly.

Yes it's best to make sure all the water is out after every bath but to clean the ones we had with mould in them I pug some really hot water with detergent in a bowl then sucked up the water into the duck then shook it around then squirted it out and most if not all of the mould came out.

I am no scientist but I think that water left on rubber / plastic breeds mould / mildew. The black bits that emerge from the rubber duck are the mildew. Unless the inside of the duck completely dries out, the mildew will form. Just like with rubber bath mats that have the suction bits underneath. If you leave the mat to dry with the suction bits facing up then they dry faster and don't develop the mould. So unless you can completely dry your ducks quite soon after they have been in the water, I am not sure it can be avoided. I imagine you could soak them in something to get the mildew out but then there is the drying problem.

Perhaps someone will have a clever answer. I replace mine quite regularly..

I'd love to know that answer to as I've also thrown so many away!

Fab question. I've had to throw loads of bath toys away in the past because of the same problem. I've avoided buying them again since. Would love to hear any bright ideas.

I know this is totally random, but has anyone successfully cleaned the inside of a rubber duck? My daughter loves the ducks in her bath, but the inside of them seem to be growing some sort of algae - which is totally gross. They're lovely decorated ones from Cancer Research which they no longer sell, so I'd like to save them if possible. Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks