Kids love balls. Ball pits make great gifts. You open them, you love them, everyone has a blast, you take great pictures....and then the magic wears off, and you decide to put the ball pit up. When you go to grab a ball, you find that static cling has attracted all sorts of stuff - lint, debris, and things you don't want to think about. What do you do? Wipe each ball down? .... you can see your life draining away at the thought of this task.
Quick answer: Toss those bad boys into the top rack of your dishwasher as deep as you can, and set the wash cycle for light wash and a no heat dry.
When the cycle is done, either towel the balls off lightly as a group or leave your dishwasher door ajar over night. Make sure to tell other members of your household if you go with the door ajar option. You don't want anyone injured.
Yes, use your normal dish detergent.No, don't put balls on the bottom where the heating element is.
Store fully dried balls in labeled plastic trash bags or mostly dried balls in mesh bags.
Voila! Clean balls. The kids even have fun helping with this task. Use that to your advantage.
Vacuum any remaining debris out of your ball pit and wipe down with a damp cloth if necessary before storing.
This is the ball pit and the balls we received for our one year old's birthday. It was a hit for all ages at her birthday party - eight, six, five, three, and one year olds.
Disclaimer: This is just my personal experience. This method has not been tested in a lab or approved by Good Housekeeping. All recommendations you try at your own risk and at the risk of the dishwasher(s) used. I accept no responsibility or liability for any negative results.
