Spots or Bumps Appear

Occasionally we get an email from a customer reporting unusual spots or bumps appearing on a toy, which ends up being mold or fungal growth in and on the toys.  This is a new and growing trend likely for a few reasons.  First, as a natural and non-toxic material, silicone provides the ideal material for this where vinyl is not.  Secondly, as more and more individuals switch from vinyl to silicone, their silicone toys are naturally lasting a lot longer than those they used to have in PVC, so traditionally a vinyl toy would be thrown out long before a colony of mold could take hold.

We’ve seen images mostly of black mold spots, that don’t come off with bleach or scrubbing, most commonly on the base of toys that might live on the ledge of a tub or shower stall. On one occasion we saw spots of red mold from someone living in a tropical climate.  There are also instances of what appears to be a white mold or fungus growing into the surface and creating little bumps as it multiplies and bulges out the surrounding silicone.

 

What’s the Treatment

Preventing mold and fungus from growing in the first place is the best treatment, for once you see visual signs, it is already too late to reverse the damage. Storing in airtight plastic bags is the most common reason we see mold.   See our article on storing toys.

Killing the spores will prevent further spread but the staining left behind is buried in the matrix of the silicone material so bleach will not remove them.

Because silicone is hydro-phobic, soaking in bleach or anti-fungal will not go to where the spores are.  Heat is the only thing that can penetrate the surface and stop the growth.  Temperatures of 140F – 160F (60C – 70C) will kill most mold spores.  The material itself will easily withstand higher temperatures so we advise a 30 minute heat soak of 200F (93C), achieved either by baking or boiling.

Whether or not a damaged toy is safe to use before or after treatment is a determination only you can make.