How safe are old plastic toys?

January 19, 2006 7:31 AM

My daughter recently got my old play tea-set (cups, a teapot etc.). It is made from hard plastic. Is it still safe to drink from? There is no mention on the toys of the type of plastic it is made of. They are approximately 25 years old.
posted by davar to health & fitness (6 comments total)

Soak the set in very hot water with a capful of chlorine bleach added. Rinse thoroughly. That should kill any residual bacteria that might be lurking.
posted by essexjan at 7:38 AM on January 19, 2006

I wouldn't, just on the chance that it is made of PVC (which breaks down with age into some nasty stuff).
posted by jmgorman at 7:44 AM on January 19, 2006

Bleach will also break down the plastic, so don't soak for long. And don't put them in the microwave.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:44 AM on January 19, 2006

I wouldn't put hot tea in the cups.

I always had to have "pretend tea" and "pretend cookies" with my tea set growing up. Maybe some make-believe is the safest way to go.
posted by catfood at 7:57 AM on January 19, 2006

I am more worried about the plastic quality than about bacteria. Is there any way I can see if it is made of PVC? The plastic looks very hard, but there is a burst in it and some nibbles are missing (yum, that's probably somewhere inside me now). The brand name is melotoys, but that did not bring up anything either.
posted by davar at 8:04 AM on January 19, 2006

Well, "melotoys" implies it's made from melamine, which is common for plastic dinnerware. That may give you some leads as to whether it's safe to use. If it's melamine, definitely do not microwave it.
posted by kindall at 8:09 AM on January 19, 2006