Oh, rubber ducky!

We love rubber ducks. But, what do you do when you just can't get that extra water out? If you let it sit, it will mold, creating a nasty little problem.

I looked it up and all I could find for suggestions was bleach. Lots of bleach. That - and boiling or using the dishwasher.

Right. But really, how does adding MORE water (hot water) get rid of the water that is already a problem? It doesn't. So, this morning: I made it my task to figure out a way to get the water out so Baby L can continue playing with her beloved duckies.

Option 1: Poke an extra hole in it. I recommend using an ice pick or nail (or the corn cob holders) to poke a hole in its beak. It'll give an extra hole to squeeze water out AND provide a squirter!

Option 2: Squeeze it out. If the hole is in the middle on the bottom, as it is with ours, fold up the body so the hole is the lowest point. Now press the little bugger down until it can't be pressed anymore. Don't worry, ducky will get over it and will puff back out after a while.

Option 3: Try getting out most of the water and then either set it into a little puddle of rubbing alcohol OR use something to squeeze it into the ducky (like the medicine syringe for animals OR something similar).

Option 4: Try all of the above...together!

But, whatever you do...don't use bleach. Soapy warm water is plenty to get all the nasties off of the inside. They rubbing alcohol will take care of the germs on the inside and help dry it out (you can also use tea tree oil if it starts getting moldy). But bleach and other cleaners are a BAD idea. Because it will come out in your child's bathtime water and they will be taking a bath in tilex, bleach, or oxy water. Yuck. And, they may even try drinking that water (from the duck)...or get the water in their eyes.