How to wash toys correctly?

The question of how to wash soft toys is relevant for most mothers. After all, in the rooms of most children, regardless of gender, there is usually at least a couple of teddy bears or bunnies. Kids play with them, take them outside with them, and sleep cuddling them at night. Of course, things that little ones come into contact with so often need to be taken care of especially carefully. But you need to know the features of washing such products. After all, if you spoil a child’s favorite thing during the cleaning process, it will not happen without resentment and bitter tears.

Why you need to wash toys

Washing soft or plastic toys regularly is important. With plastic products, everything is quite simple: they can be placed in a basin with a soapy solution, and then rinsed under running water. Musical ones can simply be wiped with a cloth. Soft toys require more thorough cleaning, because they attract and accumulate dust. It's not for nothing that they are called dust collectors.

It is important to keep things that a child frequently handles clean. Dust can provoke an allergic reaction. The baby will have a runny nose or even a cough, and there are often rashes on the body.If no measures are taken, allergies can lead to bronchial asthma or other serious diseases.

If you clean toys too rarely, they can become infested with dust mites. This increases the risk of developing allergies in both children and adults. Mites also often appear in carpets and pillows, which is something to keep in mind when decorating a child's room.

In addition, toys often need to be washed for simpler reasons. Kids can spill their compote on them, try to feed them semolina porridge, or take them with them to the sandbox. It is the mother who has to correct the consequences. Soft items should be washed at least every 3 months, and also when soiled.

How to determine the cleaning method

Choosing a way to clean soft toys is not so easy. Of course, they can be placed in the drum of a washing machine and run it. But this method is not acceptable for all products. If you do not take into account the characteristics of the toys, then there is a high probability that after completing the washing process you will end up not with a cute bear, but with something deformed and faded. In some cases, you can even ruin the machine. To avoid this, you need to choose the optimal cleaning method, paying attention to the following nuances.

• Size. A huge bear cannot be placed in a washing machine, and it is not easy to dry it. This means you will have to use dry cleaning.
• Additional elements. Some toys have eyes, noses, and other decorations that are not securely attached. They may need to be cut or unstitched while washing and then sewn back on. If such parts are glued, then water can harm them.
• Filler. For soft toys, a variety of fillers are used - cotton wool, padding polyester, sawdust.There are also anti-stress toys with granules or balls. All these materials react differently to moisture; some products can be washed in a machine or by hand in a basin, while others become matted and form clumps due to water.
• Electronic mechanism. Musical and various interactive toys have special mechanisms and power supplies, thanks to which they can move and make sounds. Before washing, the toy must be opened and the electronics removed from it.
• Material. The toy can be made of fabric, fur, wool. Due to moisture, some materials stretch, lose shape, and fade.

Washing toys in the washing machine and by hand

Knowing the features of toys, you can determine whether they can be machine washed. Most products are made from fabrics that tolerate moisture well. Fillers such as padding polyester and foam rubber also withstand washing without deformation. Typically, washing recommendations are indicated by the manufacturer on the label, so you should definitely study it.

Before washing toys, it is recommended to check the integrity of the seams. If there are holes, they should be sewn up. During the washing process, the seams may finally come apart and the filling may fall out. purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine recommends placing plush items in a special laundry bag.

Next you need to decide on the washing mode. The best option is the mode for delicate things, it is the most gentle, so that the toys will return to their little owner safe and sound. The temperature must be set to 30 degrees. It is better to avoid machine spinning. But an additional rinse will not be superfluous. The powder should be used the same as for washing a child’s clothes.Products designed specifically for children are well suited for any things that the baby is constantly in contact with.

After this, you can turn on the machine. When the cycle is completed, the toys should be slightly wrung out by hand. You can also use a terry towel, which perfectly absorbs moisture. They should then be dried by hanging them on a clothesline or laying them out on a drying rack. It is important to remember that knitted woolen toys must be dried exclusively in a horizontal position, laying them out on a flat surface. Wool easily changes shape and stretches under the weight of water, so the item will be hopelessly damaged. If possible, dry such products in the fresh air.

Advice

To wash soft toys, it is better to use liquid or gel detergents, as they are washed out better.

In cases where machine washing is not very convenient, you can wash the toys by hand. Of course, you need to make sure that they are not afraid of moisture. This cleaning method is suitable for products whose decorative elements are not fastened well enough. Hand washing is gentler, so they won't come off.

To wash by hand, simply add baby powder, soap or shampoo to a bowl of water, then immerse the toy in it. If necessary, scrub with a brush. After this, rinse thoroughly and dry.

Wet and dry cleaning

However, not all toys can be submerged in water. In cases where the filler is susceptible to moisture or there are mechanisms inside that cannot be removed, external cleaning is carried out. It can be wet or dry.

Before cleaning the product, it is recommended to vacuum it to remove some of the dust.Then you need to prepare a soap solution; any hypoallergenic product will do for this. It must be whipped in water to form a dense foam. It is this that needs to be picked up with a sponge and distributed over the surface of the toy. The amount of foam should not be too large so as not to wet the filler. After this, the foam should be washed off using a washcloth or microfiber cloth moistened with clean water.

To make the product especially soft to the touch, you can use a small amount fabric conditioner dilute with water and spray the toy using a spray bottle. Then you can start drying, it is convenient to use a hairdryer. If the toy has long pile or is made of fur, then it should be combed with a brush. Next, the item should be taken out into the fresh air - both the sun's rays and the frost will do it good.

For some toys, even minimal exposure to moisture can be detrimental. In such cases, dry cleaning is used.

1. Depending on the size, one or more items are placed in a large plastic bag.
2. Add starch or baking soda at the rate of half a glass per small product.
3. The bag is tied and shaken for some time.
4. Remove the products and clean them with a soft brush.

Baking soda or starch perfectly absorbs dirt, so the item becomes clean.

How to wash musical toys

Musical toys often cause difficulties when washing. Cleaning them is actually easy. In most cases, it is possible to remove the electronic mechanism. It can hide in a special pocket sewn on the back or belly of a bear or bunny. You can take it out and then put it back without any problems.

If the mechanism is hidden inside, then you should feel the filler with your fingers and determine where exactly the electronics are located. Then you need to carefully open the seam and remove the mechanism. It is important to sweep the seam so that it does not come apart during the washing process. Now the item can be placed in the machine or washed by hand, dried, after which the seam should be ripped open again, the mechanism put back in place, and then sewn up properly. At this point you can change the batteries.

If it is impossible to get the electronic mechanism, then clean the product with soda or a sponge with foam.

Cleaning large toys

Large toys often do not please mothers. They take up a lot of space, and cleaning them is not that easy, because they don’t fit in the washing machine. But children love such toys very much. Therefore, you need to know how to bring your plush friends into proper condition.

If thorough cleaning is necessary, you can rip the toy apart at the seams and remove the filling. Then put the product itself and the filling into different bags and wash in the machine. Dry it, then stuff it again and sew it up. In this way, you can carry out high-quality cleaning, but there is a risk that the product will not return to its original appearance.

Therefore, much more often large toys are cleaned by wiping with a soapy sponge or using soda. It is unlikely that they will be placed in a bag, so the soda is simply rubbed into the surface of the product and then removed. It is convenient to do this with a vacuum cleaner. The power should be set to the minimum so as not to tear off the eyes and other additional elements. You should choose a brush designed for upholstered furniture.

How to wash anti-stress toys with balls

Anti-stress toys most often use polystyrene balls as a filler.They can be large or small, but in any case they tolerate moisture well. Therefore, you can wash soft toys with such filling in a washing machine. The main condition: the item must be placed in a special laundry bag. Sometimes the seam does not withstand washing and the balls fall out. They may get behind the drum or clog the drain hole. To avoid having to call a washing machine repairman, you should take precautions.

If necessary, you can replace the filler with a new one. It is sold in stores that offer various craft supplies.

As with other products, you should pay attention to the label. Sometimes these toys use other materials that are damaged by water. Then you need to use dry cleaning.

How to get rid of dust mites

You need to know that regular washing removes dust and dirt, but not dust mites. They die only at very low or, conversely, high temperatures. There are two ways to get rid of them.

• Wash at temperatures above 60 degrees. If there is a suspicion that the toy is infected with mites, you need to set the temperature above average. However, you need to remember that not all products can withstand such treatment.
• Cold storage. At temperatures below zero, ticks also die. The products can be wrapped in a bag and left overnight in the freezer. In winter, you can hang them outside the window. This way you can clean even a large item.

This treatment is especially important for older products. After this, the toys will be safe for children.

Children's toys should be washed regularly. Proper care is needed not only to maintain a neat appearance. This is important for the baby's health.