The easiest way to cheer up a child and relieve his moody mood is to buy new toy. The more, the better - this is the principle of parents and numerous relatives who buy balls, cubes and teddy bears in almost serial batches. However, regardless of the quantity and quality of your child's toys, do not forget about the regular care of toys.

In order to spend a minimum of time on caring for toys and at the same time completely protect the baby from infections and viruses, divide all toys into several parts. Here are the main ones:

• Home toys
• Toys that have been in the hospital
• Outdoor toys
• Bath toys

You can also sort the toys, taking into account the material from which they are made:

• Stuffed Toys
• Toys made from a wide variety of washable materials - plastic rattles, rubber rings, etc.
• Battery operated toys, or those that cannot be washed in water.

So, the easiest way is with toys for the house. Store them in special children's containers that do not let dust in, or buy a children's chest of drawers that also has a place for toys, the women's site advises. So you will spend very little time caring for toys. However, washing and cleaning even those toys that you do not take out of the house is a must once a week! Use traditional baby soap and toys will be truly clean and safe.

Most of the dirt and infections are on those toys that you play on the street, as well as on those that have been in the clinic. Be especially careful about washing them, and it's better not to postpone the care of toys indefinitely, but to do it immediately after returning home!

As for bath toys, they are at the greatest risk of mold because they are stored in a humid environment. The care of bath toys consists in washing them at least as often as ordinary toys. And do not forget to dry such toys properly.

Naturally, only toys made of plastic, rubber, and similar materials can be washed. What to do with your favorite soft toys, as well as battery-operated toys?

Soft toys are easiest to wash - on your hands, or with the help of washing machine. Use baby soap or baby laundry detergent.

In addition, a great way to kill certain types of germs is to freeze them. Teddy bears, your favorite singing doll or a battery-powered transforming robot, after lying in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, will again become safe from the point of view of the occurrence of germs.

And the third way to clean soft toys is with a vacuum cleaner. Use the vacuum cleaner mode to clean upholstered furniture, and your toys will become clean and harmless to the baby.

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If you have children, then you have fully experienced what a “mountain of toys” is. We, parents, from the first days of the crumbs provide him with rattles, then developing cubes, then soft Luntiks, then Barbie and transformers. Of course, everything that belongs to children must be clean. Especially it concerns age period from 5 months and somewhere up to 2-2.5 years. At this time, children taste everything, as knowledge of the world takes place under the guidance. Of course, it would be very unpleasant if, because of a dirty toy, a child picked up some kind of infection. Therefore, be vigilant. The women's portal NameWoman will share with you the secrets of caring for children's toys.

Buying children's toys for boys and girls in accordance with age and needs, tastes is the first task. The second task is to prepare your purchase for the possibility of contact with the child. Of course, it is best to buy children's toys and things in specialized stores, but in this case, before giving the baby a gift, the item should be properly processed, and not wait for the “first wash” time . After all, the soft bunny was gathering dust on the shelf for more than a day, and not two, but this baby doll was already held by someone in their hands ...

What to do with dirty toys: accumulation system

Of course, in the daily hustle and bustle, it’s hard to find time to constantly run around and wash fallen toys. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange a kind of accumulation system, where all dirty toys will wait for their turn. And be sure to arrange such storage away from the kids. For "storage" purposes, a plastic bowl or a clean bag works great. The system will fail if a particularly favorite toy is damaged, then you will have to make an exception or prepare an equivalent substitute in advance.

How to wash plastic and rubber toys

If your child is already more than a year, then you can wash all plastic toys in warm water with baby soap. And if your baby is even less than a year old, then it will be necessary to scald the toys washed in soapy water with boiling water (in this regard, be careful with rubber toys, not everyone will withstand the "attack with very hot water"). After water procedures, be sure to dry the toys with a clean towel.

How to care for soft toys: washing and other procedures

It is generally undesirable to keep soft toys in a house where there are very small children, cute bunnies and bears, first of all, are an accumulation of dust. And you won't wash them every day. But if you still have a “plush animal”, then we strongly recommend that you arrange water procedures for it in a washing machine on a delicate mode, after removing the batteries, if any, and placing the toy in a laundry bag. Don't forget to pre-sort toys by color. If you don’t have such bags, then ordinary ones will come to the rescue. nylon tights. By the way, they very well protect a soft toy from shaking. We dry the animals in a soft towel to prevent deformation.

There are two more useful processing skills in the care of soft toys. Their regular communication with a vacuum cleaner and ... freezing ... If you are afraid that unwanted guests, such as ticks, are hiding in a bear or bunny, dog or cat (unfortunately, you can bring anything from stores), then place a soft toy in the freezer for several hours .

How to clean wooden toys

Just like plastic, should be washed in warm soapy water and wooden Toys. But be careful, they can not be left in the water for a long time! It is advisable to wash immediately under running water.

What to do with bath toys

It would seem that they are already in soapy water all the time, why wash them then. And then, that wet toys will be covered with a soapy film, which may become moldy. And this, you see, is useless to us. To do this, it is necessary to arrange a “washer” for bath toys once a week, and every evening after bathing they must be dried. An assistant in this matter can be hanging bath nets, which you can make yourself. Water will flow out of the toys on their own, and they will dry out.

How to care for toys for older children

Everything is much simpler here. Naturally, after purchase and before the first use, the toy should be washed in soapy water or wiped. After all, for example, children's musical instruments - harmonicas and tambourines, or, moreover, more complex ones, with electronics inside, like synthesizers for kids, cannot be sent to the bathroom. For the first time, their surface can be treated with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or even a decoction of pharmacy chamomile - an excellent antiseptic. The latter option is preferable when the toys are inscribed, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide will destroy them in an instant.

Toys should be cleaned as they get dirty, but not less than 2 times a month. . Please note that if your child goes outside with his favorite toy, be sure to wash it upon arrival from the walk. And it is better, of course, to separate toys for the street from toys for the house.

By following the above simple rules for caring for toys, you will protect your baby from various infections and give him a happy childhood!

Lilia Simonova

Memories of childhood are inextricably linked with our favorite toys that stay with us for many years. Shabby, smeared, they stand on the shelves and give a magical feeling of carelessness and happiness. Therefore, it is not surprising that many parents "fill up" their children with all sorts of new items, turning the house into a warehouse of toys that require careful care.

Particular attention should be paid to toys played by children under 3 years of age. Exploring the world with their mouths, babies collect all the microbes that live on rattles, cubes, cars or baby dolls. To avoid this, you must follow simple rules.

• All toys after the store are subject to mandatory water procedures. If everything is clear with regard to simple plastic and rubber toys (wash with soap and dry well), then things are different with musical and similar devices. In this case, every home should have hydrogen peroxide, alcohol tincture or chamomile, which is famous for its antibacterial properties. By wiping gifts for the baby with one of the solutions offered, parents will protect him from harmful microorganisms.

• Another option safe means care for toys - soda, the solution of which is an excellent disinfectant. To prepare it, you need to dissolve 4 tablespoons of soda in a liter of water. Soak a cloth in this solution and wipe the toys.

• To arrange a general washing of toys should be once every two weeks.

• Running and washing every toy that ended up on the floor is unrealistic. It is better to arrange a common bath for the "grimy" friends of the child, bringing them all together during the day. For this purpose, an empty bag is suitable, into which all toys that require hygiene procedures will fall. Such a package should be kept at a distance from the baby.

• Outdoor toys must be stored separately. The ideal option is outside the apartment, so that the child has less temptation to play them at home.

Caring for plastic and rubber toys

This type of toy is probably the easiest to care for. Baby soap and warm water are key to keeping rubber rabbits and plastic cubes clean. If the child is less than a year old, then an additional procedure is scalding with boiling water, which will remove all germs for sure.

After water activities, toys should be thoroughly dried with a clean cotton towel. It leaves less lint on children's products.

Caring for soft and textile toys

Fluffy, and unusually soft... many people know that such toys are unsafe for small children, but they can't resist buying them. It is easy to decorate a nursery with a teddy bear, but it is already more difficult to carry out thorough care.

• First of all, soft toys should be washed frequently in the machine on a delicate cycle, after placing them in a special bag. In its absence, ordinary nylon tights are suitable, helping to avoid disheveledness. Can also be hand washed using baby soap or shampoo.

• If frequent washing bothers, then it is better to periodically subject the hares and bears to cold therapy by placing them in the freezer overnight. Not all microbes are able to withstand such a procedure, so you can not be particularly afraid of the close friendship of the child with furry friends.

• Another option for keeping soft toys clean is ordinary soda. It is worth sprinkling plush animals with it, leave it for 15 minutes and then shake it, vacuum it, as your favorite "fluffies" become safe for children.

• For children with allergies The best way cleaning soft toys is dry cleaning.

Caring for wooden toys

Again, warm soapy water is used. The main thing to remember is that wooden toys cannot be kept in water for a long time - they get soaked there and lose their appearance. The entire washing procedure should take place very quickly, followed by mandatory drying.

Bath toys

If you have a child, then a large number of soft toys in your home is provided. They can be different sizes and flowers, the most beloved ones or those that constantly stand in the corner, but one thing unites them: soft toys perfectly accumulate dust and dirt on themselves. Therefore, from time to time they need washing. How to wash soft toys correctly so as not to harm them and the baby who plays with them?

Are they dirty?

Watch your child play with a teddy bear, a bunny, or a rag doll. He not only rolls the toy on the floor, there are hugs with kisses, and a taste test. The problem is also added by the fact that, no matter how clean you clean the apartment, the ubiquitous dust still penetrates into the premises and settles on surfaces. It is not always possible to notice how the toy gradually loses its color brightness under a layer of dust.

Children spend a lot of time with soft toys, so washing these products will be a must.

In addition, children often do not let go of their favorite soft toys literally for a minute. So, a soft playmate will probably bathe in a puddle, wallow in a sandbox and get smeared on the grass. As you can see, periodic washing of such toys is simply necessary. Otherwise, the microbes along with the dirt will move to the child.

Wash soft toys as they get dirty. If such a thing is very loved by your child, then washing should be done at least every 2-3 weeks. Before you start cleaning, look at the label of the toy: it shows the details of care.

Unfortunately, dust mites are permanent residents of soft toys, and they can cause allergies in a child.

What and how to wash

• special powders, gels and conditioners for washing children's things;
• baby soap;
• laundry soap;
• any shampoo.

To wash soft toys, use special powders for children's things.

If the water in your house is too hard, give preference to washing gels and do not forget to add conditioner.

Many housewives wash soft toys only by hand. The instructions for the product or the label on it will indicate to you whether washing in an automatic machine is allowed. This will make your task much easier.

Most toys can easily be machine washed on a delicate cycle.

Exclusively manual cleaning is used in cases where:

• the toy is sewn of heterogeneous materials;
• there are glued parts;
• the product has a nose, eyes, mouth made of painted plastic, which can be scratched or worn out when machine washed;
• sawdust, rice, buckwheat husks, straw, cotton wool were used to fill the toy;
• the product has a long silky pile, which can fall off and lose its luster;
• the toy is very soft, prone to deformation and stretching.

When machine washing such products, you may encounter irreparable problems. fabrics different types they can stretch unevenly or sit down, the filler can become damp and crumple (which will lead to severe deformation of the toy), and a pretty face will lose all its charm.

Most soft toys should be straightened out and hang to dry after washing.

Important! Some toys are water resistant and should only be dry cleaned.

Features of cleaning soft toys from pollution depend not only on the ability to wash by hand, in a typewriter or using other cleaning methods. There are many nuances to take into account.

So that the child’s pet does not lose its shape after washing, it should be straightened and dried in warmth, hung vertically or simply left to “sit” on the dryer.

For knitted toys, hanging is unacceptable: yarn, regardless of composition (especially if it is wool), shrinks when washed and can stretch when dried, which will lead to product deformation. So dry knitted toys in a horizontal position on an unfolded terry towel.

Note! If the toy faded during washing, this is a sure sign of the use of low-quality dyes. They may contain harmful substances. It is better not to give such a toy to a child at all.

If there is a music block

Surely among the collection of soft animals there are those that tell your child stories or sing funny songs. Such a toy often becomes the most beloved, because you can talk with it, inventing new stories. Which means she needs more cleaning. But how to hold it so that the toy does not fall silent forever when water enters the electronic device?

The music block in many soft toys is made in the form of a small rectangular box and is sewn in or put into a Velcro pocket

If there is very little pollution, you can easily deal with them manually. Dissolve the laundry detergent in water (about 1 tablespoon per 1 cup or as directed on the label), apply a small amount of the solution to a soft brush or sponge and wipe the product from top to bottom, removing dirt. Then change the soap solution to clean water and repeat the treatment.

More serious pollution will require more work.

1. Feel the toy, find the place where the electronics are located. Open the seam closest to the device.
2. Carefully remove the box with the electronic device.
   

   Just in case, at the same time check whether the battery can be replaced and whether it is necessary. If yes, then it is better to replace at this stage.

3. Mend the seam and wash the toy. Depending on the features of the product, you can do this in a washing machine or manually.
4. Dry the toy properly, then open the seam again. Replace the electronics box. Pick up threads suitable color and darn the seam carefully.

If you do everything right, the toy will still entertain your child like a new one.

Washing by hand

Hand washing is a delicate cleaning method that is suitable for almost all toys, but it takes time and effort. Small and short-haired toys are usually less of a hassle, as they dry quickly, don't have small parts, and are easy to wring out.

A tag attached to a soft toy will tell you how to wash this product.

Washing machine

Does the tag on the toy say machine washable? Then your task will be much easier.

If the soft toy is too big to fit in the drum of the washing machine, you can take it to the dry cleaners. In many establishments of this nature, large-sized products are cleaned.

washing toys big size the easiest way to trust the dry cleaners

If you don’t have such an opportunity and you don’t want to manually wipe the “big man”, spread the toy, remove the filler and wash the product in a typewriter. After drying, stuff the toy again and sew it up.

How to clean items that cannot be washed

Wet foam cleaning

If, according to the instructions, the toy is not washable, you will have to clean it manually. This is not difficult at all if the toy is small.

1. You need to prepare a soap solution that will give a stable strong foam. Pour warm water into a bowl of a suitable size, dissolve the powder in it, baby shampoo or a hypoallergenic cleanser, beat well.
2. Take a little foam on the sponge and clean the toy starting from the most contaminated areas.
3. Wipe each cleaned area to remove moisture. Use a microfiber cloth for this: it perfectly absorbs wet dirt. Do not forget to rinse it from the foam in warm water and wring it out.
4. When you're done cleaning, spray the soft toy with a spray bottle of fabric softener solution.
5. After that, dry with a hair dryer, making a kind of styling: smooth the fur with a comb so that it does not bristle.
6. Now it remains to place the toy near the battery or on the balcony for the night so that it dries completely.

This cleaning method is also well suited for large toys.

Dry cleaning

Some products are dry-clean only. In this case, a vacuum cleaner, ultraviolet, frost, hot steam and soda with starch will help you.

Vacuuming the toy is quick and easy. Instead of the standard one, use a special small nozzle designed for cleaning upholstered furniture. Also, if available, change the suction mode to a lower one. Vacuum toys often, preferably every week. However, this method will not be able to remove all the dirt from the pile of the toy.

Vacuuming is suitable for toys with long hair that cannot be washed

This method is suitable for large toys. Small or medium-sized products can be cleaned of dust using this method:

1. Place one or more toys in a strong plastic bag.
2. Add 5 or more tablespoons of baking soda or starch.
3. Close the bag and shake well for a few minutes.
4. Take out the toys and brush them over the tub.

Soda and starch will perfectly remove dust from a fleecy surface.

Let's say your toy is already old, or even completely inherited from the eldest son of a friend. There is a real danger that not only dust mites, but also pathogenic bacteria live in it for a long time and in large numbers. Cold, or rather frost, will help get rid of them. Fold the toys in plastic bags and send them to the freezer of the refrigerator for 2 days.

In winter, you can just take out soft toys on hard frost.

Ultraviolet radiation works in a similar way. Use a homemade quartz lamp, and if it's summer, place the plush team in the hot midday sun for a few hours.

laundry tips during quarantine

During periods of exacerbation of various infectious diseases up to an epidemic, soft toys will require special care. After all, they perfectly collect bacteria on themselves, involuntarily becoming carriers of diseases. Toys that cannot be washed, as well as those that your child can do without for a week or two, will have to be put away. And washing your baby's favorite soft friends should be done very often, at least every other day.

During quarantine, you will have to wash toys much more often to reduce the risk of illness in a child.

If the fabric from which the toy is made can withstand processing at high temperatures, that will make things a lot easier. Wash bears and hares at a temperature not lower than 60 degrees, and after washing, pour over with boiling water. Drying on the street is excluded: only in the room, on clean surfaces wiped with antibacterial agents.

Remember that severe frost and ultraviolet radiation perfectly disinfect toys. Another remedy for bacteria and viruses is hot steam. You can treat your garments with a vertical steam iron, a household clothes steamer or a steam cleaner.

Oct 19, 2016 Sergey