When choosing educational toys for children, you should pay attention not only to their attractive appearance, entertainment and safety, but also to how easy they are to care for.

All toys, for the most part, can be divided into groups according to the type of materials from which they are made. So allocate plastic and rubber toys, soft, as well as toys equipped with batteries. Each group of toys implies a certain type of care for them.

In addition to the standard classification of toys by materials, it is possible to conditionally divide them into other groups. So you can select toys for home, for bathing, for playing on the street, as well as toys with which the baby happened to be in the hospital.

How to care for children's toys

1. If your child is over a year old, 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 paper towel.

2. You can clean and disinfect children's toys with baking soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of warm water, apply this solution to a sponge or cloth and rinse the toys.

3. 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.

4. Wooden toys can be washed in the same way as plastic ones, but unlike plastic, wood cannot be left in water for a long time.

5. Complex toys with electronics inside can be treated with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or 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 with batteries, which are strictly prohibited from contact with water, are recommended to be placed in a plastic bag for a couple of days in the freezer.

6. Washing in a washing machine is the easiest way to clean a soft or fabric toy. However, no more than 10% of all manufactured toys can be machine washed. You can also refresh your fur friend with baking soda: sprinkle the powder on a dry toy and leave it for 15 minutes, then shake it off thoroughly. This method is very effective and gentle for cleaning soft toys.

7. 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 home ones.

8. Bath toys also need to be washed. Mold often forms in such toys, so after washing they must be dried well.

9. Toys should be cleaned as they get dirty, but at least 2 times a month.

10. "Hospital" toys are recommended to be washed immediately after discharge, preventing a healthy baby from playing with them.
Caring for children's toys is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to do it correctly and regularly. Also try to limit the number of toys in the house to avoid clutter.

To become a rodent, a figurine carved from beech or oak is carefully polished, all sharp edges are rounded, and the surface is polished to smoothness. At this stage, the toy can already be used for its intended purpose. But to protect against moisture, wooden unpainted products are often treated with oil.

We use special wood oils certified and recommended for processing children's toys (BIOFA, MAZ-SLO, OSMO). The basis is vegetable oil, more often linseed. Such a composition not only protects the wood, but is also completely safe for kids.

In order for a protective film to form on the surface of the toy, the product must be well covered with oil, and even small toys should be dipped into it. After removing the excess, the rodents and rattles dry and are polished again.

First time: how to give a child a toy?

Many parents carefully monitor the cleanliness of toys that fall into the hands and mouth of a small child. How to make a wooden teether hygienic? The best option is to wipe it with wet wipes, you can antibacterial. Their impregnation will quickly evaporate from the surface, without violating the oil protection.

You can also douse the toy with steam from both sides, for example, holding the iron over it for a few seconds in the “steaming” mode or applying a “steam boost” once or twice. Such processing should be quick, after which the product should be wiped dry with a lint-free cloth.

During operation. To wash or not to wash?

The tree is very hygroscopic, so it is impossible to soak, wash for a long time under a stream and in a container, boil wooden natural toys! Water procedures will wash off the oil film, and the surface will definitely become rough. Wood craftsmen are aware of this effect, so for better grinding and polishing, some wood products are specially wetted between processing cycles. What to do if the toy is washed, has become rough and unpleasant to the touch? And what to do if the rodent or rattle gets dirty, rubbed and processing with napkins is not enough?

Rules for caring for wooden toys

1. If the toy is heavily soiled, it can be washed quickly with mild soap, rinsed and dried thoroughly.
   
2. Has the surface become rough? No problem! Polish the rodent with the finest sandpaper (zero, P320 grit) or coarse lint-free cloth (coarse calico, teak, linen) until smooth.
   
3. Apply a couple of drops (no more!) of natural vegetable oil to the surface and rub thoroughly. Excess can be gently blotted with a paper towel.
   
4. The toy is ready to use!
   

To What oils are suitable for processing?

Professional oils for toy products are usually sold in large containers and are not cheap. This is ideal, but buying a liter of oil for a pair of rodents is not practical. So you can take:

• linseed edible oil. Before use, it must be boiled and cooled. Flax edible oil has a specific smell; it will take at least a day to dry;
• any vegetable oil, also boiled and cooled. Pharmacy oils (peach, grape seed, linseed in capsules) do not need to be boiled. It is better not to take sunflower or olive oil - they quickly go rancid;
• vegetable-based baby oil (not mineral).

When processing toys, you should remember - you only need a few drops per toy! It is important to thoroughly rub the composition over the entire surface.

Summing up

• New toys that have retained the oil film and presentation, it is enough to wipe them with wet wipes or quickly steam them, wiping them dry.
• Wash wooden products with soap and water quickly, wiping thoroughly and then dry.
• After washing, the smoothness of the surface will be restored by grinding with fine sandpaper or a coarse, lint-free cloth.
• The polished toy should be lubricated with vegetable oil and left to dry.
• Vegetable oil can also be used to clean toys. Apply a few drops to a lint-free cloth and wipe the surface well.

All of the above care methods are suitable for untreated or oiled wooden toys. Products painted with acrylic paints and varnish can be washed!

We hope that with our advice, wooden toys will last a long time and will delight several generations of kids.

The shelves of children's stores are littered with all kinds of toys - musical, useful, educational, soft, interactive, etc. When buying toys for our beloved child, we rarely think about their proper operation and use.

It seems to us that having bought all this splendor, we have fulfilled our mission and can calmly go about our business while the enthusiastic kid is playing. Not so simple. Toys folded into the playpen of my little pony collect dust, get dirty and can become a source of infection brought from the street. This is not about the thorough disinfection of every ball and cube, but only about the necessary hygiene that a young child needs.

Below are the basic rules for caring for toys. First of all, it is necessary to divide the toys into those that can be machine washed and those that need to be washed by hand.

1. Each soft toy has a label indicating the recommended washing temperature. If the toy has a built-in element with batteries, first remove it. Try to wash soft toys on the gentlest setting using a small amount of hypoallergenic baby powder or baby shampoo. If the device cannot be pulled out, gently wash the toy in soapy water, being careful not to wet the contents. Dry thoroughly after washing.
2. Plastic toys are easy to wash in a basin or bath in soapy water. You can also wash them on the hand wash cycle in the washing machine, using the "no spin" mode, putting the products in a laundry bag. To prevent the toys from rattling too much, you can put old towels and sheets in the bag.
3. You can wash the inside of moldy rubber toys for bathing with a toothbrush and laundry soap. It is advisable to change such products regularly, throwing specimens that are especially “overgrown” with mold from the inside into the trash.
4. Wooden toys should not be kept in water for a long time to avoid drying out. It is enough to wash them quickly in soapy water and rinse with clean water. Such toys should be immediately laid out to dry on a balcony or in another open and ventilated place.
5. Do not give children toys that pets play with! The children's body may not be able to cope with the bacteria that cats and dogs carry.
6. New toys that you just took out of the package also need to be washed.
7. Teethers and rattles that can withstand high temperatures can be boiled or sterilized in a sterilizer (some moms use a double boiler successfully).
8. Old toys that have been stored in the attic or other poorly ventilated place for a long time should also be carefully processed. These items may contain mites.
9. You should be especially careful about the hygiene of toys that the baby takes with him for a walk. Such toys for children should be washed or washed after each use on the street. The fact is that some viruses tend to stay on things and in rooms for up to several days. We will not go into details about infections that can lie in wait for kids in the sandbox, in the mall or in the pond.

The household chemicals market has a good selection of liquid detergents, loose powders, antibacterial wipes and various liquids for washing children's dishes, toys and children's utensils. The most famous domestic manufacturer of household chemicals for children is Ushasty Nyan from Nevskaya Cosmetics. Another excellent domestic product for children's household chemicals "Nasha Mama" based on soap shavings does not cause allergies and skin rashes.

We do not urge you to keep toys sterile, because the child must develop his immunity by adapting to microbes in the environment.

We only remind about elementary hygiene. After all, we quite often do wet cleaning at home, wash clothes, linen, towels, bibs. At the same time, many of us forget about washing toys. At the same time, toys for kids are one of the most quickly dirty things in the house, because children grab their favorite hares and bears with greasy hands, spill yogurt, juices on them, take them in their mouths and throw them on the floor. All parents should make it a rule to inspect children's toys at least once a month, throw away spoiled and wash soft items. Wash plastic products using antibacterial hypoallergenic products much more often. Do not neglect this rule, because the health of your child depends on it!

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. This is especially true for the age period from 5 months to 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 over a year old, 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 nylon tights will come to the rescue. 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

In the same way as plastic toys, wooden toys should also be washed in warm soapy water. 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

Your child is surrounded by an incredible variety of things that only at first glance do not need care. Often these items include toys.

Usually they accumulate a fairly large number in the room, and it is very important to take care of them so that they not only please the baby with their beauty, but also do not serve as accumulators of dust and harmful microbes.

How to care for wooden toys?

Wooden toys should be wiped gently with a damp soft cloth., which must first be moistened in a soapy solution. Ordinary baby soap or even household soap will do.

If you are confident in the strength of the painting of the toy, a cloth can be moistened in a weak solution of vinegar. This will be an additional disinfectant. Do not use bleach, caustic products, as they can change the appearance of a wooden toy.

Do not immerse wooden toys in water for a long time: this can lead to irreversible deformation of the product and the toy will have to be thrown away. Dry the toy well after such cleaning.

Photo source: avivas.ru

How to care for interactive toys?

• Soft interactive toys can be washed with a conventional washing machine using powder or gel for washing colored laundry. However, this manipulation can be carried out only if it is possible to get electronic mechanisms and batteries.
• Those toys that cannot be washed can be neutralized from germs by freezing in the freezer or drying in the sun. Exposure to cold or heat should not be prolonged so that the mechanism does not suffer.
• Plastic or rubberized interactive toys can be wiped with a damp cloth, after which it must be wiped dry.

Photo source: kakotvet.com

Caring for outdoor toys

This type of toys requires daily special care, because they are exposed to constant pollution like nothing else, especially in the spring and summer.

• Outdoor toys need to be washed daily, with a large number of detergents and disinfectants.
• Outdoor toys should be stored separately from the rest of your baby's toys, it is best if a box or bag is provided for their storage in the hallway.
• Periodically inspect these toys and throw away broken rakes and shovels, as well as those items that cannot be washed.

Photo source: avivas.ru

How to care for soft toys?

• Soft toys can be vacuumed, no matter how surprising it may be. Vacuum the toy with a washing or regular vacuum cleaner using various attachments. If the toy is especially beloved, and the child often plays with it, this procedure should be repeated as often as possible, at least once a week, so that the dust does not have time to settle.
• Toys can be washed by hand. In a basin or bath, foam the baby soap, shampoo, dishwashing detergent, and then wipe the fur of the toy with a brush or sponge. You need to rinse the sponge or brush as often as possible so as not to smear, but to wash off the dirt. Dry the toy on the radiator, and then carefully comb the wool.
• There is a dry cleaning method. Put the toy in a plastic bag and pour 2 tablespoons of soda or starch into it. Now tie up the bag and shake as hard as possible. Rub and press the toy through the bag. After that, vacuum the toy.

Photo source: babyzzz.ru

• Soft toys can be washed in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. This is convenient because you can wash several small toys at once. The temperature should not exceed 30 degrees, and the washing time - 30-40 minutes.
  Be sure to run the rinse cycle several times. This will help wash out the detergent. To prevent toys from wrinkling, it is better not to wring them out after washing, but instead hang them on a clothes dryer. Wait for the water to drain in this position, and then send the toys to dry on the battery.
• If your child has allergies and your favorite soft toy is too dirty, you can take it to the dry cleaners. There it is possible to remove germs and dust under the influence of steam.
• In winter, arrange a preventive maintenance for your child's soft toys. At a temperature of minus 15 degrees, harmful dust mites will be destroyed in a few hours.

Photo source: obigrushke.ru

How to care for plastic and rubber toys?

All plastic toys can be washed in warm water with baby soap.

If the baby is not yet a year old, and he often takes toys in his mouth, then it is necessary to scald the toys washed in soapy water with boiling water. After water procedures, be sure to dry the toys dry with a towel.

Photo source: krokha.ru

How to care for bath toys?

It seems that there is nothing simpler, because these toys, it would seem, bathe with the child almost every day. But no!

Non-dry toys are covered with a soapy film, which will mold very quickly.. And this is a direct threat to the health of the baby.

Therefore, after each bathing the baby, rinse the toys under running water and dry them thoroughly. To do this, there are special nets for storing toys in the bathroom.

Photo source: decorwind.ru

General rules for storing toys of all kinds:

1. Store toys in designated areas. These can be cabinets, wicker baskets, boxes, nets, boxes, etc. Children should also be involved in cleaning small toys and seating dolls on shelves. It will turn cleaning into an exciting game. and later the child himself will be happy to clean his room, turning it into a fun game.
2. Periodically review all toys. Throw away broken toys if they are beyond repair.. At the same time, check the items for creativity for their suitability. You do not need to store dried paints and fragments of pencils.
3. Do not store toys that are not for the age of the child, what he has grown out of is better to give to his younger brothers and sisters, and what he has not grown up to is removed from accessible places so that the child does not lose interest in the toy without even starting to play with it.

Photo source: queen-time.ru

Rules for the care of toys:

1. Be sure to wash your new toy in soapy water or baby detergent.
2. Plastic and rubber toys should be washed with soap and water at least once a week.
3. If you have a quartz lamp, place the toys on the couch when you quartz the room. It is ideal for caring for all types of toys.
4. Between general washings of toys, they can be wiped with wet wipes.
5. Wash knitted woolen toys in cool soapy water.
6. Teethers must be rinsed with boiling water before use or sterilized.
7. You don't have to wash each toy separately, you can get a bag for storing dirty toys and "bath" them as the bag fills up.

Photo source: www.pravda.ru

As you can see, caring for toys is not at all difficult, but you can’t let this matter take its course, because what your child plays with, his health also partly depends.

Is it customary in your family to do spring cleaning for toys?