Is it possible to wash soft toys in a washing machine?
You need to think about how to wash children's soft toys even when purchasing them, this will make the process of caring for them easier. If the label indicates that the product can be washed, then no problems should arise during the process; it’s a different matter when the toys can only be cleaned. Let's talk about everything in more detail.
Is it possible or not?
Toys, especially soft ones, get filled with a lot of dust. Germs and dust mites easily multiply in them, so they have to be washed and cleaned quite often, since children play with them. Is it possible to wash toys or not? The answer to this question can be found on the label or packaging of this product. If there are none, then carefully examine the product and you will understand whether it is worth washing in an automatic machine.
Here is a list of soft toys that should not be machine washed:
- toys with glued parts (buttons, eyes, nose, beads, rhinestones, etc.);
- large toys that hardly fit into the drum of the machine;
- musical products, since they contain batteries and microcircuits;
- products made from natural fabrics, such as wool or linen, such toys lose their shape and stretch;
- toys filled with feathers, buckwheat husks or sawdust.
For your information! Toys with sewn-on fittings and parts can be washed in a machine; for this you need to use a special washing bag.
Preparing for washing
Before you put all the toys into the drum of the machine, you need to carefully inspect them. Check to see if parts are torn or if there is any stuffing sticking out of holes. All holes must be sewn up well.
Take an old pillowcase or a special bag in which you put a soft toy. If there are a lot of toys, divide them into several washes. Conversely, don't machine wash one small toy; place a non-fading towel along with it. This will prevent imbalance of things in the drum during washing.
To wash toys with musical “filling” in the washing machine, you must first rip open and carefully remove the batteries and the singing module, and sew up the hole.
Contaminated areas can first be washed with soap or liquid hair shampoo, let sit, and, if necessary, rub with a brush. After this procedure, the chances that the toy can be washed in an automatic machine are much higher.
Let's start the machine
Once you've selected toys that are machine washable, load them into the drum. To wash soft toys, take baby powder with a neutral composition, without phosphates and other harmful substances; it is better if it is liquid; it will rinse out faster.
Next, select the washing mode, in which the water heats up to 30-400With and low spin speeds. This mode includes “Delicate wash”, “Hand wash”, “Wool”. It's rare to find toys that have permission to wash them at 70 degrees.0C. After checking the number of revolutions and temperature conditions, do not forget about the additional rinse.
For your information! A useful function in a washing machine can be the “Steam Cleaning” function, thanks to which you can dry disinfect toys.
Drying products
Drying soft toys after machine or hand washing is only possible in the open air; machine drying is strictly prohibited. Large toys can be hung, for example, on the balcony. In a suspended state, you can dry toys that are not subject to shrinkage and stretching.
If the toys, in your opinion, may stretch out, then lay them out to dry horizontally. After hand washing, toys can be wrapped in a terry towel, which will absorb some of the moisture, and then dried on a dryer on the balcony or in a well-ventilated area.
Hand washing and cleaning methods
If the manufacturer recommends washing toys by hand, then this should be done as follows:
- pour water, temperature 400C, into the pelvis;
- dissolve detergent, shampoo or baby powder in water;
- put the toy in water, trying not to get the glued parts too wet;
- Use a brush or sponge to clean particularly dirty areas;
- rinse the product, changing the water several times;
- hang the product on a rope and dry.
Important! It is prohibited to wash or clean a toy for children with chemicals.
Washing a soft toy in a machine or by hand is not enough to disinfect the product from germs or mites, since germs are killed only at high temperatures. To do this, more effective ways are needed.
- First way. A small toy can be put in a bag, tied and put in the freezer for several days, at least two. Low temperatures, like high temperatures, are detrimental to ticks. Large toys can be taken out to the balcony in the cold.
- Method two. Use a special ultraviolet lamp for disinfection, which kills germs.
In addition, toys that cannot be wet can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. For this you need a small nozzle. It is better to reduce the power when cleaning. The second cleaning method is to place the toy in a bag and sprinkle it with starch and soda.The bag is tightly tied and shaken. Then you need to take out the toy and clean it with a brush to remove starch dust.
Thus, you can wash or clean any children's toy. There are different ways to do this. The main thing is to do this regularly, at least once a month; if children are prone to allergies, then wash such toys more often. And let “soft” friends bring only joy.
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2 reader comments
Thank you for the very necessary and useful instructions.
Thank you, very useful article.