As a parent, you know that everyday life with toddlers is wonderful, but also quite intense. Little hands explore, throw, and taste everything in their vicinity. When you invest in high-quality, sustainable baby products, you naturally want them to last as long as possible – perhaps to be inherited by a sibling or sold on to another family.
Caring for children's belongings doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. Here, we share our best eco-friendly care tips for wood, silicone, and organic textiles, so your favourites stay fresh and safe day after day.
Care tips for wooden toys: Clean, sand, and oil with love
Wood is a fantastic, living material that only becomes more beautiful with age if cared for correctly. When you want to clean wooden toys or maintain a wooden teething ring, avoid submerging them in water, as the wood can swell and crack.
- Gentle cleaning: Wipe the toy with a damp cloth and a little mild, chemical-free dish soap.
- Sand away marks: Has the wooden toy got a small splinter or become rough? Gently sand with fine sandpaper.
- Oiling wooden toys for children: To restore the wood's lustre and protect against moisture, you can rub it with a drop of organic cooking oil (such as coconut oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil). Let it work and wipe off the excess.
Freshen up silicone plates and pacifiers: Get rid of odors and residue
Silicone is a hygienic and soft material perfect for the toddler years. However, silicone plates or pacifiers can sometimes absorb odors from food or develop a greasy residue. Fortunately, there are simple tricks to clean silicone pacifiers and dinnerware without harsh chemicals.
- Remove odors from silicone: To effectively clean silicone products, you can boil water with a tablespoon of lemon juice or baking soda and let the products soak for 15 minutes.
- Deep cleaning in the oven: Heat the silicone products in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. This drives out fats and odors that have become trapped in the silicone's pores.
- Chemical-free cleaning for children: Always use unscented dish soap to prevent the silicone from taking on a perfume scent.
Care for organic textiles: Stain removal and washing instructions
Washing organic cotton for babies and following washing instructions for GOTS-certified products is about preserving the natural softness and strength of the fibers. Baby clothes often suffer from tough stains, but harsh washing and strong chemicals wear out both the garments and delicate baby skin.
- Eco-friendly stain removal on baby clothes: Treat stains immediately! Rub a little bar soap or vegan laundry soap onto the stain with lukewarm water before washing.
- Sunlight as a natural bleach: Yellow stains from food or poop often magically disappear if you hang the damp garment in direct sunlight.
- Gentle washing: Wash at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius with an eco-friendly, unscented detergent and skip fabric softener, which impairs the breathability of cotton.
Circular love in the nursery: Let favorites be handed down
By giving your products a little extra love, you can significantly extend the lifespan of children's toys. A well-cared-for wooden toy or a soft, organic blanket can create wonderful memories for several children in the family. Sustainable baby products and proper care make it easy to create a circular everyday life where we consume less but better.
Want to discover more inspiring tips and sustainable products for your child? Explore our carefully selected range at Happy Parent and create a safe, sustainable everyday life for the whole family!