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Cleaning Toys & Resources


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We've having our big clear out/clean up on Monday and I just wondered if anyone had any foolproof tips for a fast, efficient and effective way of cleaning toys and then getting them dry in time to store away again, all in one day :o

 

I can just visualise us not getting very far with this as we are also planning to sort through and do an inventory and photos of everything as well.

 

Someone suggested sending a box each home to parents to clean but I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Or maybe we could clean them over the course of next term one box a week.

 

Would love any good advice.

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I put stuff like duplo, dough cutters and stickle bricks into a pillowcase and stuff them in the washing machine. Bath towel in too so it's not as noisy then just spread em out in the sunshine to dry. Plastic cups plates etc children enjoy washing. wooden bricks get a good sloosh in some antibac water and put out to dry and soft toys go the rough the wash. Boys enjoy washing the cars - and no that's not sexist - they just do! :o

Ours are done straight after we break up then they are DONE!

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Ditto - everything Possum said! Washing machine + pillowcase is def. the 'way to go' with duplo, stickle bricks etc.etc.

 

My deputy is a complete STAR - she always takes a lot of 'stuff' home to wash!

 

I tend to do a bit at a time throughout the holiday - that said painting aprons, table covers were done and returned to my setting within 24 hours of 'breaking up'!

 

Role play costumes - soft toys (Oh not sure we allowed them anymore 'swine flu' advice) and cushions I usually leave until the last week of holiday and then they are lovely and 'fresh'.

 

We have a 'staff day' - back to work on the Friday before the start of term - all furniture etc. will be cleaned then.

 

Sunnyday

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Dolls clothes and dressing up clothes we give to kindly parents to wash the lsat week of term.

All other resources are washed in warm water, disinfectant and washing up liquid.... by the children.... we work our way around the classroom making sure each box has been sorted and washed.... we them cover the units and say those ones can't be used now.... the children enjoy this.

Pencils etc are given a liberal spray of antibac spray.

 

This is on a reception class

 

L

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We fill the water tray with warm soapy water and chuck in all the plastic toys, give 'em a good swish around ( the children LOVE helping with this!), then lay them out in the sunshine on newspaper to dry.Wooden toys are wiped over with a damp cloth ( not too wet, obviously). Books, puzzles, games, etc we give a good wipe over with a cloth that has been sprayed with anti-bac. Dressing up clothes and any soft toys that are washable go home with me to be laundered. Wax crayons, pencils etc get a blast of antibac if there's a known bug about. Large equipment, such as the climbing frame, rocking horse etc, get wiped over with anti-bac'd cloth. We have regular sessions where door frames, fire extinguishers, storage units etc are wiped over too.

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We are in a pack away setting and find washing one box of toys each week is the best way to keep on top of it. We sort/tidy the cupboards/sheds when they get untidy, which is usually termly and wash resources such as blocks, duplo, dolls house furniture weekly, one each week. We put a stickly label on each box which is dated with the wash date, if that makes sense. Dressing up clothes, soft toys etc are taken home to wash at the end of each term. Good luck with the big clean, mrsW.x

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Some great ideas here, it hadn't occurred to me to use a washing machine!

 

And I love the idea of putting the date of the clean on a label, and getting the kids involved. I'm sure this would be a great activity for our new outdoors area when we go back.

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Hi all,

 

Has anybody thought of using the dishwasher to clean things. We are fortunate to be in a community hall which has access to one, but so far I have been wary of using this. If I put duplo, sticklebricks in a mesh bag and didn't have the water too hot do you think this would work?

 

Debbie

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Dishwasher is fine, I put megabloks etc into mine, but only use the top rack! I'm too worried about using the bottom although I'm sure it would be fine but you can't put beakers etc there, so I apply the same rule for toys. I put anything plastic in mine. :o

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I forgot about the sticky labels on boxes to show when they've been cleaned! We have sellotaped a small polybag to the back of each one, and sign & date a card slip to show when things were last done. When Mrs O asked how often we clean things, we were able to show the back of crates etc..she thought it was brilliant and hadn't seen it done anywhere else at the time

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we too cleaned an item once a week with the children all year round, label on box with date of cleaning and rotated so in fact most were cleaned at least termly.

 

sometimes children would ask for an item to clean or play with in water tray..

 

we would use the washing machine and staff take turns in washing some of the items,

 

parents would take the dressing up clothes to wash

 

we had a box of washing powder tablets in out cupboard so anyone taking the washing could be given some.

 

Children loved doing the chairs and helping out...

 

Inge

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I forgot about the sticky labels on boxes to show when they've been cleaned! We have sellotaped a small polybag to the back of each one, and sign & date a card slip to show when things were last done. When Mrs O asked how often we clean things, we were able to show the back of crates etc..she thought it was brilliant and hadn't seen it done anywhere else at the time

I like this idea its an easy way to log might adopt this myself

We clean our toys with milton or throw in the washing machine

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We were pushed at the end of term so the things we hadn't got around to I openned the trays and sprayed well with antibacterial stuff and gave them a stir. They were small things like pegs for peg boards, unifix, bobbins.

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At our Pre-school we clean all of the duplo and all other hard small toys in a large tub or warm water with anti bacterial mouth wash, as a lot of our toys always seem to end up in the children's mouth!!! We do this regularly and get the children to help us.

 

All other soft clothing/toys are taken home and washed in washing machine.

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Many years ago we used to send toys home with parents - some came back brilliantly clean, and even replaced, others - well, I think some parents just let their children play with the resources OUTSIDE for the six weeks holiday and returned them in a worse state than they were sent home - also some smelt heavily of cigarette smoke on return - suffice to say we no longer do this.

We regularly wash soft toys, dressing up clothes, aprons etc. take home after the session. We are also firm believers in MILTON.

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Never considered using mouthwash - is it not a bit alcohol/astringent-ish? Thinking it would damage the plastic, that's all. Bet they smell nice and minty though

 

Welcome to the forum, look forward to chatting with you. Why not introduce yourself here

 

 

We only put in a couple of cap fulls into warm water, which does no damage at all. An old Committee member suggested it after reading about it on a School website. And yes all the duplo comes out minty fresh :o

 

Thanks for the welcome btw.

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we are pack away

some where done with thechildren

we then had a day to get the rest done including furniture

its nice to come back in sept to them nice clean and sorted

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