How To Clean Squishy Toys: Tips For Every Type of Squishy Toy
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- Foam, silicone, and fabric-covered squishy toys require different cleaning methods.
- Squishy toys can melt or become misshapen in hot water.
- If the decorations wash off, you can reapply them with a small paintbrush and acrylic paint.
Squishy toys are fantastic for stress relief, hand strength, and providing your child with hours of fun. But as with any well-loved toy, they can get dirty, dusty, and covered in lint. If this has happened to your child’s squishy toy collection, don’t despair. Once you know how to clean squishy toys, you’ll have them restored to their soft, squishy cuteness in no time.
Types of Squishy Toys
Before you can clean your squishies, it helps to know which type you have:
Foam Squishies
Most slow-rising squishies are made of polyurethane foam. Squishing them will leave an impression of your hand, and they’ll take a few seconds to return to their original shape.
Silicone Squishies
Silicone squishies are usually smaller than foam squishies and feel slightly sticky. You can tell if your squishy toy is silicone if it stretches and bounces quickly back into shape. The most well-known brand is Mochi, but many different ones are available.
Fabric Covered Squishies
Some fabric toys come with a squishable inside. If one of your child’s soft toys is slow to rise after being squished, it’s likely a fabric-covered squishy toy.
How to Clean Foam Squishy Toys
Foam squishy toys can absorb a massive amount of water. This can be a problem because they’ll take ages to dry, giving mold and mildew the chance to grow inside. Yuck! Like cleaning wooden toys, foam squishy toys have to be cleaned without getting too wet.
The first option for tackling a grimy, foam squishy is to use a damp cloth. Dip a clean cloth in a mixture of soap and warm water and squeeze out any excess liquid. Then, wipe it over the surface of your toy to remove any stubborn marks and germs.
If water doesn’t do the trick, a tougher alternative is white shaving cream. Squirt some shaving cream onto the surface of your squishy toy and wipe it away with a clean cloth.
If you need to disinfect the toy, use child-safe disinfectant wipes that you’d use for cleaning baby toys. However, always test these on an inconspicuous part of the toy first. They can remove some types of paint.
How to Clean Silicone Squishy Toys
You can remove most dirt from silicone toys with scotch tape. However, if yours are especially dirty or you want to get them germ-free, follow the steps below.
- Fill a container big enough for your squishy toy with cold water and a little soap.
- Drop the squishy toy into the water, and the dirt should float upward or detach.
- If any mess is stuck on, rub it gently with your fingertips. Avoid rubbing any surface decorations as these are usually only decals or paint and will come off easily.
- Leave the toy out to air dry.
- Rub corn starch or talcum powder all over the squishy to stop it from being sticky. If you choose to use talcum powder, be careful—it’s easily inhaled, which can pose serious health risks.
- Remove excess powder with a small washcloth, and your squishy will be like new.
- If any decorations came off, reapply them with a small paintbrush and acrylic paint.
How to Clean Fabric Covered Squishy Toys
Most manufacturers say their fabric-covered squishies can only be spot cleaned. To do this, wet a small washcloth with warm water and soap or baby detergent. Wipe any dirty marks on the toy’s surface, and leave it out to air dry.
If spot cleaning hasn’t worked and you’re ready to throw the toy away, machine washing might be worth the risk. Here’s how to do it:
- Put your squishies into a clean cotton pillowcase and tie the top.
- Put them in the washing machine with a mild detergent on a cool wash. Squishies can only tolerate warm water, not hot.
- Leave them in their pillowcase and machine dry on a cool setting. It’ll probably take several dryer cycles to get them completely dry. Don’t be tempted to put them on a high heat as this will ruin the squishiness of the toys, and they won’t be as soft.
Congratulations! Now you know everything about how to clean squishy toys. Not only will your squishies be dirt-free, but you’ve also got something impressive for your resume!
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