Many of you asked how to clean your toys so here goes!
Water Based Colour Stain on Grimm's
Let's talk a little bit about the stain that is on Grimm's Wooden Toys and why they are created this way.
They are finished with non toxic water based colour stain and oils. They do this because it leaves a matte finish and not a glossy one, which feels beautiful to hold in your hands. The texture of the toys also makes it easier to stack as it's not slippery like some other finishes.
From Grimm's Wooden Toys:
"An outstanding and unique characteristic of all our toys is the velvety surface which arises because we use colour glaze that penetrates into the wood, leaving a matte finish rather than a glossy one. The individual pieces are dipped by hand into the stain and we intentionally do not put a final protective coating on it to preserve the positive characteristics of the wood.
Our way of making toys guarantees that they stack more easily with greater play possibilities. Children feel and experience the wood fibres and structure while playing."
Saliva Testing
Our youngest daughter has chewed on the head of a Grimm's Friend as a teether since 5 months (now 13m) and still the colour remains the same on its hat. Here's a little bit about the stain that they use straight from Grimm's Wooden Toys website.
"Our colours are non-toxic, water based stains that are absolutely harmless and tested in-depth for colour fastness in contact with saliva. This test uses a liquid comparable to standard human saliva. However, some people’s saliva do vary from the “standard”, so some colour may transfer under those conditions, but the stains are harmless."
With that being said I do find that the colour on our pieces of Grapat have become lighter on ones that she has chewed on but it doesn't worry us as their dyes are also non-toxic.
Cleaning Wooden Toys
In regards to actually cleaning our wooden toys we have only ever wiped our toys down with a damp cloth if necessary but this is not done regularly.
Due to woods natural antibacterial properties we only clean actual visible dirt if absolutely necessary and this has probably only happened twice when something has been spilled or the kids ran off from the table with dirty hands!
When drying toys it is best for it to be done at room temperature and I wouldn't put them in the sun as this can change the shape in which it is dried and may also crack the wood.
The below paragraph is how Grimm's Wooden Toys recommends you clean their toys.
"If you want to remove dirt from our products, simply wipe gently with a damp cloth and a little soapy water (if necessary). When drying, please do not place on the heater, otherwise, cracks may occur in the wood. Please allow to dry at room temperature. Please never clean our toys with disinfectant, hot water or similar!"
Nature Play
With all those recommendations it doesn't mean that you need to be afraid of taking your toys outdoors. We take them out into the backyard regularly.
Erryn from @racing_to_play always has her toys outside and here is what she's got to say!
Well Loved
Our toys are very well loved and they definitely have a lot of marks on them from banging together. I personally feel that these marks tell a story that these toys are well loved and it doesn't worry us at all! What good are toys if they are not going to be played with?