toy cleaning

**Donkey** · 12-10-2008, 08:52 AM

I know ofsted like to see paperwork on absolutely everything.

how often do you give your toys a really good clean. and how do you record this???

thanks

**crazybones** · 12-10-2008, 08:57 AM

I have only just started recording this in a daily diary that I have started. They are wiped over most days before they are put away but I have started a rota and aim to do a "proper" clean of so many toys at the weekend - at the time same time I am photographing them to make a folder of resources and eventually will put links on to EYFS. We have so many toys that I forget what we have, so if the children can see photos they will be able to chose stuff that is stored upstairs and I will remember what we have if I am looking for a certain thing to cover something.

**sue m** · 12-10-2008, 09:09 AM

Oh Gawd, something else! I have 2 of the big plastic boxes with toys in cos my mindees only come 3 days a week for 5 hours and one sleeps for 2 of those and they quite often bring their favourite toys from home. I clean the toys but don't make a note of when I've done it - so I expect we'll have to then now. I've taken photos of all the toys and stuck them on the outside of the boxes, photos of cars and I've put 'cars' and 'trains' etc next to the pics. My mindees take no notice whatsoever, just get toys out and then put them back anywhere. There is always something else to do!

**hello kitty** · 12-10-2008, 09:13 AM

Annie, I have just done the same thing. I steam cleaned all my toys following one of my mindees throwing up and photographed them (the toys not the child!!). Just have to print them off and will put them in a photo album for the children to flick through and choose what they want to play with.

Good idea to link them into EYFS - not sure I will go that far though!!

**crazybones** · 12-10-2008, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by hello kitty

Annie, I have just done the same thing. I steam cleaned all my toys following one of my mindees throwing up and photographed them (the toys not the child!!). Just have to print them off and will put them in a photo album for the children to flick through and choose what they want to play with.

Good idea to link them into EYFS - not sure I will go that far though!!

That is an "eventually" thing on my to do list when there is no paperwork left

**manjay** · 12-10-2008, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by annie337

That is an "eventually" thing on my to do list when there is no paperwork left

Will there ever be such a time

**charleyfarley** · 12-10-2008, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by annie337

That is an "eventually" thing on my to do list when there is no paperwork left

Can't see that ever happening, can you? No paperwork

Carol xx

**Heaven Scent** · 12-10-2008, 03:27 PM

Oh Hello Kitty where what kind of steam cleaner have you got. How big is it and what do you clean with it?

I tend to wash all my plastics in a basin of hot soapy water once a week - I often get the children to help - they love it I take it all outside and put all the plastic stuff into basins of warm soapy water and they take turns with wahing and dryiing. I wipe the card stuff and book covers plus the wooden toys with a cloth dampened with anti-bac cleaner. I wipe over the soft toys with antibac wash/wipes and put them into the dryer on a regular basis and either hand or machine wash them every now and again - the more these are washed the shorter the life of the toy - I don't have many to be honest and usually reserve them for special use like story sack items and nursery rhyme props etc. Mindees usually bring their own special cuddley toys.

**donnahay0** · 12-10-2008, 05:34 PM

I have a list of things to do and one of these is to diarize toys for cleaning - I never quite get around to it.

I have taken to putting som toys into the dishwasher - only things like the plastic t-set and playfood and anything similar which does save me a lot of time.

I don't encourage soft toys because of the cleaning aspect - for this a child is encouraged to bring their own.

I have already photographed all my resources - it took ages (setting each toy up to look good for the photo). Trouble is since then I have got other toys out of the loft and purchased new ones and haven't kept up-to-date with it. I like the idea of linking them to the eyfs - this would show Ofsted continuous provision.

I really must get my act together and get all these little jobs done once and for all.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 12-10-2008, 08:40 PM

I use the dishwasher to steam clean a lot of my toys and then the duplo/lego and such like go on a warm cycle in the microwave

I don't document what I do and when I just do it when it needs it.