Share your stories about your children’s favourite toys with Munchkin Nursery Steriliser - £100 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Whether it’s a cuddly bear or a favourite blanket, young children become very attached to certain toys and comforters. Many parents will know the struggle of keeping these toys clean - particularly when they get taken on outdoor adventures or when your DC won’t let them out of their sight, even at mealtimes! With this in mind, Munchkin would like to hear your stories about your children’s favourite toys and comforters, and how you navigate cleaning them.

Here’s what Munchkin UK has to say: “Life with a little one is always going to be messy, but luckily the Munchkin Nursery Steriliser means that in just five minutes you can make sure toys, blankies and soothers are clean and ready to use, meaning you can spend less time cleaning and more quality time having fun”

Which toys were your DC particularly attached to and what’s the weirdest place/situation your child insisted on taking them? Did you experience that heart sinking feeling when you realised the toy they’re attached at the hip to had been left behind or lost? How did you rescue them? How did you keep their favourite toys clean, and did you experience any washing related disasters? What distraction methods did you resort to when your children’s favourite toys had to be taken away to be washed?

All who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £100 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

[StickChildNumberTwo]

I bought a duplicate of my PFB's favourite bunny, which both reassured me that if it did get lost it wouldn't be a disaster, and meant it was easy to sneak one into the wash (they had to be regularly swapped to wear equally). It still got left in a holiday house and we had to turn round and go back when we realised.

[foxessocks]

Dd doesn't really have a favourite but ds has his teddy which is a dog! He used to have a penguin too but he lost it at soft play! He has left teddy loads of places too but we have luckily always got him back! We did get a new penguin but it was a bigger version and ds was a bit confused by it!

[CathBookworm]

Washing machine for all ours-my youngest has about 20 soft toys at the bottom of his bed and we are considering weaning him off some of them-but he insists he loves them all! Some of them attended home school with him today!

[TheDeckchairGardener]

My DS adores his teddy bears, several of which were originally his dads and are about 40+ years old. Not sure whether they would survive the washing machine, I am ashamed to say they have never been washed. He likes bringing them on holiday but we always tell him to leave them in the car/house/tent so they have avoided the worst of the dirt. There are some newer teddies that have gone in the washing machine but the fur is so matted/grubby they haven’t looked any better after they have been washed!

[Tenohfour]

I was always very proud of my routine for washing building blocks and other small toys. I would put them inside one of those mesh laundry bags for washing lingerie and pop them in the washing machine... Until one day the mesh bag got caught and split open and lots of tiny plastic bits and bobs got inside the machine and I had to pay someone to take it apart and remove them. He was very confused as to what I had been trying to do. So any solution that doesn't require an expensive call out charge and an embarrassing explanation would be better...

[jellybeanpopper]

@CeriMumsnet Thank you! How lovely 😊

[CeriMumsnet]

Thank you everyone for taking part in this discussion. The winner is @jellybeanpopper. Congratulations!

[ruqiya1965]

Haha, DS was so attached to his iPad that he took it into the bathroom with him. He thought he wouldn't get found out, but it was so hilarious when he realised we did.

[RACHELSMITH45]

Which toys were your DC particularly attached to and what’s the weirdest place/situation your child insisted on taking them?

Upsy daisy was my daughters favourite! Took absolutely everywhere... even ice skating!🤔😂

Did you experience that heart sinking feeling when you realised the toy they’re attached at the hip to had been left behind or lost?

Oh yes and had to buy a replacement for a hefty price on ebay!

How did you rescue them?

Searched and searched but had to buy replacement.

How did you keep their favourite toys clean, and did you experience any washing related disasters?

Washed them and yes slightly but stitched up well!

What distraction methods did you resort to when your children’s favourite toys had to be taken away to be washed?

Washed quickly on a 30 minute one 😂

[lillypopdaisyduke]

Which toys were your DC particularly attached to and what’s the weirdest place/situation your child insisted on taking them?

Talking Po from the Tellytubbies - which was taken into the dentist with me - I had to sit on the dentist chair having an inspection - whilst Po was singing away on the side of the room where DS was waiting for me.

Did you experience that heart sinking feeling when you realised the toy they’re attached at the hip to had been left behind or lost?

We lost Po at Chester Zoo. - thankfully he/she was handed in by a kind member of the public.

How did you rescue them?

Going to the -lost children office. (Lost Po office)


How did you keep their favourite toys clean, and did you experience any washing related disasters?

I threw him in the wash (inner workings taken out) - my white tea towels came out pink due to Po being red !!

What distraction methods did you resort to when your children’s favourite toys had to be taken away to be washed?

I don't really need anything major - just an episode of Postman Pat is enough.

[MrsJammyDodger]

Mine has never had one favourite but phases of favourites. A little penny figure from fireman Sam, then a peppa figure with a crown (one of the legs came off 😂 but still
It came), a horse (spirit) then now she still likes to have a thing at the moment it’s dinosaurs, but she chops and changes what she wants to bring with her.

[welshmardymum]

My daughter still has a brown armadillo its the most uncuddly cuddly toy ever - she loves it - it went everywhere until she was banned from taking it out of the house/car after it was left on a beach and the tide came in - it was the colour of sand and her utter faith that we would find it again was terrifying - luckily someone has recognised the stinking grubby toy for a much loved friend and popped it on a rock!

[Theimpossiblegirl]

DD had a toy cat that had a realistic meow. Once, we were at an airport waiting for our very early morning flight and she kept setting it off. Cue some very tired and confused people looking around for a rogue cat somewhere in the departure lounge.

[gemima27]

lego is a firm favourite. it is used to build, used to make cities, dolls accessories, pen holder, patterns - a really diverse toy that can be used in so many ways

[1969angep]

We have a comforter bear called Teeter (he has had many names though), Lucas has had him since he was born and still loves him as a 9 year old. He goes in with a white wash every few months. It used to be more often but he’s a bit threadbare these days so I have to be a little more cautious!

[PatrishaPatel]

The thing is, DD gets attached to each toy we get her temporarily. And then she'll go back to the old ones and it'll start all over again and then she'll move on at some point. Thankfully, she plays with all of her toys and loves them all.

DD is also anti-dust, so she doesn't mind when some toys have to be cleaned. In fact she'll insist on it as she hates unclean things haha.

[Serender]

DD has the peppa pig little toys. She takes them everywhere, to bed and even in the bath, where she has them take a bath too, a different one each day. It's actually really funny lol.

[KiansKuddles]

My now 1 year old has had a fluffy peter rabbit teddy that he has slept with since birth! Recently, we went to my mums and managed to leave it there then lockdown part 2 happened ...sigh! As my mum lives ages away ...cue a mad search online for a similar bunny from a company with same day delivery so that I could get some sleep that night ! :-)

[Sleepybumble]

A very soft snow leopard is a fav here. She got left on a London bus and has been the subject of many frantic bedtime search parties but always turns back up. Thank God!

[Summergarden]

We bought a second of DDs favourite cuddly toy as a spare in case it got lost.

I regularly machine washed it at 30 degrees despite the label saying it was hand washable only and it always came out lovely.

[drumst1ck]

Bunny is well loved in our house. I braved putting it through the washing machine despite the label saying not suitable and it survived well! Phew!

[purplepandas]

Mine are older but it was a little baby doll called 'baby. Sorry for the lack of imagination Just a Tesco cheap one in lilac. she adored it!

[Quietvoiceplease]

Oh, and I forgot to respond about washing. I used to handwash them but did worry, as time went on, and they became more threadbare, that they might disintegrate. They haven't - and the charm of their wear and tear now is lovely!

[Quietvoiceplease]

My DDs all had small towelling bunny blankie comforters from birth. They all ended up very ragged, taken with them everywhere, and the corners all soggy and chewed. Honestly, whenever I leaving somewhere it would be the first thing I'd check: not my keys or phone, but 'rabbit'.
There was no 'just in case' back-up copy of it - they were all so well loved/worn-in, that it wouldn't have cut the mustard!
Several years later they still have them under their pillows!

[shoebedo434]

Which toys were your DC particularly attached to and what’s the weirdest place/situation your child insisted on taking them?
My son was obsessed with Peppa Pig and he took his Peppa cuddly toy everywhere
Did you experience that heart sinking feeling when you realised the toy they’re attached at the hip to had been left behind or lost?
thankfully we never lost it
How did you rescue them?
How did you keep their favourite toys clean, and did you experience any washing related disasters?
it wasnt cleaned often but usually when he was asleep
once we did it when he was awake and he saw Peppa in the washing machine and burst into tears! a couple of months later we washed her again and this time he thought it was hilarious
What distraction methods did you resort to when your children’s favourite toys had to be taken away to be washed?
food normally lol