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

[Teaspoon74]

We had a favourite owl toy from very early on. Went everywhere with us. And the first time she lost it she was distraught! We managed to retrieve it from the store she dropped it in, but lived in dread of it going again. And it did. We scattered iterations if the SE toy all over Liverpool, Cumbria, Yorkshire, London and Kent. Must be on at least number ten by now. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[srobbo71]

My son is very sensory so loves anything cuddly, squishy or that lights up (he has autism) His favourite toy though is a slinky. He loves to put it at the top of the stairs and watch it's movements down and see how far it gets. He also likes to just play with it in his hands. Simple things!

[dannyelle]

There's a teddy bear that my mother had hand-stitched for me just before I was born. I've kept it by my side throughout my whole life (yes, even at Uni), and now I've finally got a family of my own, it's currently sitting quite comfortably on my daughter's bed. She cuddles it every night to help her sleep!

[Jocelynne123]

My daughter has an Eskimo teddy called nanook that she loves and can’t sleep without. My father gave him to me When I was 4. He brought him back from Canada where he had been working on a ship for months. I loved that teddy and carried him everywhere and now so does my daughter. He now looks quite scruffy, is missing half his face but at over 30 years old he is doing amazing. We no longer put him in the washing machine but hand was him in the bath.

[grannybiker]

DGC had a Bang-On-The-Door pig she adored. Sadly it got lost and they retraced their steps, asking in shops they'd been in, etc. When they went to Asda, the Customer Service woman was thrilled to be able to help, "Look who we have here!" in a sing-song voice, but sadly, an entirely different pig. I never knew a toddler could pull such WTF? faces!

[ellenpartridge]

My daughter's favourite is an IKEA panda. The panda stays home as we would be gutted to lose it. He comes to bed every night and comes down with my daughter every day in the morning. So far we have managed to keep him in relatively ok condition.

[cathryn1]

my daughter is attached to the free toy from actimel milk its a polar bear and she love him so much, we lost him for a few days and I was on the phone to supplies but to no avail but luckily he only went on holiday for a few days

[piggypoo]

There is a little flat brown bear called Teddles, who basically smells of that wonderful teddy-bear smell. it is fought over by DD and the cat, it was bought for DD, but Piggy the cat decided she loves it too! If I put it in the washing machine to clean, I'm told off for making it smell different!

[HelenSw4les]

My daughter has a favourite Iggle Piggle that goes everywhere with her and about 12 months ago I managed to find an identical cuddly toy on Ebay which I purchased at an extortionate price so I was able to wash the original, however when she refers to Iggle Piggle she refers to the original IP as "my Iggle Piggle" and the new one as "the other one" so I'm in exactly the same place as I was before and £25 lighter :(

[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

[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!

[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!

[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!

[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!

[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.

[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!

[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 ! :-)

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.