If you have kids then you will understand how much kids love to get themselves dirty and play with clay be it modeling clay or mud. In this case, it becomes very challenging for every parent to make sure that they are clean and they do not eat them up or put them in their mouth. There are numerous cases of kids eating up clay or licking or chewing toys that are stained with clay. This can be very harmful to them and can make them sick very easily.
So removing the clay stains from toys and other plastic items is very important to ensure the safety and security of your kids. However, removing clay stains be it just normal modeling clay or clay that can be baked, removing it can be a huge challenge to completely remove the clay stains. So here is an article that will help you in understanding how to remove clay stains from plastic.
Best Ways To Remove Clay From Plastic
Here are a few ways by which you can remove clay from plastic easily and at Home.
- Using The Brush: Using a brush to remove clay from plastic is one of the easiest ways. Using a brush mainly works best for dry mud or wet modeling. For removing dry mud start by just brushing the plastic item with a brush with soft bristles. Once done, wash the plastic item with soap and water. In the case of wet modeling clay start by soaking it in a cleaning solution and then use the brush to clean it. It is important to understand that an old toothbrush is the best way to remove these types of clay stains.
- Removing Dry Clay: If you are dealing with clay stains that are dry and have hardened then it might be a little difficult to remove them. These are more harmful after they harden. To remove dry and hardened clay start by making a soap solution. Take 1 portion of water with 2 portions of any detergent or soap. You can use kitchen detergent as well. Now soak the plastic item in this solution for 2 to 4 hours. The clay will start to get loose, once they are loose use a hard brush to remove all the clay stains from the plastic item.
- Removing Old Clay: Old clay stains are highly stubborn and do not loosen easily. It is very difficult to remove these stains. The older the stains are on plastic the difficult it is to remove as clay keeps hardening with time. In this case start by soaking the plastic item in a warm soap solution that is made up of equal parts of soap, vinegar, and water. Soak the plastic item in this solution overnight or for 12 hours. After this try removing the stains with a hard bristle brush and scrub it. Once all the clay was removed, wash it with cold water.
- Removing Clay from Plastic Toys: It is almost impossible to keep your kids away from modeling clay and toys at the same time. They almost ruin all their plastic toys like this. In this case, removing the clay is very important to keep the toys clean as your kids always play with them. Mainly if there are clay stains on the toys that have hardened then you can use acetone or mineral spirits. These help in loosening the clay, once the clay is loose you can remove them with a small stick or toothpick. If you are dealing with soft clay on your kid’s toys then you can soak the toys for a few hours in any cleaning solution and then use a brush to clean them. Do not forget to disinfect them before you give them back to your kids.
Easy Tips To Remove Clay From Plastic
Here are a few important tips that can be very helpful when trying to remove clay or clay stains from any kind of plastic.
- Be Very Gentle: It is very important to understand that not all things can be cleaned with force. It is important to first be very gentle with the plastic item. Being gentle will help the plastic item to keep its colors intact and not remove the color with the clay particles.
- Wash Off Clay: Clay is toxic and can be very harmful so it is extremely important to wash off the clay. If the clay stains have already gone then make sure you still wash the plastic item very well with soap and water. Washing off the plastic item will ensure there are no clay particles left in the plastic item.
- Do Not Delay: It is best to not delay in the case of clay stains. Wet clay is a lot easier to remove than dry and hardened clay. The more you delay the cleaning process the more difficult it becomes to remove. So make sure to keep track of these items and clean up mud and clay as soon as possible.
- Check Instructions: Various types of clays like modeling clay that is mainly for playing have instructions to clean them on their packaging itself. So you can follow these instructions to clean and remove clay stains from toys or other plastic items very easily.
It is very difficult to keep children away from clay and other toys. A lot of kids do have this habit of swallowing these items and licking toys that have clay stains on them. This can cause adverse effects on their health. Eating or licking these can result in vomiting, stomach pain, lead poisoning and even breathing problems.
So it is extremely important to immediately clean up any clay stains from their plastic toys. Removing clay can be easy when done perfectly in the correct way and done fast. So make sure to always clean up plastic toys and also keep clay away from them. The faster you act on them the easier it is to remove. Also, keep in mind to first disinfect all these plastic items, mainly toys before handing them over to your kids.
