September 16 is National Play-Doh Day!
Truthfully, I dislike Play-Doh. I loathe slime. I’m that mom. When I’m at a kid’s birthday party and I see the squishy stuff in the favor bag, all I can think is, “What a mess this will make!”
My son suffers from ADHD, so our playtime often looks a bit different than other kids his age. When I tried allowing my son to play with Play-Doh unsupervised, it was a disaster. I’d find it all over the house – smashed into the rug, smeared on his clothes. I could do a load of laundry and still find some in the clean clothes! He would also leave pieces out, so they’d become dried out and unusable. He simply couldn’t grasp the concept of the mess Play-Doh made or the fact that it needed to be in a sealed container.
But I do see the value in creative play with sensory-friendly toys like Play-Doh, so we’ve persisted. And I’ve learned a few hacks along the way.
1. Use a dry brush
What happens when your little one decides to play with Play-Doh on a suede sofa? It literally sticks to every fiber of the sofa. Try using a soft, dry brush to get the Play-Doh out of the suede without damaging the spot.
2. Try hydrogen peroxide
When the Play-Doh gets stuck on clothing and just won’t come out, try hydrogen peroxide. Take a soft, dry brush with a capsize of hydrogen peroxide, and it will come out easily.
3. Just add water
We’ve all dealt with dried, hardened Play-Doh. But don’t throw it away! Just add water. Try adding water one drop at a time and working it in to moisten it. You can also try wrapping Play-Doh in a damp paper towel, returning it to the container, and replacing the cover. Let it sit overnight.
4. No-touch hydration
If you don’t enjoy the feel of Play-Doh when trying to knead water into it, you can also do the Ziploc bag trick — the no-touch hydration option. Place Play-Doh in a Ziploc bag and add a few drops of water. Seal the bag (pushing the air out) and mush it around. You can also let it sit overnight. Voila. It will look and feel brand new.
5. Remove it from hair
There have been a few instances where my son has gotten it in his hair. That’s when I would add a few drops of tea tree oil to hot water with a few drops of Dawn. You can put this mixture in a spray bottle and spray the spot directly, or just mix it around in a bowl and massage it into your kiddo’s scalp.