Play-Doh - Boston Moms Blog

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.  

These are so simple and easy to do — they make playing with Play-Doh worthwhile! Are there any other ways you’ve removed it from tricky places? Share with us! 


Jalisa Harris
Jalisa was born on the North Shore and raised 30 minutes North of Boston in Lawrence, Ma. She moved back to the North Shore in 2014 after her son was born in 2013 and loves every minute of it. She decided to leave her corporate job to become a stay at home mom when her son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 3. She now lives her days with a toddler turning kindergartener, her blog and love for skincare and entertaining.