It's no secret that we absolutely love everything sparkly, slimey, painty and gluey! Over the years we have become masters at cleaning up the messiest crafty materials and here are our 'Top 5 Crafty Cleanup Tips'!
1. Slime!
Slime is a trend that is likely to be sticking around for a long term (excuse the pun)! It's awesome stuff - sticky, gooey and loved by children for it's many varieties and hours of entertainment! The best way to remove slime is by using white vinegar on a cloth and dabbing it on the slimey area of your clothes. Wash the clothes in your machine afterwards as normal.
2. Glitter
Whilst we have huge love for our sparkles, glitter is many people's total nightmare to cleanup! It's like you are doing nothing more than simply spreading it around and then you spend the next few months finding flakes of it in your dinner and wondering how the dog got a sparkly nose!
Our top tip when trying to clean up your sparkly craft area is to hoover as much of it up as you can and then use either a lint roller or masking tape (wrapped around your hand with the sticky side facing outwards) to pick up the remaining stubborn bits!
3. Play-Doh
Awesome fun for the whole family but if it gets into your carpet it can certainly put a downer on things! Allow the Play-Doh to dry completely, use a stiff brush to loosen it, and then vacuum the bits up. Alternatively use gentle soap and cold water on the area to wet the Play-Doh and wipe it up.
4. Paint
We always recommend using a really good quality washable paint if you are crafting at home with little ones. Our absolute favourite is Crayola as you have the reassurance that it will pretty much clean out of anything - including carpets and curtains! If you have used ready mix paint and got some on your clothes be sure to soak them in cold water (not warm as this will set the stain into the fabric) and laundry detergent as soon as possible. Add some stain remover powder for extra cleaning power and leave to soak. If your fabric is not of a delicate nature you should then be able to use a clean cloth to scrub it clean before washing the item as normal in your machine.
5. PVA Glue
The true foundation of many crafty creations! It's so easy to get glue on your sleeves or trousers whilst you are busy creating - remove any excess glue with a knife or scraping tool and then leave it to soak in cold water for about 10-15 minutes. Next rub a small amount of laundry detergent or washing up liquid into the stain and soak for a while longer in the cold water. Finally wash as normal in your machine on a cool cycle with detergent.
For more information about our award-winning classes, parties and events (where you can leave the mess behind for us to cleanup instead!) please visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk
