Caring for a foam squishy: washing, storing and keeping the scent
How to wash a Kiibru squishy with dish soap and water, dry it without damage, store it out of the sun and keep its scent and paint looking fresh.
Kiibru squishies are painted PU foam, and the paint and the foam each like slightly different care. None of it is hard, and a squishy that is looked after keeps its rise and colour far longer.
Washing
When a squishy gets grubby, rinse it under cool water with a small drop of dishwashing liquid, the way the listing for each bake suggests. Rub gently with your fingertips, rinse, then press it a few times inside a clean towel to push the water out. Do not wring it.
Drying
Let it dry flat in the shade at room temperature. Foam holds water deep inside, so give it a full day before it goes back in its box. Hair dryers and radiators can blister the paint.
Storing
- Keep the window box or PVC box: it stops dust settling in the crumb texture and makes a tidy display.
- Keep squishies out of direct sun. Sunlight fades pastel paint, and the mint and pink bakes show it first.
- Do not stack heavy things on top. Foam that stays squashed for days can take longer to recover.
- Squishies look like food to pets and toddlers. Store them up high if either is around.
The scent
Every Kiibru is scented through, and the smell is strongest in the first weeks. It softens with time and air, and that is normal. Keeping a squishy in its box between play sessions holds the scent longer. Please do not add perfume or essential oils, which can stain the paint and break down the foam.
Small tears
Pulling or twisting is the usual cause of a split. Bread shapes are happiest kneaded on the surface. If a small nick appears, keep squeezing gently around it rather than across it so it does not spread.
