How To Care for Your Toy so it Lasts (and Comes back to the Earth)
Thank you for choosing one of our handcrafted wooden toys. Each piece is made with love and care, and the goal is to provide a toy that’s safe for your child and can enjoy a full lifecycle.
To keep your toy looking its best and lasting longer, here are the care instructions we recommend.
Care Instructions
Cleaning & Surface Care
Wipe the toy regularly with a soft, dry or slightly damp cloth to remove dust. Avoid soaking the wood. Do not use harsh chemical cleaners, bleach or products containing ammonia. If you need to freshen the surface, use a mild soap diluted in water, apply with a cloth, then wipe dry immediately.
Moisture & Humidity
Wood is a natural material and responds to changes in temperature and humidity. Keep your toy in a room with stable humidity. Avoid placing it next to heat vents, radiators or in direct sunlight for extended periods.
Avoiding Damage
Although these toys are built to be played with, please avoid extreme conditions: dropping from heights, immersing in water, or using outdoors constantly in inclement weather may shorten its lifespan.
End-of-Life & Reuse
One of the beautiful parts of our philosophy is that the toy can return to the earth. When the time comes, you may repurpose the toy (for example as a desk decoration, display piece or art object) or, if disposed, the untreated or lightly finished wood will naturally degrade much more kindly than synthetic plastics. Because we’ve used low-toxicity finishes, this step is easier and more environmentally friendly.
General Tips
Store the toy in a dry place, avoiding extreme cold or humidity extremes helps preserve the wood and finish.
Inspect periodically for wear: if any part becomes loose, cracked, or splintered, remove from play and contact me for repair recommendations.
If you apply any oils or waxes, allow full cure/drying time before giving the toy back to a child.
Our Safety Promise
At Green Woodworks, your family’s safety is our top priority. We believe that handmade should not mean less safe. Each toy passes through rigorous safety checks before leaving our workshop. Below is a summary of how we test, what standards we comply with, and what you can expect.
Testing Standards
We follow the safety guidelines for children’s toys as established under U.S. standards (e.g., ASTM F963) and perform additional internal checks to ensure each piece is safe for its intended age range.
Material Selection & Construction
Every toy is built from solid, responsibly-sourced hardwoods with rounded edges. We avoid small detachable parts for age ranges under 3 yrs unless clearly labeled otherwise.
Finish & Surface Safety
All finishes (paints, stains, oils, waxes) used are certified non-toxic for children’s products (see next section for details). After finishing, we inspect for splinters, cracks or rough spots.
Quality Control & Final Check
Before shipment, each toy is individually inspected. Finish is visually checked for evenness and proper cure and safety labeling (age recommendation, care instructions) is affixed in or with the packaging.
Recalls & Support
If you ever notice a defect (loose part, unexpected crack, finish failure) please reach out to us immediately.
What Goes Onto the Wood: Our Finishes & Materials
Transparency is important to us. Below you’ll find a breakdown of the paints, stains and finishes we use, why we chose them, and how they support both safety and longevity of your toy.
Stains & Wood-Tones
We use premium water-based stains or natural oil-based tints that allow the grain of the wood to show through, rather than heavy opaque coating. The stains are certified for children’s products (no added lead, phthalates or formaldehyde). They are fully cured and sealed prior to packaging.
Top Finishes / Sealants
Once color or stain is applied, we finish with a food-safe hard wax top coat that gives durability and easy cleaning while still being safe for children. These finishes are tested to pass bite/suck tests for toddler-use items (or we label appropriately if bite testing is not applicable).
Why We Chose These Materials
Safety: All finishes are certified safe for children’s contact.
Durability: The seals protect the wood from moisture, play wear and minor impacts.
Sustainability: Water-based and low-VOC options reduce indoor air contaminants; the natural wood remains the hero, removing heavy plastics or synthetic coatings.
Lifecycle: Because the coatings are minimal and wood is responsibly sourced, the eventual return-to-earth stage is much more eco-friendly compared to heavily synthetic finished toys.