5 ms·

while I doubt these can be effectively cleaned, I may believe that a random teddy bear on the sidewalk has the equivalent microflora of any toy that's been hand

while I doubt these can be effectively cleaned, I may believe that a random teddy bear on the sidewalk has the equivalent microflora of any toy that's been handled by any child for more than 12 hours soft things generally are an interesting recycling problem (couches, mattresses). I'd happily buy a couch frame used, or use the one from previous tenants at a place. More concerned about mattresses and cushions

detritus 4y ago
I think you just unlocked another revenue angle - indirect innoculation.
unxdfa 4y ago
This was my first thought. Being a parent is like playing Plague Inc. My youngest's soft toy collection is probably going to cause her to be patient zero of the next pandemic.
mortenjorck 4y ago
Hygiene was the first place my mind went, and while they reference a “spa” part of their process, I kind of feel like that should be front and center in their value proposition. I might be slightly less grossed out if they went in-depth about some eight-step antimicrobial deep-clean, but the cutesy language and lack of detail doesn’t really sell it.
- nly 4y ago
  Or maybe we just need to be less fucking prissy about it? As long as they are lice free, bug free, stain free and smell ok, are you that worried?
flangola7 4y ago
Food is often sterilized by rolling it on a conveyor belt next to a very powerful gamma radiation source (Cobalt-60). Someone should set up a service like that for sterilizing used items.
- samwillis 4y ago
  While it would work and (almost certainly) be safe, I think public perception of irradiation is so low it would damage sales. Irradiation is legal in most of the world, however is barley used in most of Europe. The UK for example allows it but in 2018-19 no irradiated food was sold. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/eu-food-irradiation-report-shows-continued-decline/ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/eu-food-irradiation-r...
kqr2 4y ago
They should also probably be heat treated to avoid the possibility of bed bugs.
BizarreByte 4y ago
Surely a trip through the washer and a good, hot dry cycle should be sufficient. This fear of germs has always struck me as extremely odd.
- Broken_Hippo 4y ago
  That washer and dryer combo does weird things to stuffed animals. A good number will come out matted and forever changed in texture. (my mother washed ours after one of us got lice. Some things didn't survive and others were never the same)
leobg 4y ago
How do you know they’re not using things like ozone? Allows them to claim it’s germ-free… but who knows what chemicals are now leeching from the thing (due to the ozone having reacted with compounds in the toy).
h2odragon 4y ago
My concern would be free polyfill fibers (the stuffing) coming out of it. even if you sterilize the toys the mechanical wear on the cloth will thin it and the fibers have had years to break and work their way through the cloth.

detritus 4y ago

I think you just unlocked another revenue angle - indirect innoculation.

unxdfa 4y ago

This was my first thought. Being a parent is like playing Plague Inc. My youngest's soft toy collection is probably going to cause her to be patient zero of the next pandemic.

mortenjorck 4y ago

Hygiene was the first place my mind went, and while they reference a “spa” part of their process, I kind of feel like that should be front and center in their value proposition. I might be slightly less grossed out if they went in-depth about some eight-step antimicrobial deep-clean, but the cutesy language and lack of detail doesn’t really sell it.

nly 4y ago
Or maybe we just need to be less fucking prissy about it? As long as they are lice free, bug free, stain free and smell ok, are you that worried?

flangola7 4y ago

Food is often sterilized by rolling it on a conveyor belt next to a very powerful gamma radiation source (Cobalt-60). Someone should set up a service like that for sterilizing used items.

samwillis 4y ago
While it would work and (almost certainly) be safe, I think public perception of irradiation is so low it would damage sales. Irradiation is legal in most of the world, however is barley used in most of Europe. The UK for example allows it but in 2018-19 no irradiated food was sold. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/eu-food-irradiation-report-shows-continued-decline/ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/eu-food-irradiation-r...

kqr2 4y ago

They should also probably be heat treated to avoid the possibility of bed bugs.

BizarreByte 4y ago

Surely a trip through the washer and a good, hot dry cycle should be sufficient. This fear of germs has always struck me as extremely odd.

Broken_Hippo 4y ago
That washer and dryer combo does weird things to stuffed animals. A good number will come out matted and forever changed in texture. (my mother washed ours after one of us got lice. Some things didn't survive and others were never the same)

leobg 4y ago

How do you know they’re not using things like ozone? Allows them to claim it’s germ-free… but who knows what chemicals are now leeching from the thing (due to the ozone having reacted with compounds in the toy).

h2odragon 4y ago

My concern would be free polyfill fibers (the stuffing) coming out of it. even if you sterilize the toys the mechanical wear on the cloth will thin it and the fibers have had years to break and work their way through the cloth.