If you are going to be using removable wall stickers (made of vinyl) for kids bedrooms, playrooms or your baby’s nursery, there are a few precautions to take into consideration. Just as you would not want to use toxic paint in your home and just as you would not want to have harmful toys around your children, you need to pick and apply your removable wall decals wisely.
First of all, you want vinyl decals in which there are no harmful quantities of heavy metals or phthalates (these are substances often added to plastic materials in order to increase transparency, flexibility and durability). Wikipedia reports that they are being phased out in a number of products due to overexposure and health concerns. Inquire about this matter with your decal vendor before purchase.
Your next concern would be where to place the removable wall decals and how well they adhere to their surfaces. Naturally, children over 4 or so will be able to play with the decals safely. They will love to remove and reposition the decals as they play with their imagination. (Some wall stickers cannot be removed easily or repositioned and you may prefer this in some circumstances).
Wall stickers for babies…
As far as babies are concerned, you do not want to have them around any removable wall decal that does not stick well – especially if your toddlers are able to reach them. A peeling corner is an opportunity to grab the vinyl decal and put it into a mouth. Simply make sure any baby-level decal is well applied to its surface before giving access to your young ones to it.
This means waiting at least 3 days for the decal to adhere fully to its surface. If you want to be more cautious, wait longer. Vinyl wall decals bond themselves more strongly to surfaces as time goes by. It does not mean that a removable wall sticker will peel off during this period but it is more susceptible to being picked off easily by young children.
All in all, removable wall stickers make for a great wall decor solution as your children grow up. They will want to update their decor as their tastes change. Parents will be happy to know that vinyl decals can be taken off walls without causing any damage and any remaining residue can be effortlessly washed off. Choose waterproof decals that can be washed as children love to touch them and put their dirty fingers all over the images. You may also look into getting fabric wall stickers that pose none of the problems inherent to vinyl decals.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s true, you don’t want to use cheap removable wall stickers quotes or decals where babies and very young children can reach them. When wall stickers peel they are easy to tear off from walls. Only go for children’s wall decal quotes that stick perfectly well to walls.
My son is 6 and he likes to play with them but that is fine. At that age he doesn’t want to put them into his mouth and he is able to move them around without tearing them.
Just a note to add to what Caroline Smith said. Even though her kids don’t put the vinyl in their mouths, it does get on their hands and their hands will make it inside their mouth at one point. Best thing would be to not buy these vinyl products.