To Do… and Not To Do

Attention! Please check the ingredients of your detergent to make sure your Kleynimals products are not cleaned with any Chlorine Bleach. Bleach will ruin the finish of stainless steel.

We recommend treating your Kleynimals as you do your stainless steel silverware. Just to be clear, here are some basics:

Do: Remember that Kleynimals keys, rattle and Jangles are intended to be toys. Our baby spoons and forks are not toys.

Do: Wash them before your child’s first use (preferably with an eco-friendly soap, for the sake of our planet). Make sure your detergent does NOT contain bleach.

Do: Wash them in the dishwasher whenever needed thereafter (no bleach).

Don’t: Leave your child unattended with Kleynimals products, or any other toy. Accidents do happen and we want to be assured that all Kleynimals loving babies are safe!

Do: Give your child Kleynimals when sitting up, as no one (young or old) is very coordinated when lying down, and as stated above, accidents happen. They are a “go-to” toy when you need something to entertain baby in the stroller, car seat or high chair!

Don’t: Put your Kleynimals in the microwave. Microwaves and metal do not have an amicable relationship.

Do: Get your Kleynimals engraved so that they can be more personalized.

Don’t: Drop Kleynimals on cement (or the like) since it is so unforgiving. Sometimes babies forget this advice, so a pacifier clip can be a handy tool.

Do: Store your Kleynimals in the muslin bag in which they came. The bag will help protect them and keep them a little cleaner. It also means that you are re-using the “packaging,” which means you are being kind to our Earth.

Don’t: Add anything to your Kleynimals (except an engraving, of course). They were tested “as is” for babies 6 months and up. We want to ensure they remain safe by not adding anything additional to the keychain.

Do: Give Kleynimals to friends as gifts. Our hope is that the natural longevity of stainless steel will mean that they can serve as a keepsake for years (maybe even generations) to come.

Do: Recycle your Kleynimals. If you do not intend to make them a “keepsake” for future generations of your family, donate them to another family. If neither of these options seems attractive, please put them out with your recycling.

Don’t: Salt them or bleach them. The Chloride ion can attack the passive layer on the stainless steel, which can lead to rusting. Instead, you might consider salting food. As for bleach, we like to avoid it as much as possible. If you really want to clean them beyond the dishwasher, boiling is always a good option. Caution: It has come to our attention that some dishwashing detergents contain bleach. Do NOT use these detergents on your Kleynimals products.

Don’t: Give them to one of the small percentage of people with a nickel allergy. As with all food grade stainless steel (also called 18/8 for the 18% Chromium and 8% nickel in the material) Kleynimals contain a small amount of nickel. Of note, even for people with an allergy to nickel, the skin irritation typically occurs only after prolonged and intimate exposure to nickel (think jewelry). Hence the reason stainless steel utensils have been around for decades. Note: Kleynimals do NOT leach Nickel.

Do: Be proud of the fact that the ring might not be a perfect circle. Each set is assembled, welded and polished by hand and we humans are a slightly imperfect species.

Don’t: Be discouraged if your Kleynimals develop some slight marring or rust spots on the stainless. Although stainless steel is impact and rust resistant, it is not impact and rust proof. Some marks will naturally occur, just like stains on jeans or scratches on wood floors, and add even more character to your Kleynimals. Plus, a little extra iron is not a bad thing. If you have a concern, please contact us.

Do: Hang Kleynimals toy keys and rattle on a play gym until your little one is old enough to use them as a hand held toy. Babies love to look up at the shiny stainless steel and reach out to make them jingle.

Safety — Our Biggest Priority

When I first set out to make Kleynimals stainless steel toy keys, my mission was to create baby keys that would be really high quality, practical, eco-friendly and have enduring style. My biggest goal, however, was to provide parents and babies with the safest baby products I could. Thus, after coming up with my original idea of creating safe toys for babies, the first thing I did was call the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure that I understood how to make my dream a reality based on the CPSC guidelines for baby product safety standards. Little did I know how this initial act put me on their radar…

Shortly after I launched my Kleynimals toy keys in 2010, I received a call from someone at the CPSC. My heart sank into my stomach. What had I done wrong that they were already calling? Since “Day 1” we have been committed to providing families with the safest baby toys possible, and are in compliance with US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) product safety regulations. As a mother myself, I understood how difficult it is to find safe toys for babies and toddlers to chew on, and I took extreme care making sure that Kleynimals met, and exceeded, current safety requirements for baby toys.

The person on the other end began to inquire as to why I tested my products for lead when it was not required for stainless steel products. My reply was that I simply wanted to provide parents with the safest baby toys that I possibly could. As a mother I wanted to know for certain that everything I gave my children was completely non-toxic, and other parents deserved the same assurances.

At this point, I understood that they were actually calling because they were impressed that I had gone above and beyond with my safety testing, and that yes, they had been following my product development since my original call (in 2009). They then invited me to testify in trials that were being held to discuss more rigorous lead testing in children’s products. I was honored to testify, but sadly was one of the only manufacturers present who was a “pro-testing” advocate.

Now with a larger line of metal baby silverware and baby toys, I continue to be committed to offering safe baby products made in the USA from American sourced stainless steel. All of my products are tested to safety standards from multiple countries for both physical safety testing as well as toxic chemicals. Parents can feel confident that when they give their babies Kleynimals products, they are only giving them the best.

Additionally, I donate 1% of revenue to Healthy Child, Healthy World (a division of Environmental Working Group). Their mission is to advocate for non-toxic living for our children and the World.

Our Story

Founder, Kirsten Chapman, with some very cute models, who also happen to be friends.

Kleynimals are Mom Invented Baby Products.

I was inspired by my kids, as many parents are, and motivated by my own enlightenment about toxins. When my youngest son became interested in playing with my keys, I searched for non-toxic toy keys, but I never found anything that satisfied him (or me). In my own “green evolution,” I found that I felt most comfortable with stainless steel for water bottles, sippy cups, food storage containers, etc. It made sense to me that metal toy keys, that my son was likely going to put into his mouth, should be non-toxic stainless steel.

And thus, the concept for Kleynimals was born.

At heart, I am truly an idealist. I do not run my company in the way that I probably should… looking at the bottom line. Instead, I truly follow my heart and my personal moral compass to bring the best quality, most trust worthy products to you and your families in a way that positively impacts our environment, the American economy and individuals.

I hope that Kleynimals always make a positive impact on every life that they touch, and even those they don’t. I am so proud to focus on social responsibility – starting with manufacturing in the USA, in addition to supporting three non-profit organizations through our sales. Please see our ” Giving Back” page to learn more about how we are making positive change a priority.