Materials & Care
Every Cleverupps piece is 3D-printed in our Belgian studio. Which material we use depends on what the piece needs to do — here's what each one is like and how to care for it.
PLA
Our most-used material: rigid, lightweight, prints with crisp detail, and is made from plant-derived raw materials. It's the go-to for decorative pieces and many toys.
- Heat-sensitive: keeps its shape up to roughly 50 °C, so keep it out of parked cars, off radiators, and away from dishwashers.
- Clean with a soft cloth, mild soap, and lukewarm (not hot) water.
PETG
Tougher and slightly flexible — it takes knocks that would crack PLA and handles temperature better. We use it where durability matters.
- More heat-tolerant than PLA (roughly up to 70 °C), but still not dishwasher-safe unless a product page says so.
- Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water.
TPU
A flexible, rubber-like material that bends instead of breaking. We use it for pieces that need to be soft, grippy, or squeezable.
- Very impact-resistant, but can still be damaged by determined chewing.
- Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water; air-dry.
Food contact
Treat our products as not food-safe by default: 3D-printed surfaces have microscopic grooves that are hard to clean thoroughly. A product is only intended for food contact if its product page explicitly says so.
The same goes for 'dishwasher-safe' — only when explicitly stated on the product page.
Layer lines & small variations
3D printing builds each piece layer by layer, which leaves fine lines on the surface. Together with small colour and texture variations between batches, that's the signature of the technique — every piece is slightly unique, and this is not a defect.
Made to order, less waste & recycling
We print each piece when you order it instead of stockpiling inventory. That means a short production time before shipping — and far less waste from unsold stock. Print scraps in our studio are collected and reused or recycled where possible.
At end of life: 3D-printed plastics generally do not belong in household curbside recycling (PLA in particular needs industrial composting facilities). Please check your local waste rules — or send a well-loved piece back to us and we'll dispose of it responsibly.