Children love to cuddle, love, and play with their stuffed animals a lot. They love them so much that they carry them everywhere they go. While most of us enjoy watching our kids having a good time with their soft and plush animals, very few of us pay attention to germs and stains they may carry with them. Therefore, we should take proper care to clean these beloved treasures of our children.
Fretting already? Don’t worry. Washing stuffed animals is not a very tough job. On the contrary, you can easily wash the fluffy toys by following only a few steps. In this article, we will talk about those steps that will make the task of cleaning easy for you. But first, let us learn why it is crucial to clean these stuffed animals.
Why Is It Important to Clean Your Stuffed Animals?
Your children might carry their plush toys to places that may not be necessarily hygienic. There are many areas in your house that might be home to plenty of intangible germs. Therefore, it becomes an absolute necessity to wash them.
These toys can also get dusty and attract lice or other such vermin. Another reason to clean them is that they spent a day in the vicinity of a sick child.
Many of us do not want to wash the stuffed animals because we do not want them to lose their crisp look. We altogether overlook the fact it will at least be clean and germ-free even though it might lose its crispness.
Pre-requisites of Cleaning Your Child’s Fluffy Friends
Before washing those teddy bears and pandas, you need to keep a few things in to ensure that they don’t lose their quality and newness. These things are:
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Checking for a Washing Care Tag
Do not forget to check the washing care tag on your stuffed animal. It will help you decide whether to go for a machine wash, hand wash, or spot-only treatment. If you follow the wash-care instructions thoroughly, it will ensure no damage to your stuffed animals after washing it.
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Testing the Fabric for Colors
You can test the sustainability of the fabric for cleaning by applying diluted detergent on a small part of the fabric. However, you should use only water to clean the toys if any color comes away from the diluted solution.
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Selecting When to Wash
If your child regularly carries the stuffed animals with them, a weekly wash is not a bad idea at all. You can also clean them when they visibly look dirty or have stains.
Here is a pro-tip for you! Avoid washing the stuffed animals around your child’s sleep time.
How To Clean the Stuffed Animals?
Now that you know what things to take care of, you can clean the toys using the following methods:
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Cleaning in the Washer
Most stuffed animals are washer friendly, and you can clean them in the washing machine. It is an easy and hassle-free way. However, you should avoid washing certain materials like leather, fur or wool, etc., in the washer.
You can wash them in the washer by following these steps:
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Protection from Wear and Tear
In order to prevent wear and tear, you should place the stuffed animal in a pillowcase or a mesh laundry bag. It protects the delicate parts of the toys from damage.
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Adjusting Wash Cycle Settings
We recommend you use the most gentle wash settings in your washing machine.
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Water Temperature
Washing these toys can also fade their colors. You can avoid this situation if you use cold water. However, you can place them in warm water for some time if you wish to disinfect them first.
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Adding Detergent
You should add only mild detergents to the washing machine for cleaning these toys. Avoid using the fabric softeners altogether.
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Gentle Drying
After washing, you can take the stuffed animals out of the pillowcase or laundry bag. They should be kept flat or hung to dry. You can also use a hair drier to dry your kid’s new look plush and fluffy friends.
If you do not wish to take a chance with your stuffed animals in the washer, you also have the option of hand cleaning them. Let us tell you how to do that.
Hand Cleaning
You may need to wash fragile and older stuffed animals more gently. Gentle cleaning may not be possible with the machine wash. That is why it is preferable to hand wash the delicate ones.
It involves the following steps:
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Selecting a Location
First, you have to make sure where you will hand wash the toys. Generally, you can choose a sink or a bucket for the same. You should ensure that the bucket or sink has enough room for the toys to be completely submerged.
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Adding Water and Detergent
Fill the container with cold or lukewarm water and add a mild detergent in small quantities. Keep in mind not to overuse the detergent.
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Wash
Submerge the stuffed animals in water for 15-30 minutes and let it saturate the detergent for a while. Keep on pumping and agitating it to remove the dirt.
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Rinse
After washing them, drain the water and clean the sink for any remains. Now, fill it again with clean water and submerge and pump the toys again a few times to remove any excess detergent or dirt.
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Gentle Drying
After removing the stuffed animals from the water, press them gently to remove any excess water that it may contain. You can also roll them into a clean and dry towel to remove more water. Old and fragile stuffed animals should opt for air dry.
Pro tip! You can use your hairdryer in its lowest setting to fluff up the toys you just washed.
Your Turn
It is not a big deal to wash the stuffed animals. It is as easy as washing your clothes. However, it is your decision whether you want to swirl them in the washing machine or clean them with your hands. In any case, following these steps will ensure that the quality of your kid’s companion stays intact.
