Cleaning Stuffed Animals - Seminole,FL

Updated on March 06, 2011
M.C. asks from Saint Petersburg, FL
4 answers

Hi Mama's. I've sucessfully washed/dried many stuffed animals in gentle wash cycle without any "injuries." Do you all have any suggestions on how I can wash animals that have some sort of internal battery (Talking Elmo for example). I feel like spot cleaning with a cloth leaves the covers stiff and they still don't seem clean to me. Do you know if I could use a steam cleaner/upholstery attachment perhaps? I am not sure if that would still use too much water and cause harm. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the input. I do typically use the "green" cleaners and often use baking soda or vinegar for a number of jobs. I am going to try the bakng soda/garbage bag suggestions. That should freshen these up and help take off the layer of dust that accumulated on them. Thanks ladies for all of your feedback.

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

This is not an easy answer for moms to hear when they've been convinced they need to run a germ-free and dirt-free home, but really, stuffed toys generally don't need to be cleaned. Any germs already on them die within hours of drying out. The fabric covers are not environments that support germs.

And our children's bodies actually need contact with dead germs, live germs, and a bit of everyday dirt for their immune systems to develop properly. Without that input, the immune system doesn't have the information it needs either to recognize microbes that do make it into the body, or to recognize what is 'friend' and what is 'foe.' Medical science has discovered that children raised in the cleanest homes have a much higher incidence of asthma and other illnesses in which the body attacks itself.

One other thing to be concerned about is that the powerful cleaners available today are often themselves chemical hazards. Take it from a person who has become unable to tolerate the load of toxic elements in our modern environment, you don't want to risk overloading your children's ability to detoxify. Protect them by exposing them to as few chemical poisons as possible.

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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Good question. The only other way that I know of to clean stuffed animals would be to put them in a large bag and sprinkle in some baking soda and then shake the bag. Let sit for a little while and then remove the animal and shake again if necessary.

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T.V.

answers from Miami on

I use rubbing alcohol wipes or rubbing alcohol on a clean rag. Dries fast and kills all germs.

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I use a baby wipe and spot clean then I take a large paper bag and with baking soda and shake it up ... if it is post sickness I use lysol and let it dry first. Melaluca products are good for this too.

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