How Do I Clean Teddy...HELP!!!!!

The advise I have received is to place the stuffed animal in a pillow case before washing in the gentle cycle and drying on low heat.

A.,
Try Dawn dish soap (pick a scent) and a garden hose. Wet him, sud him up, and use the hose to "blast" the soap through his stuffin. Rinse well with the hose, wring him as well as you can, and when he's almost completely dry put him in the dryer for a few minutes to fluff. If you don't clean the stuffing you'll never get rid of the smell.

Just toss him in a washer and dryer. Gentle cycle for wash, and a cool temp setting for the dryer. You might want to add some extra disinfectant to the wash water.

If he is still wet and you cant put him in the dryer... Blow dry him! I had to do that several times with some of my stuff that couldent be in the dryer. Also if need be, take a tooth brush and use it to clean the vomit off of him too. I hope that this helps. Sorry that your little one is not feeling too well either.

My daughter had a cat she was attached to and dropped it in a disgusting mud puddle. The tag said surface clean only however I washed it in the washer on the gentle cycle with detergent. I then hung it on the clothesline for several days. The cat is still with us and is still in great condition. Since then I have washed several other "favorites" and have yet to have a mishap. Good Luck

Try spraying the bear with the follwing solution which was submitted by another Mom on here (sorry, I can't remember her name to give her full credit!), but it may help?
One part alcohol
3 Parts water
Small squirt of dishwashing liquid.

HTH :)

We have a Bear as well, and I wash Bear wrapped in a king pillow case tied at the end all the time. The directions also say surface wash only. I have found that after one round in the dryer, Bear needs to go about 20-30 minutes more unwrapped to get completely dry. Otherwise, it's in the dryer for 3-4 rounds. After the 3rd or 4th wash, Bear did start to look worn, but the first few were fine. The key is getting it dry so it doesn't mildew.

My daughter is 3 and has been very attached to "Dog" for some time. One day she had an accident while napping ... all over dog (pee)

Dog is also surface clean only but these were desparate times. Dog is about 1 foot long with a belly about 8 inches across. So I sprayed him with stain remover and tossed him in the wash (cold, gentle cycle I then air dryed him in the dryer (for 2 cycles) He came out fluffy and CLEAN.

I have since purchaseda second, identical Dog and rotate. Itry to minimize washing but when they really get bad, I tosss one in the wash and bring dog 2 out for rotation.

When its that bad, I don't see much choice other than washing or buying a 2nd, or 3rd of the same stuffed animal.

Good luck!

We have a "Natural Cleaner" in Avon, CO...I don't knwo where you live, but they steam clean stuffed animals using no soaps or chemicals.

I had the same problem when my son was around 18 months old. He has a duck that has a music box in it. He absolutely loved this duck, so to just throw it away was not an option. The tag said to spot clean only, but since it was covered with vomit, I decided to try to machine wash it. I put the duck in a pillow case, tied the top of the pillow case in a knot and washed it on the delicate cycle and then put it in the dryer. The duck came clean and the music box still worked. My son is now 3 and we have washed the duck a few times and he still loves this duck so much.

Hi, My son has a cat by Gund that he is attached to and the same thing happened to us. I just threw the stuffed cat into the wash on delicate hand wash/cold with a tiny bit of detergent and then put him on the extra delicate dry cycle in the machine. He came out fine. You could also ask the person who gave it to you where she bought it to see if you can buy a back up bear? Anyhow.. good luck!
Kindest regards,
M.

Hi A.

Get some Oxyclean powder and a spray bottle, and mix up a solution (it will tell you the quantities on the tub) Then spray teddy with it until he is nicely damp but not too wet, let him sit like that for a little while then rub him clean with a wash cloth. It may take a couple of times, but rather do it repeatedly than spoil him by using what I call the "glug glug" method,using too much product at once. I would spray him pretty good with water when he is clean enough and then hang him to dry.
Failing that, do what I did, and get two of the things she is really attached to! lol :-) Congrats on baby #2! We have a 15 mo old little girl and are 7 months pregnant with our second daughter. Exciting times.

Hope this helps.

L.

A.,

As long as Teddy doesn't have some sort of working insides (electronics), he should be fine in the washer and dryer. I've washed several stuffed animals and tossed them in the dryer, regardless of what the tag says. I know that someone advised against putting it in the dryer, but my experience has been that you'll end up with bacteria growing before you get a stuffed animal to air dry. I usually use a lingerie bag, but if it's too big or you don't have one, a pillow case should do the trick. Good luck.

D.

I think the instructions "ONLY surface wash" are on the cautious side. Take a look at this Teddy and make a judgment about whether you think he would withstand the washing machine on delicate. I'll bet he probably would be just fine. Do this during bath time when your daughter won't miss him.

You could try putting him in a pillow case, tying the open end shut, and washing him in the washing machine on the gentle cycle with a little detergent. It's definitely not something to do every week, but it might help when he's soaked in vomit. :) Then let him air dry.

I wash all of my daughter's "surface clean only" stuffed animals in a lingerie bag on delicate cycle in the washing machine and then tumble dry low- even the sesame street ones with the big plastic eyes. I've never had a problem with any of them falling apart or looking poorly. I think the trick is to put them in with a few other things, like towels, for padding in the wash.

i know it says surfaceclean only but i wash all the stuffed animals we have. i just cant imagine the kids sleeping with droll covered germy toys. i take out all the battery opreated stuff that is usually in a bag and wash and air dry them in the dryer for a while and then do like ten minutes with hot. nothing really happens and just to make sure look for an alternate bear jsut in case it falls apart.. i use a net laundry bag and put all of them in the wahser in that and then take them out of the bag and put them in the dryer with a towel

Even if it says surface wash I have always still thrown things in the washing machine to ensure they are really clean. My daughter threw up on her favorite stuffed dog, another time she took him as show and tell and he got very loved by the whole class. Each time I threw him in with some towels through the gentle cycle and DO NOT put them in the dryer. It is the dryer that can ruin them. But let it just air dry. I do this a lot with a lot of stuffed animals we have as I am a clean freak. The dog has gotten slobbery slime on quite a few animals over the course of the puppy years and I did the same thing. Just use little laundry soap, little Downy and let them air dry! :)

we had the same problem and you can put most everything in the washing machine on gentle. then put it in the dryer on low. most of the toys are "suggested" at surface wash but they really can be washed. I have a five year old and I am a nut about keeping things clean and I have washed most of his toys since then. nothing has been ruined but of course nothing with electronics can be washed unless you can take it out. Anyway i hope that helps.

We had the same problem... we just threw it in the wash and it came out perfectly clean!! Put it in a laundry (bra bag) or in a pillow case to protect it that much more.
Good Luck
A.
www.romance2nite.com

I have found pure vinegar to work really well in cleaning up vomit and other stuff, especially from sensitive fabrics (just bought a micro fiber sectional). Vinegar also helps in getting the smells out of the fabrics as well. It can be overpowering at first (think dyeing Easter eggs, lol) but the smell clears out as the fabric dries. Another tip, it says surface wash but doesn't say anything about throwing the teddy bear in the dryer (use the delicate setting just in case!) Hope this helps!

My daughter has some animals like that. Surface wash is fine, but it won't get out the vomit that soaked in. You can hand wash in a sink if there aren't bells inside. It will make the teddy a bit "mushier" as the stuffing will flatten, but at least it won't smell. I have even washed them in the washing machine in a lingerie bag on gentle. Let the teddy air dry on some towels - don't throw in the dryer! Good luck!

Abundant blessings,

L.
be still & knit
classes and clothing for children and the women who love them
www.bestillandknit.com

I would still put teddy in the washer. I do it with our stuffed animals all the time. Wash it on gentle and put him in a pillow case and knot the end. He should be ok if you do that. Hope that helps.

Lis

I always put the stuffed animals in a pillow case tied up and put it in the washer then the dryer. Unless it talks,moves or sings. I have not lost a stuffed animal yet. My mom did it with my siblings and I. Hope that helps

wipe off as much as you can then spray some dreft on a comb and comb out the rest. It will clean it and make it smell better. Since dreft is a baby item it's gentle and safe too. Happens with my kids all the time.

Hi A.:

Anytime I have to wash my daughters "doll" (a plush lamb), I put it in a pillow case, tie the end and wash it that way. It also says surface wash only, but I've never had a problem with putting it in the washer and dryer like that. Hopefully this helps. Good luck.

My son has a favorite teddy. When I clean it I just throw it in a pillow case and knot the end or put a ponytail to hold it closed. Then I just wash and dry in a normal cycle. I hope this helps.

Hi A.,
No worries, the gentle cycle on the washer should be a safe way to clean Teddy. We've washed my son's favorite dog many times. I ususally use Woolite and wash him with a blanket or 2. Then, into the dryer for a short cycle.
He comes out fresh & new every time!
Good luck! and Merry Christmas to you.

Hi A., You might want to try putting it in a pillow case tied up at the end, and as pointed out by another mom, wash it with other items, like towels etc. I'm sure you'd rather have a clean and slightly worn teddy than one that's not. And remember, you want to make sure it dries all the way since bacteria is attracted to moisture!

just a couple adds - if you get a "twin" teddy - you might want to switch them out - so they "wear" the same. My friend's kids didn't take to their "new" teddy cuz it wasn't the old one - if you know what I mean, so if you wash them both & switch them out - then they will wear out the same & your daughter probably won't know the difference.
Also I've put "surface wash only" items in the dryer, but use a low/delicate setting or take them out somewhat damp. If you leave them in too long/too hot - that's when they can come out damaged. The vomiting on "friends" happens to all of us.

Oh, poor Teddy. If the surface wash doesn't work I suggest ignoring the label and doing a gentle hand-wash in wool-lite, or if you have a front loading washing machine you might try that on the 'hand-washable cycle'. With the 2nd option Teddy might dry faster and more thoroughly. Perhaps he could go into a pillowcase and tumble dry on a low setting for a bit.

Another tip... though it's impossible to know what (or if) a child will have an attachment object, if you can pick up a 'twin' it'll extend the shelf-life considerably.

Oh well. Now you know Teddy is 'real'! (Velveteen Rabbit).

Happy Holidays. And I hope your daughter is feeling better.

T.