Is It Possible to Clean a Stuffed Animal ?

Hi P., I just put all the stuffed animals (beans or fluff filled) in a pillow case and tied it closed and tossed in the washer and dryer on low. Sometimes the colors bleed so I'd use cold water. Always worked for me!

:)

I wash all stuffed animals in the washing machine on the gentle cycle. Then, I leave it out to air dry on top of a warm, running dryer. Doesn't take long to dry out.

I put stuffed animals in the washing machine and always wish them good luck. Then it's dryer time.

I was then separate from other stuff. I even add a little bleach to really dirty ones.

If it's a good quality one (not from a carnival) then you should have no problem. You can also do a cleaning with a wet, slightly soapy sponge and let air dry.

I would put him in the washer and dryer just like I do all the other animals my kiddos have. If you are worrkied, you could wash him on gentle in a big lingerie bag. I have a couple bigger ones from the dollar store. Me, personally, I would just put him in a regular load and let it go. If any holes pop up, I just sew them up later, but this doesn't happen too often, usually, they have holes and then I need to wash them from whatever happened to give them the holes....mud diving, sliding down rocks, etc.

I wash stuffed animals inside a pillow case in the washer on delicate. I also dry them in the dryer. I've never had a problem, and I figure if I did, I'd just get rid of it!

I wash all of our stuffed animals in the laundry and dry in the dryer. Sometimes they need two runs in the dryer. Their fur tends to mat a little, but that has never made them any less lovable for DD.

If it can't be washed I tend to throw it out - who wants their kids to play with a dirty, filthy toy.

I always wash and dry ours. I just throw in my 3 "dryer" tennis balls (strictly used for laundry) to help re-fluff the little guys and dry them better. :)

I run all stuffed animals through the gentle cycle of the washing machine, if they'll fit. I just figure that the ones that tear can go to the trash. I have never had to throw any out.

I can't give you professional advice because I'm not in the "cleaning biz". However, my son had a favorite koala bear (his lovey) that he threw up on. I took it to the dry cleaners where I always brought my clothes, and not only did they clean it, they didn't charge me. And it was soft, nice smelling and clean when I got it back!

Hope this works for you!
Dawn

Hi P.,
for dirty stuffed animals, I would definitly say washer, or take them to a laundry mat to use larger washers. If you just want to remove dust mites and other invisible critters from the stuffed animals to help with allergies and the like, we put ours in a trash bag and put them in our deep freezer for a couple hours. I know it sounds weird, but at such low temps, little critters can't survive. You can do this with pillows too! Good luck!

Hi. I didn't read your answers, so I hope I'm not repeating. I've washed pretty much every type of stuffed animal in my washing machine. I do it on a gentle cycle and then I fluff dry them in the dryer w/ low heat. There have been a few that need to be mushed around a bit after to re-position the filler(s), but they are fine. I also do my pillows the same way. :)

I always put my kids stuffies in a garment bag and in the wash. If they are slightly damp after the dry cycle then they go in once more in their own cycle just to be sure they are dry to the core. But the winter is the best time to wash them because the dry air will help to eliminate any chance that those suckers will stay damp for very long

Good Luck

Just to add: I suggest not dry cleaning them because they use really harsh and toxic chemicals when dry cleaning and if this is a stuffed animal that your child cuddles up with they will be exposed to all those chemicals

I put my son's favorite stuffed animal, in a lingerie net bag (these things are for fine washables), and then put it in the washer with other stuff and wash it as I would anything else.
Then I stick it in the dryer, keeping it in the net bag.
And it has always been fine.
My son has had this favorite stuffed animal, since he was a baby and he is now 6 years old. It has held up and been kept clean this way.

Or, try to find another Panda just like it. If you can, then you have a "back-up" Panda.
When my son was a baby, I got a back-up of his stuffed animal, the same one, and got it from E-bay.

Hi P.!

I know you already have a lot of responses, but I found this website extremely helpful recently when I had to wash some stuffed animals and they turned out great: http://www.mamaslaundrytalk.com/2010/03/18/how-to-wash-st...

Good luck!

P., check the seams first before tossing in a pillow case into the the washing machine.

If the seams look loose anywhere, put in a stitch or two.

Yes, even those bead types will dry out eventually in a dryer.

We always lob ours into the machine. Generally 4-5 times a year. If eyes need to be protected, just tie them into a pillowcase, or put bandaids over the eyes. Tumble dry on low.

If it's been more than a few months... it will probably need to soak in soapy water, and also be washed/rinsed a few times to get all the oils and stuff out of it. The 'beans' should actually already be boiled (so they'll never sprout) OR (more likely) plastic of some sort.

Maybe put it inside a pillowcase first? I think it should be fine.

you are not supposed to wash and dry them in the machine, but sometimes I do it anyway otherwise they are too gross to keep. I figure its worth the risk.

I need to wash a bear that has a voice recorder sewn in. I was checking out pinterest and found a link to this website. It gives great step by step instructions to handwash . . .

http://www.mamaslaundrytalk.com/2011/02/07/washing-stuffe...

Yes. We have allergy-prone people in the house, so washing dusty stuffed animals is essential. I do throw my kids' stuffies in the washer and dryer, and so far, other than the occasional need for a few quick seam reinforcements, there have been no tragedies. Wash in a lingerie bag if possible, but even without one, the risk is low. Mild detergent, gentle cycle. Dry on low, and dry until you are reasonably sure they're dry all the way through. Resist the urge to use high heat - stuffy fur is made of plastic fiber. Sometimes the "fur" comes out a little clumpy, but a quick fluff with a hairbrush mostly fixes it.

Put it in the washer..

I've been washing stuffed animals in the washer for years, sometimes if they are super soft to begin with they lose their silkyness but usually no problem. I would NOT take a stuffed animal to be dry clean. They use horrible chemicals and you don't want your kid cuddling up to that stuff!

My daughter got sick and accidentally vomited on her brother's stuffed frog. I put it in the trash thinking I would never get that smell out, but my son was distraught about it. I rinsed it off and threw it in my washer and dryer. It's as good as new! It has that bean/foam mixture inside.
I have also hand washed other stuffed animals and let them air dry. It takes awhile to air dry, but if you put them in the dryer on gentle it usually turns out fine. Good luck!
A.

My son has dust mite allergies. The allergist instructed me to toss his stuffed animals into the washer/dryer along with his sheets. I was skeptical, but so far we haven't had any problems.

I put them in a pillow case and tie it off. I wash them on the gentle cycle. My dryer has a shelf so that they don't tumble around and it works great on low heat. But if you don't have a dryer shelf put it on low heat and time it about 30 minutes. Do it twice if need be. Use normal laundry detergent and I put alittle fabric softener in just to make him smell good.
My daughter had a favorite dog named Ralph. She is almost 5 and had him since she was 6 months old. She NEVER went anywhere without him. When she was sick she would hold him tight and end up throwing up on him. It was gross and I didn't have the heart to throw it out. So I threw him in the wash and he turned out fine. So good in fact that she has now handed him down to her 14 month old brother. So now he carries it around.
Best of luck and I am sure everything will work out just fine.

I put all stuffed animals in the washer and dryer (low heat in the dryer). Just put it in a pillow case if you can.