Plush stuffed animals are often one of your child’s favorite toys to play with. When they aren’t being involved in a game, they are being cuddled at nap time or maybe even dragged around wherever your little ones go. When plush stuffed animals get that much love and attention, they will soon get pretty grubby. So, how do you wash them without risking causing damage to your child’s beloved furry friend? Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to care for your plush stuffed animals, including how to wash them safely!

How Often Should I Clean My Child’s Plush Stuffed Animals?

If your child sleeps with their plush stuffed animals or carries them around all the time, you should really wash them weekly. However, we understand that it can be challenging to wrestle your child’s best friend from their arms that often, so as long as you are cleaning them once a month, you should be fine! However, you may want to give them a quick surface clean more frequently if they have allergies or asthma. If your child has been unwell or has recently had head lice, you should immediately clean all of their plush stuffed animals, regardless of the usual cleaning cycle you follow!

Always Check the Care Instructions

Before you jump head-first into washing all of the plush stuffed animals in the house, you need to check out the care instructions. While most plush stuffed animals can be machine washed, some cannot be due to being stuffed with plastic pellets rather than the usual cotton batting. There should be a care label, just like you see on clothing, that tells you how to wash the toy. However, if the toy is delicate or starting to fall apart, you will want to hand wash it regardless of the care instructions.

Safely Machine Washing Your Plush Stuffed Animals

When you are machine washing your plush stuffed animals, you shouldn’t just throw them into the washer. Here are a few steps to help ensure your stuffed animals come out with minimal wear and tear.

1. Place the stuffed toy inside of a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase tied that is closed. This will minimize agitation and limit the amount of wear and tear the plushie is exposed to.
2. Choose a delicate or gentle setting on the washer. It is also best to choose a cold water cycle, as this is going to help prevent discoloration and fading.
3. You can use your usual detergent, but you should switch to a mild detergent if your child has allergies or sensitive skin.
4. Always air-dry plush stuffed animals after you have washed them. Take them out of the mesh bag or pillowcase and either hang them or lay them flat to dry.

How to Hand Wash Stuffed Animals

For those extra special plush stuffed animals or ones that are a little older or more fragile, you will want to hand wash them to make sure no harm comes to them. Here are the steps you should take for hand washing those plushies:

1. Fill the sink or a bucket with cold water deep enough to submerge your plush stuffed animals.
2. Add a small amount of a mild detergent to the water.
3. Gently squeeze the stuffed animal to allow the detergent to saturate the fabric. Try to avoid scrubbing, as there may be loose threads or areas of worn fabric that could become further damaged.
4. Refill the bucket or sink with clean water and gently squeeze the toy to rinse out the detergent. Alternatively, you can rinse it under cold running water. However, you must avoid wringing out the toy; squeeze it gently.
5. Roll the toy in a clean, dry towel to absorb any excess water, and then air dry by lying it flat or carefully hanging it up.

Spot Cleaning Non-Washable Toys

Some toys cannot be washed either in a machine or by hand, usually because they have electronic parts like lights or voice boxes or because they are stuffed with plastic or foam pellets - like beanie babies! However, you can still clean them when they get dirty by carefully spot-washing them. Simply take a clean white cloth, come cool, soapy water, and wipe the dirty areas. You can then rinse the soap off with a clean, damp cloth. Air dry the toy and then fluff up the fur with a brush.

Hopefully, these helpful tips will help you to keep your plush stuffed animals fresh and clean no matter how much your little ones love on them!

--

Adopt a New Friend Today!

American Pet Rescues is working towards the goal of educating adults and children about the value of animal rescue. Through the sale of our quality plush stuffed animals, each based on a real animal rescue story, we hope to promote awareness of pet adoption while also funding the opening of an animal adoption center in the Knoxville area where we can continue educating others and also provide access to affordable veterinary care.

Visit www.americanpetrescues.org or call 865-800-3697 for more information.