Does your son drag his teddy bear behind him everywhere he goes, including his sandbox? Has your daughter “cleaned” her plush puppy with most of your bottle of Soft soap? Did the gorilla play catch with the neighbour’s dog? Here you can learn how to remove all dirt and germs from your child’s favourite plush and stuffed friends without ruining them.

Cleaning stuffed animals requires some extra care and time due to the types of materials that are used for these toys. Most stuffed animals have an outer covering of fake fur, usually synthetic materials (polyester, acrylic or modacrylic) or natural materials (wool, wool/cotton, mohair, or alpaca) and often include the washing instructions on the back of the tag. If your stuffed animal has these instructions then it is best to follow them. Although it can be tempting to just throw a stuffed animal in the washer and dryer, DON’T. The following list has the reasons why you should avoid using the washing machine in caring for a stuffed animal;

• could be stuffed with styrene foam, foam beads, or excelsior and these should never be put in the washer
• if it is stuffed with a synthetic polyester fibre it may lose its shape during the washing cycle
• there may be a loose seam through which the stuffing could escape
• if the stuffed animal has cardboard or hardboard joints they could be destroyed
• the animal may have a sound box

Here are some great suggestions for cleaning your stuffed animals;

• get rid of odours by giving them a dry bath using baking soda; sprinkle the soda on the toy and let sit 15 minutes and then simply brush the baking soda off
• get rid of dust by using your vacuum cleaner’s hose and brush attachments; always check first that the eyes are securely fastened
• to remove dust mites put the stuffed animal in a plastic bag and then place in the freezer overnight. In the morning just vacuum the animal off and voila, no more mites
• if you have a longer haired stuffed toy that has become matted, just gently work the mats out with a brush or comb, being careful not to yank too hard as you could pull the hair right off
• if the stuffed animal had liquid spilled on it, just shake repeatedly until all excess liquid is gone and then sponge off any remaining wetness
• use rubbing alcohol if any of the plastic parts, like the eyes, need to be cleaned
• to clean any soiled areas on the stuffed animal, you could spot clean it using a mild, all-purpose cleaner and sponge; if the soiled area is proving a little stubborn you could use a soft scrub brush to work the cleaner into the stain before sponging it off

If your stuffed animal absolutely cannot go in the washer and none of the above tips worked then you can use upholstery cleaner on it.