How to wash a stufffed animal?

Question

I was given a stuffed soft Opus penguin, but it's gotten dingy. I've vaguely heard I can put it in the washer. Gentle cycle, normal? And how do I keep the insides from mildewing if not totally dry? Any advice?

Answer 1

Wash on gentle or hand wash cylce using liquid soap. Add a little 20 Mule Team Borax to help brighten the little one up! (When the washer is done, put it on spin on the regular cycle to help extact more of the water.) Put in the dryer on air dry with a DRY large towel and dryer balls, or tennis balls to help fluff and pound out the excess water. Or put in the sun on a hot day. Either way you dry it, it will take a long time, be patient and check it for dryness by squeezing it tight. If the insides are still damp, squeezing it will dampen the outside. (I had to clean a LARGE mouse my son got at school as a reward for being quiet in class for a week, he is a talker!, and I washed it and put it outside overnight in the winter. That froze the guy, but then, I tumbled it in the dryer with a large towel and tennis balls,2, on air dry for about an hour and it was fine.) Hope this helps.

Answer 2

If you read the tag, it probably says to clean the outside only with a damp cloth. You bring up a valid point about the mildew, and that's probably why the tag says to clean the outside only.

I've heard of people putting stuffed animals in a pillowcase and washing them. If you have a stuffed animal that you don't really care about, try to wash it first and see what happens, so you don't ruin your treasured penguin :)

Answer 3

I've always washed my dogs' toys in the washer with no problem, on the normal cycle. I throw them in the dryer too. I've never had a problem with mildew either since I dry them in the dryer. I've also washed my son's bear, Howard, that he's had since he was a baby. He's now 18. No problems there either.

Answer 4

I used to wash my children's stuffed animals, I would always put them in an old pair of panty hose just in case they popped open at the seams. That way there wasn't a mess in my washer or dryer. Just make sure that they are thoroughly dry, otherwise they might smell a little musty.

Answer 5

Yes. You have heard correct. Put it in the washer on the lowest water setting, but on gentle. Then put it into the dryer on the highest setting, unless it has plastic on it. Then put it on medium. Any way, put it in twice no matter what, same settings of course.

Answer 6

You can wash your stuffed animal.. But when you dry it put tennis balls in the drier along with the animal so it will stay fluffy.. I'd put the drier on GENTLE ..