Doll You Can Draw on and Wash
How to Clean Your Child's Stuffed Toys
Some are more well-loved than others and may need special care.
This story was originally published on Sept. 23, 2019 in NYT Parenting.
Stuffed animals — teddy bears and bunnies and Minions — aren't like us: They cannot bathe away drool and dead skin and snot. But your child's beloved bear needs an occasional soak and scrub, too!
Washing a stuffed animal is easy. But some plush toys are older, or more delicate, than others. Hand-laundering will be the right option for those well-worn toys, while machine-washing is fine for most stuffed animals. Here we'll cover the best practices for both approaches, as well as tips for cleaning toys that cannot be submerged in water, such as dolls with electronic components.
But first, some unwelcome news, perhaps: Stuffed animals, along with bedsheets and towels, are high on the list of items that should be washed after your child has been sick. Otherwise, look to give Winnie the Pooh a washup only when he appears visibly dirty or no longer passes the smell test.
[Read Jolie's tips on how to keep kids' art from cluttering up your home.]
Machine washing plush toys
Stuffed toys like teddy bears or bunnies can be machine washed, which will be the easiest choice for most parents. However, you run the risk of damaging some toys by throwing them in with the wash, especially when it comes to cleaning well-loved (and well-worn) stuffed animals. Be sure to look for the manufacturer's washing instructions by checking the care tag when deciding if machine washing is the best option: You wouldn't want to mangle Mr. Buttons. If you choose the machine-washing route, here's where to start:
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Use the gentle cycle and cold water, though if a child has been sick and the toy can tolerate it (for example, it does not have glued-in parts), warm or hot water can be used.
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A mild detergent, like a free and clear formula or Woolite, is ideal, but regular detergent is fine — no need to purchase a separate detergent for washing stuffed animals. Follow the instructions on the bottle and don't use too much detergent, as soap residue left behind can irritate sensitive skin.
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If the size and shape of the stuffed animal allows for it, put the toy in a mesh washing bag to help protect parts like eyes and hair. You can also pad the load with towels to help protect toys.
Machine drying is O.K. for some toys, though it's not always the best option because many plush toys have glued-in or plastic parts that might not survive the high heat of a dryer. If you do choose to machine dry a stuffed animal, use the no- or low-heat setting. A better choice, though, is to air dry plush toys, because fur can get burned in a hot dryer; place the toy near a fan or a dehumidifier to speed up drying time and ensure that the inner stuffing doesn't retain water. If the toy appears matted after its bath, using a hair dryer on low or medium heat can help restore a furry friend's fluffiness.
Hand-washing plush toys
Not all stuffed animals are created equally, so when it comes to an especially beloved Teddy or Bunny or Squirrely, hand-washing is the better way to go. Do not be daunted! If you can wash a child, you can wash a stuffed animal (stuffed animals are easier … less squirmy).
To wash a stuffed animal or doll by hand, you need three things:
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A clean space that can hold enough water to fully submerge the toy, like a kitchen or utility sink, or a large bucket.
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A mild detergent. Wirecutter, a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products, likes Soak, which is a no-rinse formula, for hand-washing.
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A clean, dry towel.
Start by filling the sink, or whatever space you're using, with enough cold or warm water to fully submerge the stuffed animal, then add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of detergent per gallon of water. Submerge the toy and use a pumping motion — as if you were performing C.P.R. on Teddy — so that it's saturated with water and detergent. Allow the toy to soak in that solution for 15 minutes, or up to an hour, before rinsing; more delicate toys should soak for less time to avoid damaging their fibers. When it's time to rinse, you can either hold the toy under cool running water or drain and refill the sink with clean water, repeating the pumping motion to get rid of soap residue. The latter method is more gentle and will be best for especially tattered toys. Regardless of the state of the stuffed animal, it's recommended that you not scrub vigorously or wring it out: Overhandling can lead to damage.
To dry a plush toy after hand-washing it, drain the sink and press down gently on the stuffed animal several times to push out as much water as you can, then roll it up in a clean dry towel, which will pull out more water. Allow the toy to air dry, using the lowest heat setting on a hair dryer to fluff up the animal if needed. A slicker brush, like those used to brush out dogs and cats, can also be pressed into service to groom Teddy's fur.
If a toy is especially grimy, or has a stain, you can also include a laundry booster, such as OxiClean (for grime), or apply a pretreatment product like Zout (for protein stains such as blood or vomit) to the toy prior to washing. However, before using any kind of stain treatment, it's important to spot test it first, according to Beth Karpas, the owner of Realms of Gold, a doll hospital in Los Altos, Calif. "The fur can react to chemicals, and different furs react to different chemicals differently," she warned. "Sometimes the fur shrinks or changes color, and you can't reverse that."
Cleaning toys with electronic components
Spot treating is the method of choice to clean toys that cannot be submerged because they have electronic or musical components. Spot treating involves doing a surface-only cleaning of the toy, by wiping its exterior using a damp cloth and a mild soap. Karpas recommends using a foaming hand or dish soap. "It's less dense, and less concentrated so it takes less effort and less moisture to remove a tiny bit of foaming soap than it does a tiny bit of regular soap," she said, "The point is to try to avoid soaking that inner stuffing."
There are, of course, times when a professional is called for. Should you find yourself in need of a trained doll surgeon, the Doll Doctor's Association offers a doll hospital locator on its website.
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist and host of the podcast "Ask a Clean Person."
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/parenting/clean-stuffed-animals.html