03 Jun How to Wash Stuffed Animals?

The dolls are always with the children when they play, eat and go out. Maybe you have given your doll a spoon to feed your child so that your child is encouraged to continue eating. The children themselves like to feed their dolls while playing with their friends, and it makes the dolls dirty and ugly after a while. However, they still take their dirty dolls with themselves everywhere with interest. These stuffed animals may also absorb a lot of dust on the shelf, in the box or on the bed and become black and dirty. Or even accidentally spill water, soda or any other beverage on your doll and make your doll dirty.

Why washing?

Dirty dolls make their beautiful appearance ugly and transfer contaminants to the bed and other items in the room. And these contaminants can be dangerous for your minor children. Washing stuffed animals is very important for children’s health and preventing allergies. In this article, we will discuss the easy ways to wash small and large fur and even musical stuffed animals in the washing machine or by hands and manual stain removal.

Stuffed animals stain removing. 

If tea, coffee, ink, or other stains fall on the doll, remove it as soon as possible to have a better and more effective result. You can use a kitchen towel and some dishwashing liquid to remove stains. (It’s better not to use strong detergents). After removing the stain from the stuffed animal, wipe it with a damp cloth so that there’s no trace of liquid or foam on it. Of course, after removing the stain, you can wash it thoroughly with water. But the drying time will naturally be a little longer. Furry fur dolls absorb stains quickly, and you should clean them with this method.  

Washing Stuffed animals in the washing machine

Stuffed animals are filled with different materials such as polyester, wool, cotton, foam, etc. The best way to wash large dolls that don’t fit in the laundry is to empty their inside and wash the stuffed animal’s skin alone.

• First, open the stuffed animal’s zipper and remove its inside. If your doll is furry or you want it to stay new, put it in a mesh bag and rinse it alone.
• Be careful not to throw fluffy stuffed animals in the washing machine with other sensitive clothes and fabrics.
• Be sure to inspect any damage or spitting on the doll. If there’s a crack, embroider the doll before washing it.
• If your stuffed animal is stain, first remove the stain with some detergent and then put it in the washing machine.
• Be sure to use cold water and the temperature listed on the doll label (this label contains information such as the required water temperature, permitted detergents and how to dry it.)
• Avoid using strong detergents for washing.
• Don’t use a dryer or hairdryer; you can dry naturally in direct sunlight to complete the disinfection (but if the doll’s skin has a sensitive texture, don’t expose it to direct sunlight). 
• After the doll dries, refill it and close the zipper.

• If your doll doesn’t have vulnerable fabrics and furs, you can use sunlight to disinfect and speed up the drying process ultimately.  

Washing foam or wool stuffed animals

Stuffed animals are usually filled with polyester, but some cheaper dolls are filled with wool, foam or cotton. Note that you can’t wash these dolls directly. Moreover, water shouldn’t penetrate them because it can destroy the foam shape and pellets the wool. So due to the lack of rapid drying of the wool, Causes mould and allergies in children. If you use dolls filled with foam and wool, it’s better to give them to laundry or do the following steps. 

• Find the stitching of the doll (basically, in large dolls, the stitching is larger and easier to see) and open it.
• Remove the foam or wool inside and carefully pour it into a bag.
• Put the outer shell of the doll in a cloth bag and wash it in the washing machine with cold water.
• Be careful not to use strong detergents, dryers and hairdryers (as it will damage the doll’s fabric)
• After the foam or wool is completely dry, pour it back into the doll and sew the cracked area again. 

Stuffed animals hand washing

you can wash stuffed animals by hand without a washing machine. Note that the doll has no electrical parts or filled with foam or wool. In this case, remove them.

If the doll is torn, be sure to embroider that part before washing so that the elastic polyester doesn’t come out. When washing by hand, be sure to use cold water and a tiny amount of soap liquid. So that your doll isn’t damaged and a lot of foam doesn’t accumulate inside the doll. As a result, your polished doll doesn’t need a lot of rinsing. Avoid grabbing or kicking the doll while washing.

Don’t use a dryer to dry the doll at all; instead, use towels, napkins, etc. If the doll’s surface isn’t delicate, you can put it in the sun to dry and disinfect it.

Cleaning by salt

Put your stuffed animals inside a plastic bag, and then pour the right amount of salt into it. After that, close the bag and shake it firmly. After a few minutes, the stuffed animals are clean and can see that salt is black. Remember, you can’t wash all dolls with water. The use of salt or sodium chloride on the contaminated surface due to the solid antiseptic effect of salt cleans the doll and effectively kills bacteria and viruses.

Cleaning by baking soda

This method is suitable for large stuffed animals. Get a baking soda pack to get started. Place the baking soda and polish dolls in a large plastic bag. Then shake the bag tightly. Finally, you will see that the salt is gradually cleaning the stuffed animals. Due to the absorption of dust, the colour of baking soda will turn greyish black. To make the doll cleaner, you can use a vacuum cleaner to have a cleaner and more sterilise doll.

 Washing a musical stuffed animals

It has always been challenging to wash stuffed animals with electrical components, but there’re solutions that we’re discussing now.

Remove electrical components from inside the doll

If the musical doll has a zippered groove or button, easily remove the electrical parts, and you can easily wash the doll. After washing and drying thoroughly, put the musical and electrical pieces inside the doll again.

washing the doll’s surface

In this method, the surface of the doll’s cloth is clean, and it’s suitable for children who get their musical doll dirty or take it in their mouth. If possible, remove the doll battery. Then follow the stain remover method and pour a small amount of dishwashing liquid or detergent on a damp cloth (Note: Don’t use strong detergents because it’s sensitive to the baby). Wipe clean and leave to dry completely. (You can use the sun to dry and disinfect)

Disinfect

In this method, you don’t wash the doll, and if it has stains, you should apply the staining method and expose it to direct sunlight to be disinfected with ultraviolet waves. Note that the sun behind the window is useless because the sun’s ultraviolet waves are absorbed by the glass and lose their antiseptic properties.

Stuffed animals dusting

If your doll only has a layer of dirt on it, dust it off. First, you need to dampen a handkerchief and rub it on your stuffed animals so that the dirt completely disappears from the doll’s body. You can also use a vacuum cleaner or dusting brushes to remove dirt from your dolls.

Cloth dolls, stuffed animals and fur dolls are constantly exposed to the environment and contaminated hands. Your baby may be young and may have a stuffed doll in his mouth, or your baby may be playing with a dirty fur doll. In this case, your baby’s doll should always be clean and tidy, as dirt and bacteria may grow on the doll’s lint.

Dolls in stores (such as toys that babies put in their mouths) often come from the factory and can be a source of infection and disease transmission. You should clean new toys before use. Depending on the type of doll, it’s better to clean them at least once a month. Instead of wasting your precious time washing stuffed animals and worrying about the outcome, you can leave it to the experienced NeatEx team without stress and safely. With NeatEx, you can spend more time with your beloved child.