Should You Be Cleaning Your Kids' Stuffed Animals?

Kids love sleeping with their stuffed animals, but what you might not have considered is that those stuffed animals are getting just as dirty as pillowcases, sheets and blankets. Sponsored Ad Content by Lysol
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[@sparkyskooter911]

I love that she immediately admitted she never washes them and asked the question. 😂😂👏 keeping it 100

[@karolwithaz]

Yeah... Even though I`m a grown adult whom had my stuff animal for years I'm still weary of putting my stuff animal in the machine because I don't want them going through that trauma

[@Lis_718BX]

I’m 39 and sitting here having special cuddle time with my monkey before I wash him lol

[@Aethelhadas]

Do you handwash them?

[@oldart1948]

Also the hot water can heat damage the fur and stuffing inside. It'll get all clumpy! Let them air dry, the dryer will do the same thing.

[@BlueSnowAngels]

This is actually really bad advice your better off hand washing and air drying. I know it's incredibly tedious but trust me it's so much better.

[@barbiedoll3331]

DO NOT PUT PLUSH ANIMALS IN DRYER! It will melt mat and shrivel fur

[@Elon_Trump]

I ruined expensive bears by accident today :( I hear a wire brush will fix it

[@Allison-ti5vv]

Some of them you can but it’s best not to

[@jaynem9998]

Barbie Doll tumble dry it a medium heat, I’m washing mine in washer right niw

[@jaynem9998]

Wait but if u put it in the sun is it going to get crusty

[@Sebby444]

It won’t if u put it on delicate

[@cozykay]

NEVER EVER PUT YOUR PLUSH IN THE WASHER AND DRYER!! IT MAKES IT SO BAD! It was my biggest regret when I was like 6. I still remember..!

[@xMJJMoonwalker]

Plush can be fine in the washer inside a bag as long as they don't have airbrushed markings on them, but only in cold water. No fabric softener. And NEVER use heat to dry plush! Their fur fibers are made of plastic and they will melt, just like sherpa blankets that get all flat and scratchy after they're washed/dried. Tumble dry only if you have to use a machine (I use the dryer for larger plush bc they take too long to air dry) but do it on the NO HEAT setting. I usually set my smaller plush in front of a fan to dry and them brush them with a cat brush to restore their fluff.

[@violetlydia]

im worried i bought a 30 year old barney plush and i want to wash him but im so scared im gonna mess him up

[@xMJJMoonwalker]

@@violetlydia As long as he's stuffed with polyester fiber he should be fine to machine wash! But if you're really worried about it you can always hand wash in the sink or a bowl. If he's stuffed with anything besides polyester fiber, I would foam up some soapy water and just gently wipe the soap bubbles over the outside with a soft cloth, and then wipe down again with a damp cloth using only water. This will clean the outside but prevent the inside from getting wet.

[@violetlydia]

@@xMJJMoonwalker tysm

[@thalias6945]

I know it sounds gross, but I’m 15 and have a really old cat stuffed animal that is like 11 years old and I don’t remember ever washing it 😂😬 it has no nose and a ripped ear

[@marzella-1600]

Oh frick

[@smoothoperator7023]

Ewwww🤧😷😤🤮

[@thatsickmao]

I had a plush that was so old and dirty, and I've had it since I was 4, recently cleaned it and it was worth it. Clean your plushies?

[@thatsickmao]

@@aaryaagarwal8990 because my grandpa gave it to me and it means alot to me??? Dumbass

[@UrRainFairy]

you should hand wash with detergent and a wash cloth, squeeze out all the water, then leave to air dry, and brush the fur (if needed) when its all dry. to check first see if the fur is still damp, if it is it still needs to dry, if the fur feels dry then try squishing out any excess water that might still be inside and leave it to dry for longer, then it should be done and clean!

[@UrRainFairy]

this method is the best way to go about it because putting it in the washer swishes and throws around the stuff animal, this can make the stuffing inside clump together, and because the water flow is so heavy it can get trapped inside that stuffing and grow mold if not dried properly. also, putting stuffed animals in the dry and burn and shrink fur, and it also causes the stuffing inside to stay clumped together. so while you may think a washer and dryer is faster and more convenient, you’ll run into bigger issues in the long run, so just put in the effort and do it by hand.

[@miaanslow7213]

OMG once a month with their blanket. I washed blankets everyday when a baby and every week when older

[@spottedtime]

I think it’s interesting that they talk about dirt and dust on the plushes, but putting them in the wash machine could cause mold to grow on the stuffing. This is due to that even when the plushes feel dry on the outside, there could be some moisture on the inside, when the plush is fully submerged in water. All that mold needs is a bit of water and darkness.

[@Aethelhadas]

So how can we clean it? Im making my own stuffed animals and just wondering what to not use.

[@xMJJMoonwalker]

I've never had problems with plush molding. Any plush that can go in the washer can go in the dryer on air dry/no heat. If I have to wash a particularly large or densely stuffed plush, it's very easy to undo a back seam and pull the stuffing out to dry separately, then restuff and ladder stitch closed.

[@KQuinn672]

Steam cleaner! Disinfects! Kills odor! Won’t “soak” or damage it..let air dry!

[@mashsonofstone3176]

i don't recommend using a washing machine it could stretch the fabric. always hand wash

[@CutieRingoJoy]

how much deterget ?

[@Mandalore.The.Hero7]

Do they mold after you wash them?

[@Shawnredfield98]

What if the toys have a sound box inside of them?

[@cheyennebaker4445]

Shawn Redfield use a damp cloth

[@Allison-ti5vv]

Hand wash with a damp cloth

[@Nyan26]

Throw it into a tub of water and dance on it... Congrats you just broke your soft toy and he is now dead. YOUR A MONSTER

[@VintageToycollecters]

@@aaryaagarwal8990 yes

[@waltuh7187]

My sister washed my plush despite what I said and now it is growing mold and I have had that since I was 6 months

[@Solzara]

The animals she put in the washer should NOT be put in the washer! They should be spot/surface cleaned only!

[@Aethelhadas]

Why not? And what can i surface clean it with?

[@jenniepetroutsas4683]

@@Aethelhadas mold can grow inside. Just spray the outside with some safe disinfectant

[@xMJJMoonwalker]

@@jenniepetroutsas4683 Disinfectant isn't a good solution for sweat and drool that has seeped into the stuffing, and for kids with sensitive skin like me and my siblings, any disinfectant spray would have been irritating and caused breakouts. There's nothing wrong with washing stuffed animals, they won't mold if you dry them out...

[@ElazarYershovFilms]

What? Is this some kind of ethical argument? “Should we wash stuffed animals?” Do the animals object to this? JUST WASH THE ANIMALS

[@CoxJoxSox]

What about mold?

[@VintageToycollecters]

*They cant grow mold*

[@luvizio]

Thanks to all the people who gave me your dog food. The dog didn't stay though. Thank you

[@brookelily2330]

I don't think you should clean stuffed animals only with reason I don't wash my keepskate teddies cause I like teddies looking 'loved' and used cause stains can turn into story's you can say oh that stain is when I spilt hot chocolate on her when I was little

[@altheahayageats4684]

How about beanie babies

[@xrzei7909]

After I washed my stuffed animal, it smelled bad, I don’t really know how to explain it but it smells like water? But it smells unpleasant water. Honestly idk lol

[@Sebby444]

Toxic Iris That probably means that there is some moisture still in the stuffing and inside of the stuffed animal and I would next wash it and dry it on delicate and like low heat and low spin

[@SimplySarah760]

I use clorox spray sanitizer ❤ the fabric kind.

[@ryleedx1209]

I clean beanie babies

[@melissadevries7504]

Thats nasty. Wash the suffed animals and blankets every week in the wasmachine.

[@cityhotel5959]

I'm a Dr at St. Ann's Hospital, plush animals have more bacteria then a public toilet, it was tested in our laboratory. Its like a pillow that you don't wash. After cleaning plush they don't look like before.

[@carriegray5273]

How do we wash them? Washer and dryer grows mold and Lysol isn’t good for babies.. what about those LED lights?

[@cityhotel5959]

@@carriegray5273 handwash with antibacterial soap, the light is a good idea, but becearful that it doesn't catch fire, led is a cold light, The best plush toys are the ones for babies, you can wash them hot in washingmaine. Best regards 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♂️🐾

[@carriegray5273]

@@cityhotel5959 thank you 😊

[@xMJJMoonwalker]

@@carriegray5273 Washer and dryer will not grow mold. I'm 25 and I wash all of my thrifted and frequently loved plush in the washer and dry them in the dryer with no heat. I have never had an issue.

[@mistyjewwel5081]

WAIT NOW IM FOURTH

[@leontransit1652]

My mom says that my stuffed animals are messy

[@Sangwa.]

...

[@mistyjewwel5081]

FOURTH

[@ithacacomments4811]

Yeh, all that mold that grows inside after the wash isn't going to be harmful..! I don't believe that there is a way to air dry stuffed animals so that bad stuff doesn't grow in the damp stuffing before they completely dry. I wonder how the kids in 3rd world countries survive....those poor little kids....their mommies don't wash their stuffed animals twice a week!.....oh, that's right....they don't have any stuffed animals!

[@Allison-ti5vv]

Ithaca Comments it’s recommended to surface wash and air dry.

[@Kurios9119]

Pitbulls are monsters