how do you clean a stuffed animal?

I have an old stuffed dog-like animal that's been sitting on a shelve for years. I have no use for it so I thought I would give it to my nephew (or at least give it to my SIL for use in her daycare). Problem is, it's full of dust and I'm not sure how to clean it.

I remember having a nice fluffy stuffed animal when I was a kid and after my mom washed it, it wasn't soft at all anymore. I think it might be because she put it in the dryer and the hair sort of melted together, but I'm not sure.

Does anyone have experience cleaning stuffed animals?
Mine is long-haired and made of polyester. Very soft and fluffy (but really smells like dust!)
Would it be alright to put it in the washing machine and then hang it to dry? (would the washing machine really rinse all the soap out of the stuffing??)

I wash them in the machine, never managed to kill any to this day. I think your old toy got lumpy, because your mom used too much washing powder: When you wash stuffed animals, pillows etc., you should use only about half of what you'd normally use. Most stuffed animal should survive machine wash well (Though my mom managed to wash the eyes and the nostrils off my sisters Piggy, and my sister got hysterical, thinking he was blind and couldn't breath. Luckily my brother came to rescue and made him some new ones ). Does the toy have a washing instruction tag attached?

You could put it in a pillow case and wash it on the delicate cycle.
It's funny you mentioned about your mom putting an animal int he dryer. I was about to say, DON'T do it I had a teddy bear that was my absolute favorite thing in the world from the time I was 2. My mom washed it when I was about 7 or 8 and put it in the dryer. His soft hair turned a burnt red color and hardened up. I was so upset with her.

I still have him on a shelf in my closet, his name is Dressy.

I've never had problem, with machine-washing stuffed toys. As babies, my sons were always peeing on theirs. If the toy had ears, I just clipped it to the clothesline to dry.

thanks for the advice!

I have a few clothes to wash in the "delicate" cycle so I'll wash the stuffed animal at the same time. I have some special soap for delicate clothes so I'll use that. Hopefully it'll turn out fine.

actually, I remember another time when my mom washed all the stuffed animals we had left (before selling them ) and this time she put them on the clothes line. It was kind of neat to have the whole clothes line full of stuff animals. Very pretty.

I always figure if something is too dirty to be used, it is worth running it through the washer to see if it survives! LOL! But either skip the dryer, or run it on the no heat cycle.

Originally Posted by squirtle

You could put it in a pillow case and wash it on the delicate cycle.
It's funny you mentioned about your mom putting an animal int he dryer. I was about to say, DON'T do it

I had a teddy bear that was my absolute favorite thing in the world from the time I was 2. My mom washed it when I was about 7 or 8 and put it in the dryer. His soft hair turned a burnt red color and hardened up.

I was so upset with her.

I still have him on a shelf in my closet, his name is Dressy.

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Thats what we always did,washed them in the washer in a pillow case,and air dried them.

I've always machine-washed them using the delicate cycle and detergent for woolens, hung them up till they were just about dry, and then put them in the dryer for about 10 minutes on "low" or "no heat", to fluff them up.

I had a bear once with long hair...and when i dried him his fur sort of curled up and he came out of the dryer an Oatmeal bear that i loved all the more!
Linda

cut the bear open take out the stuffing, anf put it in the wash, then replace the stuffing and sew it back up

When he has been washed and dried, use a teasing brush to get his fur all fluffy again! It's so quick and easy that he'll look brand new in no time!

I'm not sure if teasing brush is the propper name, just what my Nana called them!

They are like mini versions of the metal dog brushes, like these!

each time we move, as soon as we arrive my mother would wash my teddies, (i have over 150 of them) i dont know how she does it, but they come out just as fluffy when dry, there are a few though that she didnt wash properly when i was little and arent fluffy but they are still cool!

Right now we have a very large stuffed tiger and unable to wash in the washing machine because obviously its bigger than the washing machine, she is taking it to the dry cleaners and brining it here when i get my apartment.