You have surely noticed it! Since your baby received his cuddly toy, he no longer separates from it. He carries it around with him everywhere he goes: to the nursery, to the park, on trips and, of course, on his bed.
Your little one loves cuddling his stuffed animal, he likes to play with it and sometimes he even chews it. Isn't that cute?
Of course yes ! However, before letting your baby suck and cuddle his little companion, at least make sure that he is clean.
Indeed, stuffed animals are a veritable nest of germs. By dint of following your child anywhere, they end up accumulating dust, mites, bacteria... so many parasites that could harm your baby's health.
So, as soon as you perceive that the plush changes color or gives off a strange smell, don't wait any longer! Proceed immediately to plush wash . How to do ?
This is what we are going to reveal to you in this article.
But before we get to the nitty-gritty, here's some practical information you need to know about cleaning a stuffed animal.
Plush washing: some preliminary information to know!
When and how often should you wash your child's stuffed animal?
First rule: never wait until the stuffed animal is in a bad state to wash it.
In order to maintain good hygiene for his cuddly toy, clean it at least once a month, or even more if your baby often walks outside with his stuffed toy.
This frequency of plush washing is necessary to ensure that his toy is better clean, and that your baby has a reduced risk of being infected by a germ.
Baby dropped her toy on the floor and now it's covered in mud? Or maybe he put it too close to his little runny nose?
In these cases, it is better not to wait until next month to put it in the washing machine. Clean the stuffed animal without delay so as not to risk baby getting sick on contact with it.
Also, if baby hasn't played with a particular comforter in a while, you should wash it well before giving it back.
Ditto for where you store your child's toys. It must be very clean, all the time.
How to separate baby and comforter without making a drama?
His soft toy may be dirty, but baby won't want to part with it. However, for his well-being and his health, he will have to! It will therefore be up to you to enter the scene to separate them. But not anyhow!
So that baby does not experience this short separation badly, here are some methods that work:
- Have you ever thought about this situation before and anticipated by buying two copies of his favorite cuddly toy? It's very smart! Now you just need to give him the other one while you clean one.
- But if you don't have a second copy of his favorite stuffed animal to give him, that's okay! It will always be possible to wash your toy when baby has gone to nursery or when he is sleeping. But in this case, be careful to take into account the drying time. Baby could quickly realize the deception.
- In addition, you can take advantage of your child's bath time to clean his cuddly toy. You can then explain to your little one that his stuffed animal has also gone to take a bath.
In short, there is no shortage of ideas for separating baby and cuddly toy. If you find better than the ones we have put forward, don't hesitate! After all, you know your child better than anyone. You will be able to find the great idea to separate your child from his stuffed animal without chaos.
Good reflexes to have before starting to wash a stuffed animal
Finally, you managed to take his comforter to your child. Now you have a few hours to wash it off. Although baby is impatient to take it back, it is better to take your time and not to rush.
In effect, clean a stuffed animal to rid him of his filth is one thing. Cleaning it without damaging it is another.
Before you start cleaning your little one's stuffed toy, always take the time to carefully check the label. Why do you ask?
- First, because some stuffed animals are not washable. If you put it in the washing machine without taking this detail into account, you could damage the comforter. And needless to say that it would be a shame for your child who loves it so much. He will be really sad to see his faithful companion hurt.
- But also because some stuffed animals can be machine washed and others cannot. Taking a few seconds to read the label will let you know which cleaning methods are appropriate for the plush or comforter. This information is usually listed there.
The 3 methods generally used to clean a stuffed animal
There are several techniques for wash a stuffed animal . And we can classify them into three main categories: the plush washing machine wash, dry clean and hand wash.
Machine wash
It is a method that has the merit of being simple, fast and effective. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for all stuffed animals. So, to make sure your child's one is machine washable, check the label first.
Do you have confirmation?
Very well, all that's left is to put the comforter in the washing machine. But before going any further, here is some more information to check:
- The seams of the plush: make sure they are in good condition. If not, machine washing could cause the plush stuffing to come out.
- The weather: after washing, the teddy should ideally be dried in the sun. If the weather does not allow it, it is better to postpone the plush washing for later.
If everything is good, you can move on to the next step: gathering the materials and products needed to clean the plush. Among others, there will be:
- A pillowcase or a laundry net or a sheet or a towel to protect the stuffed animal;
- A special wool liquid detergent or a few drops of shampoo to effectively remove dirt;
- A fabric softener to preserve the plush and retain its softness;
- A brush to style the plush after drying so that it returns to its original state.
Once everything is ready, you can now take action by following these few simple steps:
- 1st step: slip the stuffed animal into the pillowcase, the laundry net, the sheet or even the towel.
- 2 nd step: pour a little liquid detergent then add the fabric softener.
- 3 rd step: wrap the stuffed animal well in the pillowcase and put everything in the drum.
- 4th step: plush toys do not support too much heat, set the washing machine at low temperature. 30°C will be sufficient! The spin level should also be light, ideally between 400 and 500 rpm.
- 5th step: take the plush out of the washing machine and dry it in the sun, keeping it wrapped in a towel.
Good to know : if the comforter is in poor condition, it is best to wash it cold. In other words, you will need to set the temperature to 0°C. Ditto for the spin level which must be as low as possible, or even zero.
Finally, now that the plush wash is over and your little one's toy is clean and dry, all you have to do is give it a few brush strokes and it will be back like new.
Here, however, it is preferable to use a carding brush. But if you have a soft hairbrush, it can also do the trick.
dry cleaning
Did you buy a big cuddly toy for your child? It is sure, he will be filled with tenderness and hugs. However, there is only one small drawback often associated with this type of comforter. And it's about maintenance.
Indeed, a large stuffed animal will never go through a washing machine. Also, it will take a lot of time and effort to wash by hand.
So, how to clean a big stuffed animal ?
So far, dry cleaning remains the best solution. This method allows you to clean the comforter without getting it wet. And it's pretty handy for getting rid of dust mites. How to do ?
Here are some commonly used methods:
- Fluff cleaning with baking soda and flour
You must start by mixing 2/3 baking soda and 1/3 flour and put everything in a bag. Then put the dirty stuffed animal in it. Now shake so that everything mixes well. Wait about 5 hours before taking the stuffed animal out of the bag. Shake it again to remove the mixture. And finally, take a brush stroke to clean everything up.
- Plush cleaning with dry shampoo
Take dry shampoo and sprinkle the stuffed animal with it. Then, knead it with your hands and let it sit for about an hour. After, shake the toy to get rid of the powders. And finally, gently brush his hair to remove all traces of shampoo.
- Plush cleaning with potato
This is a fairly old method, but still effective for cleaning and maintaining a plush. Moreover, it is very simple! All you have to do is apply the potato pulp to the cuddly toy to be cleaned, let it rest overnight and brush it afterwards.
Hand washing
Finally, you can also wash your little one's plush by hand. But once again, it will be necessary to check on the label if the toy can be washed like this or not.
If so, then here's how you can do it:
- First, prepare the basin by pouring lukewarm water into it.
- Then add mild cleaning product. Here, a few drops of shampoo may be enough.
- Now place the stuffed animal in the basin and gently scrub the areas with stains with a soft brush.
- Then rinse the stuffed animal with clean water to remove all traces of shampoo or cleaning product.
- Finally, wring gently to extract the absorbed water, then dry the plush in the sun.
Conclusion on how to clean a stuffed animal
Soft toys are an inseparable companion for your child. He weaves an emotional bond with them that is difficult to undo. Your little one loves to hug and kiss his cuddly toy. However, this could cause him illnesses or allergies, because these toys are not always clean.
So that baby does not get sick from prolonged contact with his stuffed animal, it is therefore essential to clean them regularly. By hand, machine, dry… the methods of plush washing are many and varied. It's up to you to find the one that best suits your baby's cuddly toy!
