Stuffed animals seem to always get dirty, no matter what. Through the curious adventures of being dragged outside and sneezed on when sick, you can toss them in your washing machine, but there is another trick to the cleaning madness. Apartment Therapy came up with a couple of creative ways to make your child’s beloved stuffed animal clean and smelling like it should—fresh.
Check the tag of the stuffed animal to see if it is washing machine friendly. If it is, go ahead and follow the label’s instructions and place the stuffed animal in a pillowcase or mesh bag; this way, no delicate parts will be torn off or ruined. Make sure not to toss the stuffed animal in your clothes dryer since the faux fur, and perhaps even some of the plastic parts, will melt. Instead, place the stuffed animal in front of a vent or fan. You can even blow dry it; just make sure your hair dryer is on the coolest setting.
If you’re unable to clean the stuffed animal in your washing machine, Apartment Therapy recommends placing it into a big garbage bag along with about a 1/2 cup of baking soda for an average-sized stuffed animal. Depending on the size of the animal, you can always opt for a large Ziploc freezer bag, too. You’ll want to seal your bag, and give it a good shake. They recommend allowing the stuffed animal to sit for 15-20 minutes, which should do the trick to remove any lingering smelliness. Then, brush off the stuffed animal or use your vacuum cleaner to such up the baking soda debris. Head on over to Apartment Therapy to learn more stuffed animal cleaning tips.
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