How we saved our plush penguin from mold

You may have seen him before. This is one of our favorite stuffies. The stuffed penguin is very old and suffered from mold. Here’s how we saved him.

Later this year he will turn 30 years old. He was made with the old types of stuffing which is a stiff cotton. It was used especially for filling toys, blankets and… isolation.

Recently we cleaned the penguin in a washing machine. It is something we have done numerous times over the years. This time though, he didn’t dry out properly. After a few days he started to smell like mold.

We knew we had to act fast or risk getting the mold everywhere on him. So,

here’s how we saved our beloved stuffed penguin.

First, we had to take out the old stuffing. For that we used a cutting knife to tear open one of the seams on each piece. This included the head, body, both wings, both legs and the beak.

Then we took out the old stuffing and gave each piece a good vacuuming and cleaning. Afterwards, we washed each now empty piece in the washing machine again. Twice to make sure all of the mold is cleaned.

Afterwards, we waited for the pieces to get fully dry. Since they were empty, this happened rather quick.

Then it was time for the new stuffing. We used new stuffing which we had laying around the house from furniture. You can also buy brand new stuffing, but if you have suitable fabric at home, you can use it no problem.

Keeping the tears in the seams small is important because it allows you to restuff each piece and check it each time to see if it’s regaining its original form. This is the part where trial and error comes in. You may have to add more stuffing or remove some in order to get the original shape of each piece.

Finally, it was time to sew all pieces back together. Lo and behold, our stuffed penguin is back! And he looks better than ever, now living a second life with new stuffing.