Spring is finally here and it is time for the traditional spring cleaning. If you have lots of stuffed animals, you will need to give them some attention. as well.
When it is time for spring cleaning we usually clean everything except our stuffed animals. That is generally a mistake because our furry, cuddly friends usually are magnets for dust. This makes them smell bad, they lose their softness and can become home of dust mites or other little critters.
All of this is easily avoidable with a good spring cleaning. Here are the basics of
Spring cleaning and stuffed animals
We assume you keep most of your stuffies on a shelf or a stuffed animal hammock, maybe even scattered around the room. Take all stuffed animals and gather them in a pile. First clean the spaces they occupied. There will be lots of dust there and you don’t want to return your clean stuffies to a dirty home, right?
Then it is time to tackle the toys. Start by examining them for any tears or other damages. Separate them accordingly. Remove any plastic or other accessories that may fall or get lost. If needed, then sew and repair the damaged stuffies. After you are done, it is time for the real cleaning.
If you are worried the toys have dust mites or lice, first take care of that. A night in a plastic bag and in the freezer would do.
Then take a look at the labels of the toys. Some will be OK to clean in the washing machine, while others will require only a surface wash. For those that can go in the washing machine, prepare the machine with the according cycle and temperature, then put the toys in. After the machine is done, take the toys out and leave them to air dry. Place them on a rack, away from the sun or a heater. It will take a few hours, but it will allow the toys to dry properly and not risk shrinkage.
For stuffed animals that can be only surface washed, you can use baking soda. There are also a few easy ways to clean very old stuffed animals too. If you find stains on the toys, don’t worry. You can deal with that, too.
Afterwards, spend some time grooming your stuffed animals. Brush their fur with a.. brush, then give the stuffies their accessories back. Now, they are allo nice and clean, ready to be returned to their places.
