Washing a stuffed animal

[riaketty]

T's stuffed penguin is getting gnarly.

Do you think I could machine wash it, stick it in the dryer, and continue to dry it with 4 loads of normal clothes? Leave it in there?

[lonegirl]

I just had to wash a huge bag of my old stuffies (rats got into the bag). I threw them into the washer with detergent. Then Dried in the drier on cool. No problems!!

[echospiritwarrior]

that's what I do, if it doesn't make it it goes out to the trash. (except one which I have had to repair)

[sophiesgrandma]

I put them in pillow cases.

[Sunflower66]

I second the pillow case method. It helps keep the animals in tact.

[hibana]

If the kiddo involved is big enough to get the point, why not have the owner give the stuffy a bath in the sink? Dd started washing her animals at age 2. It'll dry faster if you spin it out in the washer, but you'd be surprised how clean an icky animal can be after 45 minutes of being sloshed around in the sink.

edited to add: some stuffed animals don't do well in the dryer. They get all pill-y and scratchy. They'll generally dry in a day if hung up, especially outside.

[Magelet]

I've done both (on the same stuffed animal ) I thought the washing machine got the animal MUCH cleaner than hand washing in many many rinses of water, BUT he smelled like our (fairly natural) detergent at first afterwards. Since it's for me, and it's milder naturaler detergent, I was ok with that, but I don't know if that's ok for you and your kid.

If it's sunny/warm/dry out, put it in the spin cycle of the wash, then leave it outside to dry, it works well.

[chel]

i often wash dd's animals in the washing machine. i put them in a mesh bag and wash and dry with a normal load of clothes. so far everything has held up well

[allnaturalmom]

Yes... Stuffed animals, baby dolls, and pillows.... Everyone gets a fair chance in the machine! Sometimes they go in the mesh laundry bag, sometimes not. Only exception is the american girl doll. No bath for her!

[riaketty]

Originally Posted by hibana

If the kiddo involved is big enough to get the point, why not have the owner give the stuffy a bath in the sink? Dd started washing her animals at age 2. It'll dry faster if you spin it out in the washer, but you'd be surprised how clean an icky animal can be after 45 minutes of being sloshed around in the sink.

edited to add: some stuffed animals don't do well in the dryer. They get all pill-y and scratchy. They'll generally dry in a day if hung up, especially outside.

That sounds SO fun, however, DD is only about 16mo... I don't think she would 'get' it yet, she'd probably try to save Penguin and run off with him sopping wet!

[gothnurse3]

I put them in a mesh laundry bag then hang the bag on the clothes line. Nobody has fallen apart this way.

[proudmomof4]

Originally Posted by allnaturalmom

Yes... Stuffed animals, baby dolls, and pillows.... Everyone gets a fair chance in the machine! Sometimes they go in the mesh laundry bag, sometimes not. Only exception is the american girl doll. No bath for her!

Same here. And whatever you do: don't hang the penguin up by his feather tails for drying. You could seriously traumatize your child. (My mother used to tell how she hung my doggy on the line by his ears and I totally freaked!)