“How do I clean baby toys?”

Great question,people! And I wish I had lots of pictures and experiences to share with you on this topic,but as you probably know,I have no kids. I have 2 cats and they will do until my husband and I decide to fire up the ol’ family machine. Until that point,I have plenty of friends with babies and have received a ton of exposure to kids of all ages. I’ll admit it,they’re growing on me. Time and again,my friends (who used to ask me if their butts looked good in their tightest clubbing outfit) are now asking me how to clean their kids’ toys. Oh friends,how the times have changed. Friends aside,a TON of community members are parents and ask me this very question.

So,for all of you who I will now be forever referring to this post,here’s how it is done safely,quickly and effectively. Remember that frequency is up to mom and dad. There are recommendations however some parents are less stringent than others. It is entirely your call,much like your parenting style.

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Most plush toys come with a care label,and that should be reviewed to determine the appropriate cleaning procedure. Many will say to hand wash only,and that’s fine. However,if you are dead set on putting them in the wash,you certainly can. If you don’t need to wash but just remove dust,you can quickly vacuum the fur if the toy by using a trick we discussed in our dusting tips post,where you place old pantyhose over a vacuum brush attachment,and vacuum the dust off the toy. And now,back to washing. A couple of snags you may hit along the way would be that crinkle toys won’t crinkle anymore,and faux fir or stuffed animal ‘hair’ may frizz up or mat never to be returned to normal.

You are welcome to risk whatever you wish,it’s the wrath of your child you need to consider. Heed these fair warnings and you should be OK.Do not machine wash if:

1. The toy contains a music box
2. The toy is old and/or fragile
3. The toy has glued on items like sequins,ribbon etc. However,glued-on eyes can probably handle a wash
4. The toy has delicate items on that can’t be removed (little outfits or accessories)
5. The toy is stuffed with anything but polyester batting,like tiny foam balls or beans.

Keep in mind that a top-load washing machine,due to the agitator,may displace the batting of the animals. For a high-efficiency washer,you’re in good shape. Regular detergent is fine,and I’d use something safe for baby i.e. dye and scent-free. Consider adding in a scoop of oxygen bleach powder to the wash if they are stained or smelly. Then,take an old pillowcase and throw the plush toys into the pillowcase. Close it up with a while pipe-cleaner,twist tie or piece of fine wire (or perhaps use a pillow cover with a zipper instead) and place in the wash. I’d recommend using a delicate or gentle wash cycle with cool or warm (not hot) water. If the water gets too hot,it can melt glued-on items (leading to a very sad child). When the wash cycle is done,pull out the toys and brush the fur with a fine-tooth comb to re-fluff it (white glove service right here).

You have a couple of drying options too. You can place the pillowcase in the dryer on the fluff-cycle (never leave unattended) or,remove the stuffed animals and hang them to dry,or dry them in the sun. Treat the toys like clothing and wash like colours together. You may want to consider washing them with towels instead of clothing just in case a toy’s colours run in the wash. Your plush toys should be in tip-top shape!