Washing a cuddly toy

pinkteapot

I should probably lie and say I'm posting this on behalf of the small child I don't have, but this is about a cuddly toy that hubby bought me a few years ago and I'm very attached to.

So attached that it gets cuddled every night and is now a bit grubby.

My mum used to put my teddy bears in the washing machine when I was a kid, but I'm terrified to with this one in case it ruins it somehow. It's a really soft and squidgy cuddly toy, not one of those stiff Steiff-style toys. I'm scared that the washing machine will completely flatten what stuffing it has left (none has come out of it, but it's much smaller than it used to be as I've squashed the stuffing down a lot from too many cuddles :eek:).

Any suggestions for an embarrassing problem? :rotfl:

lizzyb1812

You could wash it on a delicates cycle or by hand, do not spin or wring, when fairly dry tumble dry to plump up the filling. The filling may go lumpy and/or flat, in which case unpick a seam and restuff a bit.

But most labels on these sort of things say "sponge clean only" so perhaps try that first?

And try cuddling OH instead as he'll be easier to wash:rotfl:

Skint_Catt

If you don't want to risk the delicate programme on the washing machine how about a sponge bath for it? A little detergent and some warm water and a soft cloth or sponge and gently wash the outside material? Does it have any labels or anything on it?
C xx

DollyDabbler

Skint_Catt wrote: »

If you don't want to risk the delicate programme on the washing machine how about a sponge bath for it? A little detergent and some warm water and a soft cloth or sponge and gently wash the outside material? Does it have any labels or anything on it?
C xx

I saw them do this on "How clean is my house", they used a soft flannel and ordinary toilet soap, the cuddly was fine.
I've done favourite teddies on delicates before now, I put them into a pillowcase first. If you don't have a delicate programme and it's really grubby, what about a soak, gentle hand washing, then a rinse and a quick spin.

pinkteapot

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

And try cuddling OH instead as he'll be easier to wash:rotfl:

:rotfl:

Plenty of snuggles with OH but not while sleeping - we're not cuddly sleepers, to quote Friends.

All the info on the label has faded off from cuddles lol. I'm sure it did originally say sponge-clean only.

Unfortunately I don't have a tumble drier so ruined filling is what I'm worried about. Then again, OH keeps threatening to take it to a dressmaker for "an operation" as the stuffing has got so squashed down anyway. :eek:

I'll try a sponge bath with a bit of detergent first and work my way up to the washing machine. If it does go in it will be inside a pillowcase - I do this for delicates and put all sorts in the machine that's meant to be hand-wash only.