A Guide to Washing & Cleaning Teddy Bears

Do you love to pamper your kids with teddy bears, plushies, and soft toys? Does your kid love to play with teddy bears all day? If yes, then you need to make sure that the teddy bears are clean and spotless to ensure the safety of your kids. Soft toys like teddy bears tend to collect dust and mites very quickly. The synthetic fur of teddy bears attracts dust making the child playing with teddy bears suffer from dust allergies.

If you are worried about the safety of your child, then you need to focus on keeping the soft toys clean. Cleaning soft toys at home is quite difficult. You cannot just toss the teddy bears casually into the washing machine. Nor can you wash the teddy bears thoroughly by hand. Moreover, cleaning teddy bears require extra care and attention, as the fabric is sensitive and prone to damage.

Notwithstanding the difficulties, it is crucial to keep the soft toys clean and tidy. It is recommended to hire a dry cleaner near you to clean and dry teddy bears by professionals. Read on to know more about washing and cleaning the teddy bears. 

An insight into the approach to cleaning teddy bears:

• Understand the composition of the teddy bears

Before cleaning the teddy bears, it is important to carefully analyse the material composition of the teddy bear. Teddy bears are composed of various kinds of fabrics that include faux fur, cotton blend, and polyester. Further, the teddy bears are stuffed with synthetic fibres, pellets, foam, and cotton. There may also be special teddy bears with embroidered details, embellishments, and electronic components. As such, it is important to read the label of instructions before beginning to clean the teddy bear. If there is no instruction label, then a simple handwash would make the teddy bear clean. Identify the extra-sensitive areas of the teddy bear prior to the hand wash. Take note of the seams, glued areas, and stitched sections of the teddy bear and avoid these areas while washing the teddy bear. 

• Prep the teddy bear for the cleaning session

Before cleaning the teddy bear it is important to check for torn fabric and loose stitches. Repair the loose seams before washing the teddy bear. One may also conduct a quick patch test on the teddy bear to make sure that the fabric is not sensitive to detergent or water.

Before washing the teddy bear, it is necessary to remove all accessories including bows, buttons, bells, and clothes. Clean the accessories separately. Now shake the teddy bear gently to get rid of loose dirt. You may also use a vacuum cleaner with soft brushes to eliminate surface debris, especially if the teddy bear is too fluffy.

• Wash the teddy bear

You may either machine wash or hand wash the teddy bear depending on the texture, fabric, colours, and fluffiness of the toy.

Machine washing is fine for teddy bears that are sturdy and non-delicate. Simply put the teddy bear inside a laundry bag and put the bag inside the machine. The laundry bag helps to prevent excessive agitation of the teddy bear in the washing machine. Do not use bleach or harsh detergent powder to wash the soft toy.  After the washing cycle, remove the teddy bear from the washing machine and check for soapy residue on its fur. Scrape the residues off gently with your fingers.

If the teddy bear is delicate and fluffy, you may consider hand washing the toy. Fill a sink with lukewarm water and mix a small amount of liquid soap in the water. Dip the teddy bear in the soapy water and squeeze it gently to get rid of dirt. Use a sponge to scrub the furry surface gently to remove stains and marks. Avoid scrubbing too vigorously as that might damage the delicate fabric. Wash the teddy bear in clean water once or twice until there is no soapy residue left on the teddy bear.

If the teddy bear is not washable, then you can opt for dry cleaning techniques. Dry-cleaning a teddy bear at home is not an easy task. You may hire professional dry-cleaning services for cleaning soft toys. Professionals use a teddy bear cleaner, a cleaning agent, that makes the teddy bear spotless and perfect for playing with again.

• Drying the teddy bears

Drying the teddy bears immediately after the wash is essential to prevent the growth of mould on the furry surface of the soft toy. After the wash, wrap the teddy bear in a soft towel and press gently to remove the excess water. You may use a hairdryer on a low heat setting to dry the teddy bear. You can also place the teddy bear in a shaded spot under the Sun for drying through aeration. Once the teddy bear is dry, fluff it gently with a soft brush to restore the fluffiness of the soft toy. 

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the techniques of cleaning teddy bears it is time for you to get down to action. Cleaning teddy bears at home is a time-consuming task. If you are a busy parent with kids who require constant attention then it is highly recommended for you to hire the services of a professional cleaner. You may reach out to Hello Laundry for washing, cleaning, or dry cleaning teddy bears.