How to wash soft toys in the washing machine

The safety of the child is the key to his health. And if the house has a lot of soft toys, then over time the question arises about their cleaning. Throwing all the toys in the washing machine, you can just spoil them. Therefore, before taking up the washing of toys, you need to carefully examine what they are made of and how they can be cleaned. This will not only preserve the look of your child’s favorite toys, but also serve them for a very long time.

Why wash soft toys

Stuffed toys often serve as a source of dust and germs. Their regular cleaning allows you to avoid many health problems. Especially if the child is allergic. Usually in this case, the parents try not to buy soft toys.But it happens that the allergy manifested itself when the child already had a favorite soft toy or was presented without the knowledge of his relatives. It is not necessary to injure your child because of the fear of causing an attack. You can simply regularly organize the washing of soft toys.

Another reason to wash teddy bears and bunnies is an infectious disease. Toys can contain dangerous microorganisms for a long time, which often cause reinfection. Such diseases include scabies and intestinal infections. Plastic or wooden toys are easy to clean after suffering a disease with plain water and soap. But with soft products will have to tinker.

There are several ways to clean a toy. Usually they write on labels how exactly a particular bunny can be rid of dust and other contaminants. Manufacturers rarely allow washing their products in a washing machine, as the modes on different appliances may differ. An icon is often indicated to allow dry cleaning or hand washing without spinning.

To prevent severe contamination of toys, it is better to stretch them every three months.And if the child is allergic, then this procedure should be repeated twice a month. This helps to eliminate unpleasant odors, dust and make pets more neat in appearance. In old toys, dust mites are often inflamed. Therefore, before you give your child a toy from the attic, it must be thoroughly cleaned and washed at a temperature of at least 60 °.

How to wash soft toys in the washing machine

The easiest and fastest way to clean plush pets is washing in a washing machine. The only problem is that not all toys can be subjected to such a hard method of cleaning. On the label is usually listed information about the wash. Most often in the machine erase small items without musical functions.

In order to avoid accidental dyeing, light toys should be washed separately from dark and colored ones. It is better to remove all removable parts (brooches, bows, etc.) immediately. For washing delicate things, there are special mesh bags. They can also be used as a protective cover for soft toys.

On the washing machine you need to set the most delicate mode without spinning.Even a light spin can ruin the shape of the product. The temperature is set at no more than 30 °, and the powder is used exclusively for children or for delicate items. Such products are cared for several times, at least twice, as the powder may remain in the filler. It is better to rinse out the liquid forms of the powder, so they are preferable for washing toys.

After washing, the toys need to be slightly wrung out, shaking each into a terry towel, and laid out to dry out on cotton fabric. Hanging wet plush pets is not worth it, because from moisture the filler becomes heavier and goes down. Products with a long nap are better to comb while still wet, so that the villi do not twist. All removable accessories are hooked back only after the toy has completely dried.

How to wash large soft toys

Washing large toys is complicated by the fact that you can’t stick them in a washing machine. Such products are best washed only by hand to preserve their shape. But if your favorite bear is so old and dirty that only a washing machine will save it (and it can easily fit in a drum), use tennis balls.This simple trick is recommended for washing down jackets, but it can also be used for large toys. The balls in the machine will bounce off the walls of the drum and will not let the filler get off in one room.

How much you can wet a toy depends on the material of the filler and the outer upholstery. Also, when washing you need to take into account the material of accessories (eyes, spout, caps, etc.). For example, a soft-looking doll with a painted face can ruin even the most gentle wet cleaning.

If the big toy does not have glued eyes and bows, then it can be completely wet. To do this, fill the bath with warm water and dissolve some powder in it. After a good wash with a dense sponge, such a toy is gently squeezed and debilitated to dry in the sun. The problem is that the bigger the toy, the longer it dries. During long-term drying, an unpleasant and heavy odor of dampness can appear.

For large teddy bears and other animals, a wet brushing method that does not affect the filler is preferable. Warm water is collected in a large basin and liquid powder or shampoo is well foamed in it.The resulting foam is rubbed into the exterior upholstery with a sponge. After such a wet cleaning, you need to wipe the toy several times with a clean, damp sponge and dry it well with a towel. To speed up the drying process, you can use a hairdryer.

How to clean a soft toy that can not be washed

Some soft toys cannot be washed. The so-called anti-stress little animals are filled with small balls that can fill and ruin a washing machine when the seam is broken. The same applies to cute vintage dolls with buckwheat or sawdust as a filler, which after wetting tend to swell, which will definitely spoil the shape of the product. Also not completely worn toys, with an electronic unit inside. Moisture inside can ruin a child’s favorite thing and, ultimately, the mood of his parents.

How, then, to clean and sanitize such products? To remove dust, you can simply vacuum it. From large toys, the vacuum cleaner does not pull the dust completely, so they must first be well beaten in the fresh air.This way the packing will become looser and it will be easier to get dusty aggregations from it.

A special nozzle for cleaning upholstered furniture is put on the vacuum cleaner, which spares the fabric as much as possible and retains the attractive appearance of the product. Such nozzles usually come complete with appliances. It is worth remembering that cleaning with a vacuum cleaner does not save a toy from possible germs and does not get rid of stains and dirt. It can only be used as an intermediate option for the care of soft animals. If you regularly vacuum all the toys and do a wet cleaning in the room, then the washing can be performed less frequently.

If small plush bunnies and cats need only be refreshed, then absorbents that are in any house are well suited for this purpose. All toys that require cleaning, put in a tight plastic bag and fall asleep soda, flour, cornstarch or baby powder. These substances absorb odors and attract dust.

The package must be tightly closed and trotted so that the absorbent is evenly distributed over the surface of the toys. After half an hour you can open. Smells will disappear along with the dust after thorough cleaning with a soft brush and vacuum cleaner.Such a procedure is also effective after washing large toys, which have been dried for a long time and smell unpleasantly damp. Flour or starch will stretch the remaining moisture along with the smell.

There are cases when a toy has been forgotten, has not been cleaned for a long time, and dust mites have probably already been wound up in it. Giving play to her child is dangerous for his health. But what to do if the child has found his lost pet and now does not want to part with it, but it is impossible to erase it? Here will help the cold, which kills germs worse than high temperature. Small toys need to be folded in a bag and put in the freezer.

To freeze plush pets need at least a day, and preferably a couple of days. Large toys that do not fit in the freezer can be hung out in the winter, and before the onset of cold weather can be kept away from children. It is worth remembering that the frozen thing after heating will become slightly wet. You can dry it with a hairdryer or lay it out near the battery. But first it is better to comb the toy to straighten the villi.

How to wash musical soft toys

According to the instructions for the products, it is strictly prohibited to throw musical toys into the washing machine.After such a wash, they will definitely lose their functions. But if it is necessary to conduct such a tough disinfection with all toys (after an infection), then you can carefully get the musical part, fix the ripped part with thread. This is done so that the filler is not lost during the wash. After washing, put everything back in place and sew up the toy with matching threads.

Some believe that a musical toy can be washed by hand and its functionality will not be impaired. This is a delusion, because even if you take out the batteries, which just deteriorate from wetting, moisture can contribute to the oxidation of contacts. If someone is lucky and a teddy bear sings after washing, it does not mean that it will be like that with all the toys.

Often children sleep and eat with plush friends and do not part with them even on the street. From this on soft toys appear greasy stains and other dirt. And if the toy cannot be washed, it will be problematic to clean it. Food stains can immediately wipe with a degreasing dishwashing detergent, and then gently rinse it off with a sponge.

The most preferred option for restoring an attractive form of musical toys is dry cleaning. Usually they are vacuumed or rubbed with a soft brush.If there are suspicions of ticks, then before freezing the electronics are also better to get, only the seam can not be sutured. Contact can also deteriorate if it freezes.

Many advise to dry toys after washing on the battery, because it is faster. But such a drying can give the product a very sad look. Upholstery fabric is usually not too dense and under the influence of heat is often deformed. Even wet things lying in the sun often deteriorate. Strongly wet in the process of washing the toy, you must first let it drain well in limbo, because so the moisture quickly retire. But this does not apply to too large copies of the plush collection. They are gently squeezed with a towel or even a few, and only then we hang or disassemble near a heat source (not on the battery, but near it).

It can be concluded that the toys are not only washable, but also need to be done regularly. When cleaning in the nursery, you can vacuum the soft animals every time. This simple procedure does not take much time, but it will keep order in the bedroom for longer. Spots of various origins are easier to remove while they are fresh, so if the child’s favorite bunny gets hurt, you need to clean it immediately. In this way, aggressive washing can be avoided.

Compliance with simple rules for cleaning toys will help to preserve their appearance and the health of the child. If a child is used to sleeping with his toys, then wash them exclusively with phosphate-free powders. In order for the fur of animals to remain soft and fluffy, add a softener to the washing machine for hard water. Many manufacturers are reinsured and on the label indicate only the dry method of cleaning. But if there is a need to wash the product, carefully examine it for the presence of glued fittings and check the strength of the seams. In fact, most toys can be stretched at least by hand.

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