Courtney asked: I have a stuffed doll I got when I was little and I’m not sure how to wash it. It has yarn for hair and I don’t want to ruin it. Please help!
Whether
it’s a keepsake from your childhood or your child’s doll, they will eventually need to be cleaned. Most stuffed animals and dolls can be cleaned in a washing machine as long as some protective steps are taken to keep them safe. For more delicate toys though, use the Cleaning the Toy by Hand or the Cleaning Without Water methods below.
These cleaning methods are for toys that do not have batteries or electrical parts. If the toy does have electrical parts, use the guide How to Clean Plush Toys with Music or Voice Activation instead.
Washing Machine Cleaning
You Will Need:
- Woolite or laundry detergent
- Pillow case
- Rubber band or string
- Old panty hose
Steps to Clean the Toy:
- Prepare the toy by removing any clothing and repairing any weak or damaged areas.
- If the doll has corn silk hair, place a piece of nylon (12-15 inches long) over the head to hold the hair in place. This will keep it from frizzing after it has dried.
- Place the doll inside of the pillow case and close the end with a rubber band or tie it closed with string. Most stuffed animals can be placed directly into the water with no protective covering, but if they have any sewn-on parts, the pillowcase can help to keep them safe.
- Wash as normal on the gentle cycle with warm or cold water.
- After the washing is complete, remove the toy from the pillow case.
- Straighten any hair or areas that were rustled around.
- Allow the toy to air dry completely.
Cleaning the Toy By Hand
You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- Water
- A bowl or tub
- A towel
Steps to Clean the Toy:
- Cleaning a doll or stuffed animal by hand with baking soda and water allows for a great opportunity for your child to clean their own doll and give it a “bath.”
- Fill a bowl with water and add some baking soda. A bin can also be used to better simulate a small bathtub.
- Have your child place their toy into the water and wash them with the water.
- Some extra baking soda can be rubbed into any particularly dirty areas.
- When the doll is cleaned, rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all of the baking soda.
- Wrap the toy in a towel and squeeze the towel to remove any excess water. Do not wring the toy or you could damage it.
- Allow the toy to air dry.
Cleaning Without Water
You Will Need:
- Large bag
- An absorbent powder:
- Wheat germ for brown or black toys
- Corn meal for beige toys
- Baking soda or flour for white or colored toys
- Towel
- Vacuum hose
- A sock
- Sunlight
Steps to Clean the Doll:
- To clean a stuffed animal without wetting it, get a large bag that the toy can fit into if possible. (If the toy is very large, the powder can be sprinkled onto it directly rather than using a bag.)
- Put the toy in the bag and sprinkle in a generous amount of an absorbent powder. You need enough powder to completely coat the toy. It is best to use a powder that most closely resembles the color of the toy; see the list above for some suggestions.
- Seal the bag and shake it vigorously to distribute the powder onto the toy.
- Allow it to set for an hour or two. The powder will absorb any dirt or oils on the toy.
- Wipe the fur (with some force) with a towel or soft cloth to remove the powder and dirt.
- If the powder does not easily come off by brushing it with a towel, use a vacuum hose. Hold the hose several inches away from the toy to prevent any damage. You can also cover the hose with a sock or another airy fabric like cheesecloth or a jersey to decrease the suction.
- The process can be repeated as many times as needed.
- If the toy need some extra cleaning, put it in the sun for an hour. Sunlight is helpful for deodorizing the toy, as well as killing any surface bacteria. Do not leave the toy out for too long though or the fabric dye could lighten.
Additional Tips and Advice
- To speed up the drying process, place the doll or stuff animal near a dehumidifier.
- Some toys can tolerate the heat of the dryer, or can be dried on a no-heat setting. Add a pair of clean shoes to help toss the toy around and “beat” out any dirt.
- Check the seams before and after cleaning to tend to any weak or torn areas.
- Stuffed animals can also be brushed clean to remove dirt build-up. A suede brush or other bristle brush works well for this.
I have a rubber doll from the late ’50s. The doll has darkened with age. How do I get the rubber to lighten up again?
How would you recommend cleaning a big Winnie the Pooh (bigger than a toddler)?
I did try & hope I did not ruin it: dishwashing liquid on a microfiber towel. Rubbed it in, wiped/rinsed with a different microfiber and left it out when it was very sunny.
But, it does not look fluffy now.
PLEASE HELP.
V,
There could be a couple causes. It’s possible that you used a bit too much soap and now there is some soap residue on the fur. If that’s the case, use a wet cloth to rinse the bear again. It sounds like you too great care though, so if you think that you did rinse the soap well and feel that the fur is just matted from the cleaning, then you probably just need to re-fluff the fur. To do that, first try just brushing it gently with a soft brush, such as a nail brush. If that isn’t enough, you could toss it in the dryer briefly on air only (if it doesn’t have any parts that could be damaged) – no heat. Another option is to wrap a thin cloth over the handheld hose on a vacuum and use the suction to fluff the fur.
Source: Mom.me – How to Fluff Out Stuffed Animal Hair After Washing
Source: Mamapedia – Getting Softness Back to Plush Toy After Spin in Dryer
I have a doll that my husband gave to me in 1968 when he was in Vietnam. It is dressed in white and silver and lace. Her clothes are attached to her body, but have turned yellowish and brown. How do I get her clothes to be white again? There is no way I can’t put her in water or in a washing machine. Please help.
Carlinda,
You can try cleaning the dress as you would upholstery. Sponge the dress with cleaning solution, blot up the excess liquid, then sponge with water to rinse, and blot again to remove the liquid. To find a good cleaning solution, use the article How to Wash Dingy Whites. A commonly recommended cleaning solution is bleach, however that may be too harsh for the delicate doll dress. Instead, you may want to start with the Non-Bleach Method and just sponge the solution on rather than soaking it. I’d suggest that you start by just trying to wash it with a laundry detergent safe for delicates, such as Woolite, but since the dress has turned from white to brown, it will probably require a stronger treatment, possibly even the Bleach Method.
However, you may not want to let the dress dry in the sun unless it’s indoors through a window. Even if you cover the doll’s face and arms, the heat outdoors might have some adverse effect. If you can dry it indoors where it will be cooler, that’d be best.
As a last resort, you might be able to take her to a doll maker or doll hospital to have a new dress made for her.
I have a stuffed animal that has also a wind up music box type thing in it. It has a mildew smell and is filthy. How could I clean it! Thank you!!!
Jaime,
Use Cleaning Without Water method, but use baking soda. The baking soda is a natural deodorizer, and will also absorb the dirt and odor. Repeat the process as many times as needed for the toy to be fully dirt and odor free. If you continue to have a mildew smell from the toy, it is possible that the mildew is inside the stuffing. The only way to get rid of it without washing it is to completely remove any moisture, which the mildew requires to live. put the toy in the bag with a generous amount of baking soda, but leave it for several days. However, if you live in a humid area, the mildew may be able to return again later due to the moisture in the area. Getting a dehumidifier for the room where you keep the toy can help to prevent that.
Believe you me, this is not a big deal. I have quite a bit of experience with toys and dolls with gorgeous long hair especially! Now, with stuffed animals, you’re going to love this one. Get some ammonia and mix up a bowl filled half and half with water and ammonia. Get a white wash rag and dip it in, then wring it out so it doesn’t drip, and proceed to bathe the stuffed animal as in a sponge bath. Don’t be scared, it’s not alive, and although ammonia has a whitening effect, it’s not like bleach. Although it smells in the beginning when you’re finished, try to suspend the stuffed toy by the tail, ears, or another inconspicuous area in direct sunlight until it’s dry…Then smell…It’s freshness is perfect. Ammonia kills germs and any bugs. After a couple hours drip-drying in the sun, go ahead and put it in the dryer on high heat, but watch it…This will fluff the fluff and continue killing odors and bugs. Most fluff just needs to be shaken to restore its original fluff look; brushing it may change the fluff’s appearance.
Now, for those ugly Barbie dolls and the like. On your knees again over by the tub, get out the shampoo and conditioner and a fine comb or easy brush; you will know which one to use! Gently shampoo, then with the doll on her back, put a lot of conditioner on her hair and proceed to comb out the tangles, and within a few minutes you will see her hair style coming back. Now, it’s not going to be perfect, the ends will look like they need trimming, so trim them a little while the hair is wet. Keep the hair flat against the bottom of the tub, turning the doll as needed. Rinse and don’t dry with a towel. While the hair is still soaking wet, grab the doll by the legs and swing the water out of the hair…Take a look…Smooth hair in place…Go ahead and style it back to the original pony tail or whatever…Trim as needed. Then, place either flat rubber bands around the very bottom of the hair and around her neck, holding the hair in place until it’s dry, or use some Scotch tape the same way. Blow drying works and so does the hot curling iron and a little hair spray before using the iron. Voila! Be proud of yourself; you are an official doll restorer. Now, hide the finished doll until next Christmas…Don’t throw it away!
I have an old rubber baby doll that has marker on her head. I’ve tried just about everything to get it off. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the marker off?
Kathy,
This is the article that you need: How to Remove Permanent Marker from a Doll’s Face.