Soft Plush Toys

I have a little girl of 2 years and a baby on the road. I want to wash my daughter's stuffed animals get them clean for the baby. Most of them say on the label "surface washable" only. Do you think I could still put them in the washing machine on gentle cycle? A friend thinks it will be OK if I put them in pillow cases first. Has anyone done this? Do you have other suggestions for cleaning?

I washed them before ... Be sure to extract the water very well (to put it on a regular spin cycle rather than the 'gentle spin) ... I then hang them to dry.

Good luck!

go ahead just use a mild soap

I try to stay away from soft toys because they are so difficult to clean - and think about where they go between washings!

The stuffed animals that my children have been particularly attached to I washed quite regularly - use a gentle cycle, but the hot water. It probably would not hurt to put them into pillowcases first, but I do not think it will make a big difference.

Also, be aware that some parts of the toy does not do as well - my son had a stuffed lion whose mane started right, but left the washing machine like his mane was very tight curls permed small! At least it was clean, though.

One last thing - you should probably dry the toys in the dryer, or they take forever to dry, and perhaps begin to mold. Just do not use a hot setting, because some parts of them can soften or melt.

I ran the plush toys through the washer without any problems. Make sure they are not toys Squeeky, since water would damage them. Keep them in a pillowcase, run the delicate cycle and managed by a medium-dry temp. Sometimes I put a tennis ball in the dryer to ensure they remain in their original form

My gf has some Vermont Teddy Bear and he says you can wash them in a pillowcase and dry them on low with a couple of tennis balls.

You can put them in the washer and dryer, but the essential point is that you dry them all along. Not too hot, it can melt all the pieces of plastic that can be about them. But if they are all fabric, go with the hot water and temperature.

If they are damaged in washing, they probably were not in good enough condition to give the child anyway ...

I used to do after three children just to be able to throw some out!

Certainly it is enough to put them in a dish - I have a friend who is allergic to dust mites if it is washed regularly with soft toys that way and I work in a school where we put all the toys stuffed in a washing machine too - I would not drop to dry, if possible, even if, as they may melt!

I put them in the washer and washed once, I put them in a pillowcase for the dryer to prevent the low melting poly fiber.

NMass has the best answer .... very logical!