cleaning plush toys

[lucky stars]

i got a whole box of (used) toys including quite a few plusies...moatly lamaze/fisher price, they all have tags saying "surface wipe only" but they are filthy. I know they were played with outisde on the ground and have been sitting in a box in the dusty hot shed for a few months, so i am really tempted to just chuck them in the washing machine, perhaps on the setting for delicates, does anyone know if this will be ok, or will they be ruined? i dont want these toys to go to waste but a surface wipe is hardly gonna make them any cleaner.
thank you all

[moozle]

Hi lucky stars, I think companies put that on the labels so that if things go wrong you can't complain to them :laughing: I put all of DS's soft toys through the wash on a delicate cycle WITH fabric softner... stops the toys dring scratchy :) Also.. if they have glass eyes, I would hand wash them because they get scratched very easily and look kinda freaky... but yes, in my opinion and experience it's absolutely fine :)

[sweetsugardumplin']

Yeah like Moozle said, give em a gentle wash with some fabric softner (maybe put the ones with beady eyes in a pillow case)

You may loose some, but the suvivors will be clean and smell nice :p

[mim1]

Another option first is to put the toy in a bag (a ziplock bag if it will fit) with some baking soda (be generous with the amount) and shake it around making sure the toy is coated in baking soda. Leave it for at least 1/2 hour, then brush the baking soda off. The toy will look a lot better and perhaps good enough to play with again.

[kuddles]

I have soaked some of DS's toys in nappisan and then hand washed them. I just make sure that I rinse the nappisan off really well.

[babybabycakes]

washing in the washing machine on gentle cycle works well. All of DS's toys are recycled and some were also filthy. I washed them all in the machine and i put them in a lingerie washbag or pillowcase to minimize damage.

With the glass/plastic eyes and noses- to stop them from being scratched and looking freaky as a PP said, pop a little masking tape over the eyes/noses that can get scratched. :D peel it off once washed. if there is any tape residue wipe them with a cottonball and some eucalyptus oil (or rubbing alcohol) and the residue comes off. Clean toys and no freaky eyes! :laughing:

[Little-Pink-Hen]

Put them in the frezzer in a bag over night(kills grems)
than brush them with a nylon stocking filled with bran (fluffs them back up)
I would wash them if they have the crickly material inside if they are generally teddies and you want to give them a wash throw in a pillow case and on a gentle wash

[bunkx]

i have always washed mine in the washing machine just normally put them on delicate cycle and i have never had a problem

soaking them in a bucket of napi san is good too :)