How to wash soft toys without damaging them

Learn how to wash soft toys without damaging them. Discover how to wash soft toys in the washing machine, by hand or dry clean to keep their softness and original aspect.

Most children have their favourite soft toy. Some like to sleep with them, or have them with them all the time, or just have them in their room. Some end up on the floor, in the car and accompany them to the park or at meals with the whole family. This is why they need to be washed from time to time, because if there is something soft toys accumulate, it is dirt.

If you ready to clean the child’s soft toys but don’t know where to start, the first thing you need to know is that washing soft toys is not a difficult task, but you must keep in mind some recommendations and care in order not to damage them.

How to wash soft toys in the washing machine

It is the fastest and most effective option. In addition, nowadays, almost all soft toys are labelled with washing instructions and can be washed in the washing machine with a delicate washing programme, neutral or mild soap, at a temperature of 30 degrees and without spinning.

The best thing to do is to place it in a net bag for delicate garments, to avoid any snagging or loss of any embedded object.

For drying, put them in the open air, in the sun and on a flat surface, to avoid malformation.

How to wash soft toys by hand

If the soft toy cannot be machine washed and the washing instructions indicate that it must be hand-washed, do so with lukewarm water and a gentle detergent.

First of all, shake or brush the soft toy with a soft bristle brush to remove any dust and separate the fibres of the driest stains.

Then, immerse it in a basin of lukewarm water and detergent for special garments or for babies. Leave it to soak for a while and rub the dirtiest areas with your hands.

Rinse thoroughly with clean water until there is no soap residue left and lay it on a flat surface so that it does not lose shape. 

How to dry clean soft toys

If the soft toy cannot be machine washed or washed by hand, you will have to dry clean it.

For proper maintenance of these toys, it is best to wipe the entire soft toy with a cloth or brush with fine bristles to remove the remains of dust.

Then, mix some water with soap until you get suds.

Take a new microfibre cloth and dampen it with the mixture of soap and water and rub the entire surface of the soft toy.

For more stubborn stains, use a toothbrush dipped in the soapy mixture and rub the more resistant stains.

Finally, remove any excess soap with another damp cloth. Rub the entire soft toy to make sure there is no soap residue.

Leave to dry in the open air on a flat surface.