Care
How To Wash A Stuffed Animal Without Ruining It
Decide first whether it can go in a machine at all. That single decision prevents most damage.
how to wash a stuffed animal
Nearly all stuffed animal damage from cleaning comes from two mistakes: machine washing something that should have been surface cleaned, and tumble drying anything at all. Heat is far more destructive than water.
Work through the checks below before you start, then follow the route that matches.
Step 1 — Decide if it can be machine washed
If any of the following are true, do not put it in a machine. There is no version of this where it goes well.
- Bead or pellet fill (weighted plush) — the fill shifts and the pouch can burst.
- Grain or seed fill (heatable plush) — the fill spoils and will never dry.
- A sound module, batteries or any electronics.
- Glued-on features: eyes, noses, bows, appliqués.
- Wired parts: wings, antlers, ears, tails.
- Antique or collectible plush with original tags, or anything sawdust-filled.
- Visible tears or open seams — wash them shut only after repair.
Step 2a — Machine washing, if it passed
Put the plush in a mesh laundry bag or a knotted pillowcase. This is not optional: it stops limbs and ears taking the full force of the drum.
Cold water, gentle or delicates cycle, a small amount of mild detergent, no bleach and no fabric softener — softener coats synthetic pile and makes it matt.
Run an extra rinse. Detergent residue left in dense fill is a common cause of stiffness afterwards.
- Mesh bag or pillowcase, always.
- Cold water, gentle cycle, mild detergent.
- No bleach, no fabric softener.
- Extra rinse to clear residue from the fill.
Step 2b — Surface washing, if it did not
Mix a small amount of mild detergent into cold water and work up a light foam. Apply only the foam with a cloth, working in the direction of the pile, and avoid soaking the fabric through to the fill.
Wipe with a clean damp cloth to lift the detergent, then blot with a dry towel. Do not rub, which mats the pile permanently.
Step 3 — Drying, where most damage happens
Never tumble dry. Heat melts and permanently flattens synthetic pile, shrinks fabric unevenly and can distort a sewn shape beyond recovery.
Press out excess water in a towel — squeeze, do not wring. Then air dry away from direct sunlight and direct heat, turning it every few hours. A small plush takes a day; a giant one can take three.
A fan pointed at it speeds this up considerably and is the only acceleration worth using.
- Squeeze in a towel, never wring.
- Air dry only, out of sunlight and away from radiators.
- Turn every few hours so the underside dries.
- Use a fan rather than heat to speed it up.
Step 4 — Finishing
Once fully dry, brush the pile with a soft pet slicker brush in the direction of the fur. This is what makes a washed plush look washed rather than damaged, and it takes two minutes.
Squeeze and work the body to redistribute the fill, which always compacts slightly during washing.
Smells, mould and lice
For persistent smells, seal the dry plush in a bag with bicarbonate of soda for 24 hours, then shake and brush it out. This works better than repeated washing.
For mould, do not wash first — take it outside, brush the surface spores off, then surface clean. Machine washing spreads mould through the fill.
For lice or nits, sealing the plush in a plastic bag for two weeks is the standard advice and does not require washing at all.
Questions
Can you put a stuffed animal in the washing machine?
Only if it has no bead or grain fill, no electronics, no glued or wired parts and no open seams. Use a mesh bag, cold water and a gentle cycle.
Can you tumble dry a stuffed animal?
No. Heat permanently flattens synthetic pile and can distort the shape. Air drying is the only safe method.
How do you wash a weighted stuffed animal?
Surface clean it. Bead fill shifts in a machine, the inner pouch can burst, and the plush will not dry through.
How do you get a smell out of a stuffed animal?
Seal it in a bag with bicarbonate of soda for a day, then shake and brush it out. It works better than washing it again.
How do you wash a giant stuffed animal?
A large-capacity or laundromat machine on cold and gentle, or surface clean it. Either way expect two to three days of air drying with a fan.
What about antique or collectible plush?
Do not wash them. Surface clean gently, keep the tags intact, and accept some wear — cleaning reduces collector value.