I was always afraid of washing them, but I would let them just sit and air out (unless they were stained). Germs can’t live on soft surfaces for long

i do a full spray down with rubbing alcohol, and if they look dirty i wash them.

Yes. I practically hose them down with Lysol spray and then dry them in front of a fan. After that, I spot treat any noticeable stains with a non-toxic cleaner called Whip It(this stuff is AMAZING on stains). Lysol is an excellent disinfectant. It kills all kinds of bacteria, viruses, etc. It's completely safe for fabrics, and I don't notice any residual scent after it dries. Whenever my daughter brings her favorite plush sloth(Hannah) with her on errands, we always spray her with Lysol after we get home. We also have Hannah pretend to wash her hands like we do. 😋 She has her own little sink with a soap pump(it's actually from a Barbie set, but it's the right size for Hannah). It was a great way to get my daughter into proper handwashing when she was little, and we just kept on doing it because it's fun.

Washing machine with gain detergent and gain fabric softener. Air dry. If they have plush fluffy fur like the Webkinz signature red wolf, air dry until damp then brush up and down with a build a bear brush in front of a fan blowing not full blast but on medium, unless high is one of two settings. Works great.

I just surface-wash mine, leave in front of fan to dry, and then brush, maybe even spritz a bit of fursuit spray to make them smell good.

Wash by hand with a gentle detergent, like woolite, and dry them in front of a fan and turn often to get as much air through as possible. Brush them with a soft bristle brush after they're dried and that should help too!!

Soaking with vinegar can help with making them not smell anymore too in addition to just washing them up

I spot clean anything obvious and go with a surface wash if someone seems a bit too grubby. 

I don't want to unstuff* them and don't trust the stuffing to dry properly if I submerge them. 

The older ones don't look brand new, but I don't think any amount of cleaning over the years totally prevents that. 

*There's a few who's stuffing type prevents this anyway. 

Hand wash only in lukewarm water with gentle detergent, and either drip or air dry in a place with good airflow. Shout is good for marker or synthetic stains, dawn detergent is good for food/organic stains. Putting them in the washing machine/dryer not only reduces the lifespan of the material if you do it often but you run the risk of matting fur/hair, damaging glass eyes when they bang against the machine, and burning the material. There’s lots of stories where people accidentally ruin their plushies by using a machine, I saw one of a burnt squishmallow (a s’more if you will).

But yeah, I never ever use the machine even though everyone recommends it. Sometimes it works, and sometimes your plush comes out destroyed- there’s plenty of posts on reddit begging people for help on how to fix their plushies that went through the washer or dryer and more often than not there’s no way to repair them.

I use the washer! Put ones that are more fragile (like Douglas, handmade, Ty’s, etc) in a pillowcase so they don’t get tossed too hard. I then use an air fluff setting on my dryer or put them in front of a fan. For my squishmallows and ones without furs I sometimes run them on a normal dryer setting with heat but I advise against this on plushies you care deeply about (certain fabrics warp/melt in heat)!!

either handwash if it's small or washing machine. i know everyone has their opinions but imo plushies are not meant to last forever anyway ,they're bound to age machine or not

Washing machine and then tumble dry, both on lowest possible heat setting.

A few years ago on Shark Tank I saw a product called "Teddy Needs a Bath" which is basically a big super thick zippered case you can throw plushies in that insulated them from getting banged up in the washing machine. I bought that and used it.

i wash mine in the washing machine with mild detergent and air dry. if its a small plush i put it in a mesh garment bag or a pillow case. same air dry method. if its a vintage plush i open a seam usually on the back and remove the stuffing than hand wash the plush, let it air dry and replace with brand new stuffing. ive done this several times with no issues. you just need to know how to hand sew a using a ladder stitch to close the seam back up.

for stains i use just a generic stain spray i buy from target its the store brand usually very cheap and works really well just follow the instructions on the bottle.

I usually put my babies in a pillow case and tie the end and put it on a delicate wash in the washing machine

Meanwhile I subject my Piplup to a yearly wash in the washing machine and dryer (low heat, obviously). I just toss her in a pillowcase and throw a laundry pod in with her. I like to think she enjoys it.

I hand wash, but after gently squeezing the excess water out, or leaving to drip for awhile, it goes into a pillowcase for a spin in the machine. Makes a huge difference to the drying time

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I’ve used heaters to dry plushies dozens of times, don’t put it too close, PLEASE place it at LEAST 2 1/2 feet away, 4-5 at the most. This slowly dries it and prevents scorching. This also dries it on the INSIDE and prevents MOLD. You need heat to prevent mold!

I don't often wash my plushies, but when I do, I put them in a pillow case and chuck them in the washer. I don't put them in the dryer though. I just air dry them

I think that you gonna damage them even more through wash them weekly (the fabric of the plushies). Unfortunately, I think it is very difficult to keep plushies dust-free to be honest :/

I’ve used magic erasers on white stuffies including a Cinnamoroll and it helped a bit

Vacuum shouldn't hurt them, especially if you get a different head on the hose. A slightly damp cloth should do the trick though! You could even spray a little perfume or cologne on the cloth to make them smell divine 😊

Well, I am the one that cleans my plushies weekly, mainly because it's a very expensive custom order and I cuddle with them every night :) just wipe them down with a damp cloth of dilluted detergent and leaving them air dry, i've been doing this for 3 years and there's no damage

The safest bet is to find a pro who can do it for you in your area. Something like this: https://www.instagram.com/tedfix

I’d suggest handwashing them in lukewarm water with a bit of soap, then pressing out the water with a towel and air drying. try to avoid twisting or wringing them so they keep their shape

My partner used to drown them in a bucket of water and some washing powder (from the washing machine). Let them soak for a bit and then let them dry.

Unrelated...but awww you're collection is soo cute

In case you have a steam cleaner or access to one, try gently cleaning them with microfiber cloth nozzle. This works especially well for larger plushies. And adding a few drops of essential oil on the cloth gets rid of unwanted smells, too!

Keep in mind that the care instructions are what they’ve tried that causes the least damage. It doesn’t mean that’s the only option. You’re just on your own to figure out something else.

I machine wash my kids stuffed animals. They go in the dryer with wool dryer balls (clean tennis balls work too) to re fluff the filling so they don’t get lumpy.

More delicate or threadbare ones are hand washed and air dried.

I always throw my sons stuffed animals in a garment bag and then let air dry. If you need a little fluff back, i throw it in the dryer for 5 min then air dry. Haven’t ruined one yet!

I would just hand wash it in the sink with warm water and a mild soap, then let it air dry outside. Throw it in the dryer for a couple minutes at the end if the fur needs fluffing. No guarantees this will work, but this is what I would do to avoid totally damaging it.

To be honest, when it comes to plush toys, I just throw the suggestions out the window. My kids have countless plushies, they get gross, and they get tossed in the washing machine on cold water with a mild detergent. I throw them in the dryer with dry towels to help soak up the moisture in less dry time.

You could try a well wrung damp rag. Or you could take very very light steam and follow that up with a well wrung damp rag.

OrangeHedgehog2012's video is a decent example of how to wash a plush; theres not much to it; i wouldn't recommend attempting it if the plush has any ironed on ("sticker") materials, or at the very least don't get water close to it, as it will most likely damage it

Build-a-Bear sells a spray cleaner that I used to use to clean other stuffed animals too. It works pretty well.

Are you just trying to remove dust? I've thrown stuff animals in the dryer with the no heat setting and it fluffs them up and removes most surface dust.

What memories this brought back! Thank you!

I’d probably do vinegar/water in a spray bottle and low or no heat dryer. But someone’s probably smarter than me.

Be wary of grocery store carpet cleaners etc.. they came affect the colour of some fibres.. i wouldnt put it on an older toy

Oh my god what a wonderful lad