Giving Your Bear a Bath
Bathe your bear in soapy water. First, remove any of the bear’s clothing that can be washed separately so you can clean the bear itself thoroughly. Then mix a dash of soap with warm water in a sink or large bowl. Submerge the bear. To prevent the bear from becoming overly logged with water, only submerge the first part (head, limbs, back side, front side, etc) that you intend to clean. Use a high-efficiency (HE) dish or laundry detergent that produces few suds in order to make rinsing easier.
Wash the bear. Use your fingers to softly knead and massage any dirt, grime, or stains that come off easily. For tougher spots, use a sponge, face flannel, or towel. Gently rub the dirty areas until the dirt dislodges. For particularly tough spots, be sure to go soft and easy, regardless of the time it takes, to avoid pulling the fur out by its roots. Make sure to clean behind its ears, along its neck, and any other areas where seams create crevices and extra dirt might collect.
Rinse. Empty the sink or bowl of soapy warm. Fill it again with only water. Submerge the bear again. Gently massage it to release soapy residue. Drain the sink or bowl and repeat as needed until all soap has been removed. Again, to keep the bear from becoming excessively waterlogged, only rinse off one part at a time before submerging the next.
Spot-Cleaning Your Bear
Wet the dirty area. First, dampen a cloth. Then gently apply the wet cloth to the bear. Moisten and rub the dirty area to loosen dirt without soaking the bear any more than needed. Don’t worry if you end up using “too much” water. All this means is that you will have to wait a little bit longer for your bear to dry before it is ready to play with again. EXPERT TIP Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann House Cleaning Professionals Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann are the founders of Everneat, an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service based in New York City and in Connecticut. They are also the founders of Clean Code, a DIY 100% natural cleaning product line. Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann House Cleaning Professionals Spot-cleaning is a good approach if the teddy bear has a battery compartment. For stuffed animals with batteries, spot clean the surface with soapy water and a microfiber cloth. Then, remove the soap residue with a warm, damp microfiber cloth. If the stuffed animal has no batteries, let the toy air dry or tumble dry it on low.
Apply detergent. Add a dab of dish soap or laundry detergent to a clean portion of the cloth. Only use a small dab of detergent at a time. Avoid creating an excess of suds, which will be harder to rinse out thoroughly, thus making the fur crunchy as it dries. If you have several spots or bears to clean, or expect to have to clean toys often, mix either 1 teaspoon of dish soap for every 1 cup of water in a spray bottle, or mix a drop of liquid laundry detergent for every 1 cup of water. Spray the solution directly on the dirty spot. If there is one, check the bear’s care label to see if it recommends or warns against any particular chemical.
Clean the damp spots. Gently rub the dirty area with that portion of the cloth until the dirt has been removed. Handle the bear gently as you do so to avoid damage. Apply another dab of detergent and repeat as needed. Only rub the dirty area. Avoid spreading soap and suds so that you don't miss any when it is time to rinse them off.
Rinse. Find a fresh, clean towel. Dampen it with water. Gently wipe the bear’s washed areas to remove soap and suds so that the fur doesn't become crunchy as it dries. This time, be sure to only slightly dampen the towel as opposed to soaking it, which may create or spread more suds while wiping the bear, and thus defeat the purpose.
Machine-Washing Your Bear
Check if a machine-wash is safe. Inspect the age and quality of your bear. Also check the materials from which it is made, as well as those that adorn it. Since a machine-wash will be much rougher on the toy than a hand-wash, err on the side of caution and hand-wash it if you determine that your bear might not survive the machine. Do not machine-wash the following: Old teddy bears, those that are delicate by design, and those that have become fragile due to lots of use. Bears that are made of wool, mohair, alpaca fur, or rayon. Any with attached add-ons like sequins, buttons, or eyes that have been glued on.
Prep your bear for a safe wash. If your bear has any clothes than can be removed, take them off to prevent tangling and to make sure that the bear itself is washed thoroughly. Trim any loose threads and sew up any tears or holes so the problem doesn’t grow any worse during the wash. Give your bear extra protection by closing it within a sealable pillowcase or mesh bag.
Run the machine. First, add an appropriate amount of detergent to your washer. Then set the machine’s cycle to “Hand-Wash” or “Delicate.” Finally, select cold or warm water. Then start the wash cycle. Do not use hot water, since this may ruin the bear. Do not include items that are excessively dirty or whose colors may bleed in the same wash cycle as your bear.
Drying Your Teddy Bear
Gently remove excess water. Once you finish washing your bear, get rid of as much water as you can without handling the bear too harshly, so that it dries quicker and more thoroughly. Squeeze water from its limbs, torsos, and head, but be careful to keep their original shape. Do not wring or twist them as you would with a bath towel. Then use a towel to softly pat any remaining moisture from their fur.
Allow your bear to air-dry. For best results, let your toy dry on its own. Either set it on top of a drying rack, away from direct sunlight, and let it sit overnight, or set it in a drying bag and hang that from a laundry line, as long as the laundry line is shaded. Do not hang the bear itself from any laundry line or rack, since this may damage it. Setting up a fan to blow directly on the bear will help it to dry out quicker.
Use a dryer. For quicker results, use a laundry dryer or hair dryer to speed things up. However, there is considerable risk in ruining your bear this way, so be extra careful. If you use a laundry dryer, stick with the air cycle. Check the bear every few minutes to make sure no damage has occurred. If you use a hair dryer, be mindful of the heat. Set it to its coolest setting and hold the dryer at least a foot away from the bear as you dry it. If your bear was too delicate for a machine-wash, consider it to be too delicate for a machine-dry, as well.
Brush the bear. Once the bear has dried out, use a clean comb or brush to freshen up its fur. Judge the feel of it as you do so. Although the fur’s quality won’t ever be the same once you start washing it, be on the lookout for any areas that feel crunchy. This may be a sign of soap that wasn’t rinsed out, so if your bear feels crunchy all over, either rinse it out and dry it all over again, or be sure to use less soap in the future.
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