Cleaning Stuffed Animals
I bet you've always wondered what to do with all those stuffed animals that your child has dragged in the grass, smothered with food & torn while playing tug-of-war with his sibling. Whatever you do, don't throw away any until you have your child's consent first, but what you could do is try and spruce up his stuffed animals a little. Here are some tips:..continued below
1. Toss the cuddlers in the bath. Yup, run some bath water, add some laundry detergent and toss them in. Take a sponge or a washcloth and scrub all the dirt and stains away. Alternetivly you can toss the stuffed animals in the machine washer on a gentle cycle and then into the dryer on low heat.
2. Dry-clean (well sort of). Take a large plastic bag, add 1/2 cup of baking soda, close the bag then shake vigorously for a couple minutes. After the shake, take the stuffed animals out and brush off the baking soda that has attached to the animals to remove dirt, grit and the like.
3. It's time for the toss. When stuffed animals are too beat-up (or there's too many stuffed animals laying around), there's nothing to really do except for tossing them. This can be a very difficult experience for a child so make sure you explain to your child why you have to do what you're doing. If you've donating, tell your child that it would make another child happy to have a stuffed animal like the special one he has. Before you toss a stuffed animal or anything setimental to your child, take a few pj
Tip: For some children it's hard to be seperated from their favorite toy even if it's for an hour or two while it's getting washed. Therefore, make cleaning your stuffed animal an adventure by telling your child the toy is going on a journey through the washer to get all fuzzy-clean for your child. An alternative is to do it at night while your child is asleep.
