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How to Clean Stuffed Toys with Electronics Inside

13/3/2014

4 Comments

 
In my quest to clean everything or toss it out before we move I caught myself contemplating Lady A's stuffed toys with electronics in them.There are three that she absolutely loves and it shows, they are looking terrible.

This cute little seahorse: the belly lights up and it plays lullaby music for about 10 minutes This is Lady A's first love, her grandmother got it for her and she still uses it at bedtimes and nap times.

Violet, the cute little purple 'dah-hee' {doggie}: all four paws and the belly have buttons to be pushed and then Violet will sing, talk, play bedtime music and interact in different ways. We love this one too because we can program it with Lady A's name and different music for different holidays and lullabies {there really is a ton to choose from so you do not go crazy with the same thing constantly playing and you can personalize it}.

Last is this yellow soccer ball that sings, counts and interacts as well. She loves to kick it around and sit on it to hear it go.
Fisher-Price ocean wonders seahorse with a glowing belly
Picture
LeapFrog My Pal Violet
Fisher-Price singin soccer ball {white}
Fisher-Price singin soccer ball {yellow}
Picture
The Favorites
Picture
Check out those dirty paws and nose
It is time to figure out how to get these babies clean.

What you will need:
Water
Cloth/clean rag
Bowl
Mild laundry detergent
Spot cleaner
Baking soda {optional}
Handheld or hose vacuum
{optional}
Comb/brush {optional}

First thing is first: remove what electronics you can.
I was lucky that the whole system came out of the soccer ball and the seahorse. For other plush toys that do not allow for the electronics to be removed, take out the batteries.
Picture
If the plush toy is machine washable it will say right on the tag. Both the soccer ball and seahorse are but I washed them just a bit differently because of the type of material they are made of.

The soccer ball is made with polyester material and does not have any fuzz to it like other plush animal toys do. After using the spot cleaner on some more intense looking places I tossed it in the washer {cold, gentle cycle} and dried on low heat.

Tips: place washable plush toys in a pillow case or mesh washing sack to help keep the toy from snagging on other items in the laundry and to help keep the velcro from gather all the lint. When drying toss it in half way through the cycle. Let it air dry the rest of the way.


That leaves Violet. She needed a good cleaning all around and there were a couple of spots that were going to need even more love and care but because the electronics can not be removed, start by taking out the batteries.

In the bowl put warm water and a small amount of mild laundry detergent. Not too much! Remember if you put too much in there it will take more work to get all the soap off of the plush.

Dip the cloth in the water/soap mixture and ring out as much water as possible. For Violet I did an over all cleaning and then went back a second time and scrubbed on those problem areas.

Tip: if the plush has really long fur use the comb/brush to help loosen the gunk in the fur. If there is a lot, use the vacuum as you go to clean up so that the dust and debris does not sink back into the fur. When washing go with the direction of the fur to keep it from matting.

After the plush is clean dump the bowl out and replace with clean water. Now use this to rinse the plush and get all the soap off. Repeat as necessary!

Tip: if soap is left on the plush it will become a magnet for dirt and grim and the plush will become dirty faster. Be sure to rinse as completely as you can.

Now air dry. Violet had a very low pelt {fur} so I took the comb and brushed her against the direction of the fur to help her dry faster and to make the fur look more full and soft.

Tip: to help remove odors, use a freshener spray or baking soda. If you use baking soda let it sit for a few hours or a day and then vacuum the plush to get the baking soda off.

The seahorse is made with a couple different fabrics and the plastic belly. This one required a little bit of spot cleaning as well as an overall cleaning like Violet. I could not get a photo once I was done with it because Lady A kept taking it. If I happen to sneak it away in the next couple of days, I will be sure to snap a photo to show to results.
Picture
So clean and soft now!!
Just like my post on cleaning bath toys, this is one that I would put into a regular cleaning schedule. If it is not done often enough the toys will wear out a lot faster.

Over on my main blog there is a giveaway going on for a Target gift card and home decor. Be sure to stop by and enter.
4 Comments
Jenn @buildingmommymuscles link
17/3/2014 08:42:47 am

I always wonder how to clean those toys!

Reply
Mindy link
17/3/2014 10:15:45 am

I was super excited at how clean they all got. The trick is to use enough soap that it will clean and as little as possible so that all the soapy residue will come off.

Reply
cmostronics link
6/7/2014 07:43:23 pm

nice post............thanks for sharing this

Reply
Carissa link
10/9/2016 07:00:41 pm

OH MY GOODNESS.I was just needing to clean this exact violet puppy, a favorite, but unfortunately it was involved in a direct potty accident, so I will try this, maybe heavy duty, and use the carpet cleaning vacuum machine on top of your method, and hopefully it will turn out ok! She is sharing her brothers green boy version of this puppy right now, and they are fighting over him, I need her violet cleaned, or I will have to buy a new one!

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