Disinfecting Surface Wash Stuffed Toys

Hi C.,
I'm a childcare provider so I have to wash and disinfect toys on a regular basis. With stuffed animals, I DO wash and dry them (unless they take a battery). Put them in a pillow case and wash and dry them and they SHOULD be fine... if they are not... I toss them. But 99% of the time I don't have any problems. As far as letting them hang dry... just make sure they dry 100% or they will grow mold inside which could be harmful. I ALWAYS toss in the dryer to be sure... plus, they come out fluffy that way! Good Luck.

Hi C.,

I use a product called SolUGuard. It is a natural disinfectant and you can spray it on and leave it to dry. It's totaly non toxic and still is 99.9% effective. If you want more info please contact me! Good luck!
Best,
E.

in a spray bottle mix one part white vinegar to 3 parts water. Lightly spray the toys and set them in direct sunlight to dry and disinfect. The UV light is what really does the trick. Two days will take care of just about anything. Now you just have to wait for the sun to come out again.

It's not necessary to wash them in a pillowcase but it is necessary to DRY them in one. Otherwise their stuffing gets ruined and their eyes get all scratched up.

Hydrogen peroxide might bleach toys- you could look into a natural disinfectant like grapefruit seed oil (NOT grapeseed) or maybe spray with Lysol and use a clean sponge to work it into the fabric/fur? We had lice as kids and my mom washed and dried our stuffed animals and many of them had weird fur afterward so if you go that route, tumble on low to avoid damage.

At my daycare the other day I noticed stuffed toys, with their battery implants hanging out, were drying in the office. When I asked about it the Director said they wash everything, even soft toys with battery packs. She said would be dry and in working order by the next day. I haven't tried this at home but probably will as the surface wash soft toys need a good cleaning from time to time. Don;t forget to remove the batteries if you try this.

Use the pillow case or lingerie bag (I prefer the lingerie bag because it doesn't absorb water like a pillowcase does). As someone else said, if the toy doesn't survive the washing... toss it! If you do have some that you just can't put in the washer, I do like the Soluguard someone else suggested. Another option would be to use a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol. That is a good disinfectant and will dry quickly. It doesn't have the possibility of bleaching the toy like peroxide might. I also would hang or put the toy out in the sun for a while. Bright sunlight has it's own disinfecting qualities.

My rule has long been...if a stuffed animal doesn't make it through the wash out it goes! Peroxide won't do it. Put them in a pillowcase on warm or hot water. If the survive great! If not, out they go. Health is much more important than stuff.

My son has allergies and we wash most of our stuffed animals in hot water at least once per month if not more often. I don't dry all of them. 90% say surface wash only. The few that fell apart were cheap ones that would have fallen apart soon anyhow.

Lysol spray and wipes. Kills 99.9% of germs.

Both of my kids had pink eye last year and no one told us to disinfect anything, and we didn't. They took the eye drops and that was that. I wouldn't stress about it unless it recurs.

I wash all of my son's stuffed toys, even the ones that make noise. He's almost four now, so I only wash them as needed. When he was an infant, I washed them at least once a week & when accidents happened. I just threw them in the washer on gentle cycle w/warm water. I hung dry the ones that made noise or had plastic. I dried the others on low. Hope this helps!!

I've read that putting things in the bright sun disinfects them. We don't have much of that lately though!

Hey C.! L. here... I have washed quite a few of stuffed / soft toys in the washer in a lingerie bag (would work the same as a zip up pillow case). Most of the toys come out great and I hang dry them but be aware that a few may never be the same. Hope that helps and the little guy is better soon. :-) Good luck.

Hello,

I wash the stuffed animals in a mesh bag on the gentle cyle and dry them on delicated. They come out beautiful and smelling yummy!!

S.