Hey moms/dads/etc!
My toddler has been sick and threw up on her lovie today! It says surface wash only, but that hasn't removed the smell. She crashed today w/o him because she was so exhausted, but I know she'll need him back soon! Any advice on how to get him clean without destroying him? They don't sell bears like him anymore, so replacement isn't an option (I even tried ebay and others). Please help--I'm sure ya'll can understand that this is a toddler emergency!
Thanks!
L.
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY! It's great how ya'll mobilized so quickly for this urgent problem. We washed him in a pillow case with Woolite on the gentle cycle and dried him on air dry. He seems clean and fresh--it's great because he really had gotten kind of grimy even before the throw up disaster. I am going to get the other products ya'll recommended, too, though, so next time we have many weapons available. Thanks, again. I was so relieved when I checked email this morning to find so much help and support!
I have always just washed and dryed my sons lovie inside of a pillowcase and rolled up, on normal cycles, with dreft detergent. He has had his since birth and is almost two and its still in great shape! I hope this helps!
Hi!
This is truly a toddler emergency!!! We have had many "lovies" we went ahead and washed. They all weathered the storm! I would do one of the following:
1) Wash it in delicate / hand wash cycle in the washing machine. Use Tide with Beach to get the germs out! Ring it out good, hang to dry.
2) Wash it by hand in the sink, using tide w/ beach. Ring it out good...hang to dry.
Personally though...I'd wash that dude in the washer! She is gonna love even if it is a little tattered when it comes out.
Good luck to you! ~Lee
Unless the bear is filled with beads or has animated parts you should be able to wash it safely by placing it in a clean white pillow case, tie it shut and wash using the delicate cycle of your washer and a mild detergent. (a front loading,tumble action machine would be more gentle than a traditional washer with the dasher in the middle) I would hang it to dry--the dryer can sometimes mess up the "fur".
Hi L.:
u can put it in a pillow case
If this lovie is a stuffed animal ...then I would just throw him in the washing machine on a delicate cycle and then let him air dry.....don't wait too long or you may never get him clean! All the stuffed animals I have washed turned out ok. Make sure it is the delicate cycle so an eye doesn't pop off or a tear is made..
Try to wash it, by placing it in a pillowcase and close the pillowcase tight, on gentle cycle. Dry it for 1/2 the drying time on gentlest cycle.
I had the same problem once when my 6 year old was 1 year old and used Febreze to get rid of the smell. I sprayed it on overnight and by morning it smelled great. Since then, she has vomited on it several more times and each time Febreze has helped. Good Luck!
Try Febreeze spray! That stuff works on everything else ... I'd have to assume it would get the nasty vomit smell out too. :) Hope it works!
I always throw my kid's "non-washable" toys in a pillow case and then put in in the gentle cycle. The pillow case has protected all of their precious friends so far!
my mom used to tie ours in a pillowcase and then wash it on gentle. i've even done it a few times with my girl. hope that helps.
A.
My daughter has a suffed lovie too. I recently had this issue with hers. (Luckily, my husband bought a extra).
She had woke up from her nap and got her poopy diaper off. Needless to say, Her monkey was in bad shape.
What I did was take a wet baby brush and some of the baby bedtime bath gel and scrubbed him really well. I rinsed him, toweled him off and let him air dry the rest of the way. He came clean AND smells like lavender!
call a local dry cleaners and see if they can dry clean him. It should remove the smell and because they don't use water it will protect the lovie. The smell is probably in the actually stuffing and that might be harder to get out.
Also you might consider putting him in baking soda overnight, just pour it over and let him sit in it for several hours. The baking soda will absorb the smell, and you can shake off the excess and then use a small vacuum tool and get the rest off without having to get him wet.
I would first try any of the Oxy-type cleaners out there. My son has reflux, and spits up a ton. His bibs get rank if they sit for more than about 1/2 a day. Adding just a tablespoon or so of the Oxyclean Versatile to the was kills that smell. Maybe one of the cleaners would work for surface cleaning. That said, if this doesn't work, I would wash it just as previous poster noted. But, I would definitely try to dry it in the dryer for some amount of time on low heat just because with all the stuffing or beads, or whatever is in those things, it could take a long time to dry out and give you a mold problem. I also have washed many stuffed animals/toys that said surface clean only and they turned out fine.
Also: there are some types of fur- the long silky kind- that will NEVER return to normal after machine washing. Although the animal turned out fine, it never looked the same.... My daughter loved him even more!
I learned with my son who has only one lovie to go buy another one if possible the second an attachment is made. Luckily, Target still had it in stock!
Good luck, I know this can be tough.
As long as it does not contain animation/battery stuff,throw it in a lingerie bag and wash on gentle cycle and use air dry on your dryer. We have five children and thats what I did with all their stuff!! Good Luck!
My son has a Tigger like that and I placed him on gentle cycle with a little soap with some towels...then let him air dry.
I really dont know about washing them, though i have washed alot of toys that say surface wash only and they were fine. Also have you tried doing a google search to see if you can find something that way. good luck
HAVE YOU TRIED TO PUT INTO A PILLOW CASE AND WASH ON GENTLE CYCLE ON THE SHORT CYCLE?SOMETIMES THAT WILL WORK!!? IF NOT THERE IS ALWAYS FABREEZE!!GOOD LUCK!!T.
