Cleaning of Plush Toys and Collectibles : eBay Guides

Ever wonder how to get that dust off your precious plush collectables?  I have a few ideas that work well for me!

Some of the larger (over 50") bears, I just run the vacuum over it (just the hose silly - I'm too old to lift the vacuum!).  Make sure you are very gentle around any ribbons, scarves or buttons.  I find the upholstery attachment works very well.  This technique can work on some of the smaller bears, but I recommend putting a piece of pantyhose over the end of the vacuum hose so nothing goes up and is gone!  I have also put 4 or 5 bears (without clothes or ribbons) into a pillow case, then stick the vacuum hose in.  It really does suck out a lot of dust.

The best thing I have found to actually "wash" the bears fur is Dawn dish detergent.  I put a squirt in the sink and then fill it up with warm water.  I only use the SUDS, not the water its self, and completely rub the suds over the fur with your hands.  You don't want to actually get the fur wet, just sudsy.  You can test most fabrics in a small spot, but I have yet to have had a problem.  When this is dry, I use a 1 to 2" paint brush to "bush" the bears fur.  Very simple, and this technique also removes most of the oils that float through the air and attach its-self to the fur. 

If you have children or grandchildren that love to sleep with animals but have allergies, the best thing to do after cleaning the bear, is to put it in the freezer for 24 hours.  This will kill all the dust mites.  This works well with pillows too!

HINT: Don't keep plush animals near the kitchen!  Cooking oils can attach themselves to the fur and can get into the stuffing, making it very hard to clean and very smelly!