How do you clean stuffed animals?

[JoyNChrist]

Mods, please move this if it goes in another forum...I wasn't sure.

I'll try to put this as delicately as possible...

My male, non-neutered dog is apparently a little sexually frustrated. He got into the nursery last night (DH left the door open, grr) and...well...several of Avery's teddy bears are in need of a good washing. Gross, I know.

So how do I wash them? They're just standard teddy bears - semi-long hair, plastic eyes, sewn noses. Can I put them on a delicate cycle in the washing machine? Or should I just hand-wash them? And then do I just sit them somewhere to dry, or could I tumble them on a low cycle?

I'd just throw them out, but there's one that I brought back from a teddy bear factory in Germany that's pretty special to me, and I'd like to keep it for DS.

TIA!

[ShanaMama]

Oh my, that can't be too pleasant. I've put dolls & teddy bears in the washing machine before, & also in the dryer. Does it have a care label? It might say if it's machine washable.

[asha]

Regular teddy bears wash well in the washer and dryer. I have done it a lot.

[ett]

Same here. As long as they don't contain any electronics in them, I throw them all in the washer and dryer. (even if it says surface wash only)

[Clarity]

I gave dd some stuffed animals from when I was young and to clean them, we put them in a mesh bag and put them in the washing machine and dryer on delicate.

[megs4413]

yup...

and poor teddy bears, will they be filing assault charges?

[c914]

If you don't have a mesh bag, you could also put them in a pillowcase and tie it shut.

[buddyleebaby]

I think this is possibly the grossest post I have ever read on these boards.
With skidmark underwear/sheets a close second.
And I myself have posted some awful ones.

I would just throw them away because I would think of dog jizz everytime I saw my dc snuggle them. But if you really want to keep them, they'll probably be fine in a pillowcase in the washer.

My condolences. Ick.

Time to get him snipped!

[fortato]

Alicia- I had forgotten about the skidmarks... ew.ick.gross.

I second the Snip...or get your dog a hooker.

THROW THOSE THINGS AWAY... you wouldn't snuggle up to a jizzy toy... no matter how clean it was, would you?

[lizajane]

don't dry the ones with longish hair. the dryer will matte it and it will look all icky. (from experience...) other ones will be fine.

[Jo..]

I'm not sure there IS a forum for this. Yikes!

I third getting the dog snipped. Unless you're breeding him, he is at risk for testicular cancer (which is fairly common in intact dogs). Neutered dogs also tend to make better pets (gentler and less dominant, which could be a big consideration in a house with a new baby).

I know you only asked how to clean stuffed animals, but since you gave us the background into how they got "dirty", I thought I'd weigh in on the off-chance that you don't already know the pros and cons of fixing your dog. I'd be worried about what ELSE might strike his fancy, legs, clothing, my baby...

Otherwise, I am afraid you are stuck with getting a dog-hooker, as Kristen suggested. Dog jizz, YUCK.

[JoyNChrist]

>THROW THOSE THINGS AWAY... you wouldn't snuggle up to a jizzy
>toy... no matter how clean it was, would you?

FTR, I am threw away all but the German one. It's just too special. Luckily, it isn't a "snuggle up toy" - more like a "sit on the shelf and look at it toy". :-)

[JoyNChrist]

He really does need to be snipped, but DH argues with me every time I bring it up. He says that's "a cruel thing to do to a man." *rolling my eyes* I'm just gonna have to bring him and get it done without DH knowing about it. Since I'm not sure there's much of a "doggy hooker" supply in my neighborhood. ;-)

[Radosti]

What Jo said!!! Minus the "getting your dog a hooker". I am very much against keeping unsnipped dogs around babies. Not only is there a health risk, the testasterone also could cause aggression.

[bubbaray]

Um, my male, neutered dog does this. Our vet says if you neuter late (we did it at 10m), they will still do it. Some neutered males do it regardless of when you neuter them....

ITA its icky. Our dog has his own stuffed "friend", I giant Clifford the Big Red Dog. He has "relations" with Clifford and leaves other stuffed toys alone.

I would recommend getting your dog snipped (our dog was a LOT happier afterwards) AND getting him his own, er, toy.

I wash all stuffed toys without electronics in the washing machine and either air dry or dry on low heat in the dryer (depending on fur length). Anything with electronics or that I don't want to wash goes in a plastic bag and into the deep freeze for a week after a spot cleaning.

HTH
Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[fortato]

Ok...I had to laugh out loud at your use of "relations"...

Thank you.

[Ceepa]

Years ago when I worked at an animal hospital I was always astounded by the men who would make a production out of neutering a dog.

It is all around better for the animal to be neutered, oh and by the way, guy, your dog is *not* an extension of your "manhood".

ETA: Also, I have thrown many short-haired stuffed animals in the washer in a pillow case and dried on the gentle cycle. If they're still a bit damp to the touch, I put them in a sunny spot for a day or two. Brush as needed to fluff.

-Ceepa

[Fairy]

I will never see Clifford in the same way again.

*Note to self. Remove Clifford from house.*

[Sillygirl]

I'd just like to point out that a nice, quiet goldfish never seems to cause this kind of problem.

I am SO not a dog person.

[Jo..]

I love dogs and have yet to have one jizz on ANYTHING. If you get Papillons, they don't drool and they smell good, too. :)

[Momof3Labs]

Yuck.

Fido isn't a man, he's a dog. And it's not your DH's testicles being threatened. Fido doesn't give a crap whether he has testicles or not. In fact, he'll be happier and healthier without them. Snip, snip!

[Radosti]

My female Italian Greyhound humps the poor male cat... it's only to get his attention because if she bugs him long enough, he'll play with her. All the cats and the dogs in this house are fixed though, so there is no yucky stuff to clean up. Plus, they leave the stuffed animals alone. Well... they do like to rip them to shreds instead...