Yes, it’s possible to wash a Beanie Baby in the washing machine if you follow the right steps. This is convenient because even the most well-preserved, well-cared-for Beanie Babies can get dirty just like any other stuffed animal. But if you have whirlpool washer issues, it would be best to call a professional technician to fix the issues before you keep on using it.
Keep reading and we’ll go over exactly what you need to do to get your Beanie Babies clean and looking like new!
What You’ll Need to Wash Beanie Babies in a Washing Machine:
- The Beanie Babies you want to wash
- Laundry bag
- If you don’t have a laundry bag for delicates, a pillowcase will do the trick.
- Gentle laundry detergent
- Washing machine
- A place for the Beanie Babies to dry
How to Wash Beanie Babies in the Washing Machine
Step 1: Put the Beanie Baby in the Pillow Case
The primary concern when it comes to machine washing Beanie Babies is that during a machine wash, they get tossed around. You want to minimize this as much as possible.
One way to do that is to put the Beanie Baby in a laundry bag made for delicate items. If you don’t have one of these, you can put your Beanie Baby in a pillow case instead.
Step 2: Change Your Washing Machine Settings
Before you start the machine, you’ll want to make sure to adjust your setting. Too harsh of a cycle or the wrong water temperature can damage your Beanie Baby even more than other stuffed animals.
You’ll want to put your washer on a gentle cycle with cold water before you toss the Beanie Baby in.
Step 3: Start a Small Load
It’s a good idea to not fill the washing machine too much to avoid jostling the Beanie Baby too much while it’s in the wash.
Make sure to use gentle laundry detergent for the load and skip out on the fabric softener this time.
If you have a top-load washing machine that allows you to add things mid-washing cycle, it’s a good idea to wait until about a quarter of the water has already filled the machine before throwing your Beanie Baby in the wash.
Step 4: Let the Beanie Babies Dry
As soon as the machine wash finishes, pull your Beanie Baby out. However, do not put it in your dryer.
Instead, it’s better to set your Beanie Baby out to air-dry. You can just set them out on a flat surface for this. You’ll likely have to leave them at least overnight for them to dry out thoroughly. If you have a long-haired Beanie Baby, take a moment to brush their fur back into place.
How to Spot Clean Your Beanie Baby by Hand?
Step 1: Protect the Tag
To protect the tag on Beanie Babies while you hand wash them, use some plastic wrap to protect the tag. This is especially important if you’re keeping your TY Beanie as a collector’s item.
Step 2: Start Spot Cleaning
To start, grab a clean rag and dampen it with some warm water. Use the soapy water carefully and start dampening the spots you need to clean.
Step 3: Let Them Dry
Like the tutorial we looked at earlier, the next step is to set your Beanie Baby out to air dry completely. Once it is, you can remove the plastic wrap from the Beanie Baby tag.
How to Spot Clean Tough Stains on Your Beanie Baby by Hand?
Step 1: Start the Same Way as Hand Washing
To start this process, you’ll want to take the first two steps we talked about above. Once you’ve done this, you can follow the same steps but instead of a damp cloth this time, create a cleaning solution out of warm water and a few drops of dish soap.
Once you have the cleaning solution ready, scrub the spots with tough stains. After you’ve finished, use some clean water to rinse the soap out.
Step 2: Let Them Dry
Once again, to finish this up, set your Beanie Babies out on a flat surface to dry. After they’ve had a chance to fully and thoroughly dry, you’ll be able to unwrap the tag you’ll have ready, clean Beanie Babies.
How to Clean Beanie Babies with a Vacuum?
Step 1: Break Out the Vacuum
This is an additional step you can take for either of the methods above. If you do this, do it before you dampen your Beanie Baby in any way.
This helps to get any dry debris off of the Beanie Babies. After that, you can clean Beanie Babies with any of the methods we’ve looked at above.
Common FAQ
Is It Okay to Put Stuffed Animals in the Washing Machine?
If you use something like a delicate laundry bag or a pillow case, you can wash most stuffed animals in the washing machine.
The major concern when it comes specifically to a Beanie Baby is the tag. Collectors often want to keep the tags intact and ruining them can decrease the value of the Beanie Baby as a collector’s item.
How Do You Clean a Beanie Baby Without Ruining the Tag?
If you’re worried about keeping the tag of a Beanie Baby intact, it’s best to skip out on the washing machine and opt for one of the hand washing methods we covered.
Remember, to make sure the tag is safe during this process, be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it safe from any moisture that may splash on it. Read about taking care of your pillowcases here.
What Detergent to Use When Washing Stuffed Animals?
To care for stuffed animals properly, you’ll want to use a gentle detergent when you machine wash them.
In a similar fashion, if you usually use fabric softener when you do laundry, skip it this time. Your stuffed animals don’t need fabric softener and it’s more likely to hinder the process than help it.
How Do You Get the Musty Smell Out of Beanie Babies?
Machine washing your Beanie Baby is much more likely to tackle a musty smell rather than spot-cleaning it. Yet, this poses a risk to the tag that you may want to keep intact.
If this is the case, sprinkling your Beanie Babies with baking soda can help but it’s a more visible approach the darker your Beanie Baby is.
Did you like our guide? Caring for your Beanie Babies and keeping them clean is a great way to keep these stuffed toys around for years to come. If you liked our tips, let us know in the comments below and share this article with a friend to let them know too!