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How to Sanitize Stuffed Animals

Whether it's a teddy bear, a cat or even a whimsical dragon, every child seems to have a stuffed animal that he or she has become especially attached to. But because this toy is the child's favorite thing, it tends to be taken everywhere. As a result, this favorite toy becomes extra filthy, and could be crawling with germs. If you want to sanitize your child's stuffed animals, there are a couple of different ways to do so.

Things You'll Need

Laundry detergent or bleach
Steam cleaner
Water
Spray bottle
Rubbing alcohol

Instructions

- 1
  Check the care tag for the toy, if it is still attached. This will tell you if the toy can be machine washed, dry-cleaned or only spot cleaned. If the care tag has been removed, compare the fabric of the toy to another toy in your child's collection with a similar fabric and go by the care instructions for that similar toy. If the toy can be machine washed and dried, this will kill off the bacteria on the toy. Make sure to wash the toy with some towels or sheets to cushion the toy and preserve the integrity of the fabric.
- 2
  Use a steam cleaner to kill bacteria on the surface of the toy. The heat of the steam is hot enough to kill many types of germs on contact. This method will also help to refresh the fabric and loosen any surface stains.
- 3
  Submerge the toy in a weak solution of water and bleach (or color-safe laundry soap). You should aim for a ration of 10 parts water to one part bleach/detergent. Scrub the toy with your hands or a textured sponge. This will break up surface grime and will also denature the protein structure of any germs on the animal.
- 4
  Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and lightly mist the surface of the toy to kill any remaining bacteria.

Stuffed Animals