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How to Clean Dust Mites From Teddy Bears

Dust mites are microscope bugs that live on the dead skin cells you and your pets shed each day. Dust mites are harmless to most people, but can cause a allergic reaction if you are asthmatic or you have allergies. Dust mites affect not only bed linens and fabrics around bedding but also stuffed animals like teddy bears. Cleaning your child's teddy bears is a bit of a challenge. You don't want to clean them with a strong cleaner. You want to use a mild cleaner that will penetrate the teddy bear's fur and kill the dust mites.

Things You'll Need

Newspapers
Latex gloves
Can of upholstery cleaner
Scrub brush
Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment
Dry cloth or towel

Instructions

- 1
  Place four sheets of newspaper on a flat surface.
- 2
  Place the teddy bear on the newspaper-covered surface.
- 3
  Turn a can of upholstery cleaner upside down and shake for 30 seconds. Wear latex gloves to keep the upholstery cleaner off of your hands.
- 4
  Spray the teddy bear with the upholstery cleaner. Cover the entire bear with the cleaner.
- 5
  Let the upholstery cleaner sit on the teddy bar for 10 minutes.
- 6
  Scrub the teddy bear gently with a scrub brush.
- 7
  Let the upholstery cleaner dry on the teddy bear.
- 8
  Vacuum the cleaner off the teddy bear with a vacuum cleaner that has a brush attachment. Hold the brush attachment about three inches from the bear.

Stuffed Animals