# How would one DISINFECT and deep clean a TEDDY BEAR?



## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

My one year old's "Tee tee" (teddy bear) is his love. He carries it around everywhere.

Well, he loves it so much, that even when I run it through the wash, soak it in boiling water over night and scrub it down with soapy water, it smells RANCID (I mean like- as if it's decaying -that bad.)

The reason probably lies in the fact that he chews on Tee Tee's nose when he holds it- every single time.

This means that anything my son eats or drinks ends up on that bear's face.

How can I DISINFECT and deep clean him to get this awful smell out?

Some kind of deoderant? Baking soda? Ideas?

What would YOU do?

-Caitrin


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

You can open a seam, empty the stuffing, wash him, and restuff with new fluff. Sort of a transplant for the little guy.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot* 
You can open a seam, empty the stuffing, wash him, and restuff with new fluff. Sort of a transplant for the little guy.

Huh...Interesting...Thanks!

What about the outside of him that I would be washing?

I just had a thought occur to me...What if I boiled water and put baking soda in it and let him sit in it for a few hours?

Or do you think that would ruin the fur possibly?

-Caitrin


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

I think there's food caught in the stuffing that isn't getting out. I think if you take the stuffing out, he'll clean up easy. IMO, of course, not having seen the lil guy.

How have you been washing him? I think you could probably throw him in a pillowcase and use the washing machine.

I don't think soaking is as effective as agitation. You want to get water into the nose, then out, and new water in, then out. Just soaking won't do that as well. You could soak (in warm water, not hot), wring out, soak, wring. The idea is to carry out the juice and food with the water. If you just soak without wringing out, you're providing water to the bacteria in him. And they'll love you for it.


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## Conteuse (Sep 25, 2006)

I'd run him through the washing machine with a healthy dose of white vinegar of ACV in the wash. Vinegar helps to kill odors.

Also, a high-heat dryer afterwards might help kill any smelly nasties in there.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I'd probably run it through the washing machine with chlorine bleach, then rewash with detergent to wash all the bleach out, and then dry it.

But I think the "empty it and restuff it" idea might work better and be gentler on the fur.


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## lightheart (Jul 2, 2005)

heat in the dryer has destroyed a couple of my stuffed animals over the years so be careful.

I thought of using a vauum cleaner on him before you do anything with water with him.


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## littlemizflava (Oct 8, 2006)

i say soak it with light soap in hot water then rince till water is clean and hang to dry. you can add tea tree oil to kill germs (smells nice too). to fluff again comb with a brush. i have had problems washing toys in the machine they never seem to get clean.


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot* 
I think there's food caught in the stuffing that isn't getting out. I think if you take the stuffing out, he'll clean up easy. IMO, of course, not having seen the lil guy.

How have you been washing him? I think you could probably throw him in a pillowcase and use the washing machine.

I don't think soaking is as effective as agitation. You want to get water into the nose, then out, and new water in, then out. Just soaking won't do that as well. You could soak (in warm water, not hot), wring out, soak, wring. The idea is to carry out the juice and food with the water. If you just soak without wringing out, you're providing water to the bacteria in him. And they'll love you for it.

That's a good point about the stuffing...

I'm going to try that I think.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I think I'm going to try everything that everyone has suggested so far...One at a time of course.

Here's hoping...

-Caitrin


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## Celticqueen (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Apricot* 
I think there's food caught in the stuffing that isn't getting out. I think if you take the stuffing out, he'll clean up easy. IMO, of course, not having seen the lil guy.

How have you been washing him? I think you could probably throw him in a pillowcase and use the washing machine.

I don't think soaking is as effective as agitation. You want to get water into the nose, then out, and new water in, then out. Just soaking won't do that as well. You could soak (in warm water, not hot), wring out, soak, wring. The idea is to carry out the juice and food with the water. If you just soak without wringing out, you're providing water to the bacteria in him. And they'll love you for it.

I've just been running him through the wash a million times. I keep thinking that one of these times, that harsh-chemically detergent will kill the germs, but it doesn't.

Sigh.

So far I still haven't tried any of these ideas yet, but will today.

-Caitrin


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

I do think you're killing the bacteria, every time you do it. But they are able to come back because the food and/or moisture is still there.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

I agree with the restuff idea. My now three year old had a stuffed dog around that age, and one night she vomited all over it, and we were unable to get it clean. Restuffing worked wonders.


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## lightheart (Jul 2, 2005)

I need to give MDC a break... was standing in line at the store today and I thought about "tee tee"







... if you do decide to take him apart and wash him without his stuffing, make sure the raw edges of the seam you take loose isn't going to fray or else you might be in for troble when you go to sew him back up, could just baste the edges of the 2 pieces or sew him back up... maybe even inside out for a wash and then take the stitches out and sew him up right side out for another wash to make sure you get all the ick out of him.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

what about using biokleen bac-out in the washing machine?

do you think that would be ok to use on a stuffed animal? I'd probably rinse twice


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## battymama (Jan 15, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lightheart* 
, make sure the raw edges of the seam you take loose isn't going to fray or else you might be in for troble when you go to sew him back up

fake fur doesn't tend to fray because of the type of weave, if your worried just whip stitch the raw edges, it you open at the back edge it might be on the selvage anyway, so no need to do anything.


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