A handy guide to washing stuffed animals for kids with allergies

Your children’s stuffed animals are more than just toys. They’re a friend and a companion, someone to snuggle up to in the evenings before a bedtime story. They’re a source of immense comfort for most children. But, for children who suffer with allergies, these cuddly friends can also be hidden carriers of dust mites, pollen and other allergens.

With a few smart cleaning techniques, you can keep your children’s cuddly toys allergen safe. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the best ways to wash stuffed animals to reduce allergens and keep your child safe from itching and sneezing.

Why stuffed animals might trigger allergies

So why might stuffed animals trigger allergies? Stuffed animals are pros at collecting allergens, like dust, deep in its fibres and without proper cleaning and care, they can be tricky to remove. Here are a few things your stuffed toys can collect overtime:

Dust: Dust mites thrive in soft fabrics

Pollen: If your little one loves taking their toys on an outdoor adventure, chances are you’ll pick up some pollen on the way

Pet dander and fur: If you have pets this is important to keep in mind. If your child cuddles with their toys post playing with your furry friend, chances are they’ll transfer fur and dander to their toys.

Mould spores: We know the joys of having a small child, a spill here and a drop in a puddle there. If your child’s toys aren’t properly dried out, mould spores can flourish in humid environments.

How to clean stuffed toys for children with allergies

How often should you wash your children’s stuffed animals?

This can often depend on how severe your child’s allergies are. As a general rule of thumb:

Every 1-2 weeks: If your child has moderate to severe allergies then it’s best to give their soft toys a deeper clean more regularly.

Monthly: Great for mild allergies and general upkeep

After sickness, exposure to pets, outdoors or dust-heavy environments

How to wash your child’s stuffed toys safely

Now that you’ve learned more about the importance of washing stuffed toys on a regular basis, we’ll walk you through on how you can wash them safely to ensure removal of allergens.

Step 1: Start by checking the care label

Care and wash instructions will depend on individual toys, so you’ll want to start by checking the care guide and closely following the instructions. Some stuffed animals are machine washable while others are hand wash only, so it’s important to double check.

Step 2: If necessary, pretreat any stains

We know first-hand your child’s toys attract stains and spills like magnets. If you need to pre-treat any stains, we recommend using a gentle, fragrance-free stain remover or you can always make your own. Use a mixture of baking soda and water, apply to the stains and let sit for a few minutes before washing.

Step 3: Time to pop your stuffed toys in the wash

If your stuffed toys allow for machine washing:

Pop your stuffed toys in a pillowcase to keep them safe while washing

We recommend using our Fragrance Free Laundry Detergent Egg. They’re Allergy UK approved, hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested and rated ‘excellent’ for sensitive and allergy prone skin

If your child’s toys are a little more delicate, you’ll want to wash in a colder cycle to ensure you don’t damage the toys, our Laundry Detergent Eggs are great in cold washes

Step 4: For more delicate stuffed toys

If your stuffed toys are more delicate and require hand washing:

Fill your sink, washing up bowl or whatever’s on hand with warm water and your detergent. Our Laundry Detergent Eggs are perfect for handwashing, simply submerge the Egg in warm water and let the toys soak

Gently scrub the toys with a clean sponge or cloth

Rinse thoroughly to remove all detergent residue

Press out excess water with a towel, avoid twisting or wringing to not damage the toy

Step 5: Drying

This might be the most important step as you want to ensure that you child’s toys dry out thoroughly.

Air drying: This will be the safest way of drying, you’ll want to leave to dry in a well-ventilated area. We’d recommend avoiding drying outside if the pollen count is high as pollen can attach to the fabric fibres.

Tumble drying: If safe to do so, you could pop the toys in a tumble dryer with our nifty Dryer Eggs to help dry the toys quicker and keep the stuffing from clumping together.

Ensure the toys are completely dry to prevent mould growth.

A few extra tips to keep stuffed animals clean between washes

Rotate the toys so only a few are in bed at the time

Use an air purifier in your child’s room

Encourage regular hand washing, especially before cuddling their favourite plushie

Store the extra toys that aren’t being played with in a container to reduce exposure to dust