Guide: How to clean your teddy bear or stuffed animal from Be My Bear

Let's face it...  Well loved teddy bears and stuffed animals get dirty and sometimes need to be cleaned, but what's the best way to clean your Be My Bear teddy without ruining it?  Quite simply, the only way we recommend washing your fluffy friend is by surface washing / spot cleaning by hand.  Never place your teddy or animal into a washing machine or send for dry cleaning of any kind as this could damage your precious bear.

PLEASE NOTE: There is always a risk of damage when trying to wash or clean your teddy bear or stuffed animal.  Whilst the instructions below will minimise these risks, it's always worth weighing up the pros and cons of washing your little ones fluffy friend before starting.

How to spot clean and surface wash your teddy bear or stuffed animal

  • First and foremost, if your teddy bear or stuffed animal contains a sound module then please remove it and place it somewhere safe and away from your cleaning area until your bear or animal is cleaned and fully dry. Electronics don't mix well with water, so you need to make sure to avoid any chance of them coming into contact with each other.
  • Fill a sink or bowl with a little warm water and a small amount of soap designed for babies. For even better results you can also use what is known as a High Efficiency (HE) laundry detergent.  HE laundry detergent means it produces less suds and bubbles, making it easier to remove from your bear or animal after cleaning.  This also lessens the chance of your bear "crunching" once dry due to soap accidentally being left on the teddy bears fur.  If using soap, please make sure it isn't coloured as we'd hate your furry friend to change colour too!
  • The following step is optional, but will help prevent damage to your teddy bear for a few extra minutes of your time. Open your bear or animals back Velcro compartment, once inside use a paperclip to also open the one-way zip closure.  Once inside your teddy bear or animal remove as much of the stuffing as possible using the handle of a spoon or some other utensil (remembering not to use anything sharp).  Set the stuffing to one side for re-stuffing later.  If you happen to notice that the stuffing itself is soiled, please contact Be My Bear to purchase replacement stuffing packs.  PLEASE NOTE: Some of our bears or animals have pre-stuffed heads where the stuffing is secured in place with a netted bag.  If this is the case, please leave the head stuffing in place.  The same is true for bears or animals with "swing legs" which are sewn shut to help the bear to sit on a shelf.
  • Dip a white, non-coloured cloth into the water and gently start rubbing some water onto the outside of your bear or animal on the spots which need cleaning. Concentrating only on the dirty areas makes removing the soap or detergent easier during the next step.  Please resist the urge to immerse your fluffy friend in the water, contrary to popular belief...  Bears don't like baths!  For tough dirt or soiled areas, work the spot with your fingers to help the cleaning process along.  You may need to add a little extra soap or detergent to your cloth as you go, but use as little as possible to clean the dirty areas - the more you use the harder it will be to remove later.
  • After your fluffy friend is looking clean and like its old self, use pure water and a new non-coloured cloth to wipe the areas you have previously cleaned to remove as much of the soap or detergent as possible. By removing the soap or detergent you will prevent your teddy bear or stuffed animal from "crunching" as it is held and cuddled.  The sound is produced by dried soap and detergent, so it is vital to remove this before drying your fluffy friend.  Repeat the process as many times as needed to fully clean the areas of soap and detergent - when you can no longer see any suds or bubbles forming.  The key to this step is using little amounts of water on your cloth at a time, if you use too much water or a very wet cloth you risk spreading the soap to other areas.
  • Next it's time to remove any excess water from your teddy bear or stuffed animal; this will help it to dry quickly and more thoroughly. Squeeze water from the areas you have cleaned, but be careful not to alter the shape of your fluffy friend in doing so.  Avoid the urge to wring your fluffy friend dry as this could damage your bear or animal.  Finally use a clean, non-coloured white towel to pat your bear to remove further moisture.
  • Next it's time to dry your friend. Place your teddy bear or stuffed animal in a safe place to dry away from high heat or direct sunlight which again could cause damage.  Setting up a fan to blow directly onto your fluffy friend will help them dry out faster.  Avoid the urge to use a hair dryer on your bear or animal as there is a risk of damage.
  • Once fully dry, return the stuffing (if you removed it earlier as well as any sound recorder it may have contained) and fluff with your hands until your bear or animal starts to look like their original self. If your teddy bear or stuffed animal seems to have areas of fur which feel crunchy when touched, this could mean that excess soap or detergent was missed during rinsing.  If this is the case then please consider rinsing and drying it again which should hopefully fix the "crunch" problem.
  • If your teddy bear or animal friends fur looks matted or tangled after washing you can try to gently brush it using a wide, soft brush. This can help to restore the sleek and shiny look that your teddy bear or stuffed animal originally had.  Again be careful not to over-brush your fluffy friend.
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