Hi!! I wanted to ask if you have any tips for washing or restoring plushies? (I'm getting a webkinz signature secondhand and I want to restore him ... But I am nervous to mess up!) Sorry if this question is unwarranted, I figured you might know. Found you on tiktok & enjoy your vids! 💖
Not unwarranted at all and thank you ^-^
You can safely wash in the washing machine on two conditions: only if it doesn't have a center post, as the plush can get tangled around those a tear. And only if your plush does not have air brushing that can rub off in the washer. Air brushing in the eye corners will be fine as it wont rub while washing, but anywhere else runs the risk of it rubbing off.
Tie them in a pillow case (this protects plastic bits from getting scratched or chipped in the metal cylinder) and wash on the delicate cycle. Then I recommend air drying in front of a fan or other source of moving air (out in the sun is also good!). I set mine on my air purifier since it blows air out of the top. But the spin cycle will get most of the water out, so they should dry quickly.
If you live in a humid area and can't air dry, you can use the dryer. First, clean your lint trap! A dirty lint trap traps the air in the dryer, making it hotter than it should be which is why plushies seem to randomly burn. With your plush still in the pillow case, you can put them on tumble or air dry with no heat. This just tumbles them and blows room temp air over them. No burn issues. You can also dry them on the delicate cycle, which wont get them hot enough to burn, but not everyone is comfortable with that. On the delicate cycle, I check them every 30 minutes until they're dry.
Of note, if you set them out to air dry with no air movement, they can feel kind of crusty once they're dry. There is nothing wrong, fabrics just feel that way when they dry in one position. To avoid this, brush them often as they dry. Once they're dry, go briefly over their fur with a warm to hot blow dryer while brushing. The fur will not burn as long as you dont just hold it in one place and you keep the fur moving. It burns when using the blow dryer to dry because of how hot it has to get to evaporate the water. To soften up plushies and straighten their fur, it doesnt have to get very hot, just warm to the touch. This will help them feel a lot softer, and make their fur shiner and fluffier. I recommend going over them with a blow dryer regardless of your drying method, but especially if you air dry. (I have a couple of videos showing the blow dryer method on tiktok. One is pinned at the top of my posts!)
To hand wash, I fill a large bowl or the sink with warm water (cold is okay, but won't get them as clean as warm) and some laundry detergent. Then I submerge the plush, give them a scrub and a brush while they're in. If the water changes color, drain it, squeeze out the plush (just squeeze, don't twist. Twisting them can strerch the fabric and deform the plush), and make a fresh bath. Repeat until the water doesnt change color anymore (dirty water means your plush isn't getting fully cleaned!). Once they're clean, I squeeze out the soapy water and run them under the tap for a bit before filling the sink with just water and submerging them. Squeezing them under water will let you make sure there is no soap left. If soap bubbles appear when squeezed, keep rinsing.
Once there is no soap left, I squeeze out as much water as I can before wrapping them in a burrito in a towel and then stepping on them. Sounds weird, but it's the best way to get all the water out. I step on their side for a bit and then their back. A good shaking will fluff them back up no problem.
Then you can air dry or follow the dryer directions as before.
For brushing them out, get a wire slicker brush and a comb. The comb is good for getting all the way down to the root of the fur and the slicker brush will smooth and separate the fibers to make them fluffier. I dont recommend using a slicker brush daily as it can pull out fibers, but it's perfect for a restoration project.
If they have scratched eyes, I can share a tutorial on how to fix those. If their noses need fresh paint, you can use acrylic and seal it with mod podge.
Definitely let me know if you have any questions or anything like that! And sorry this was so long 😅
