Nap notes

Washing a plush without ruining the fur

What actually happens to plush fur in a wash, and the order of operations that keeps a stuffed animal fluffy instead of matted.

Heat is the enemy, water is fine

Start with a cloth, not a basin

Four marks out of five on a cuddly toy are on the surface of the pile and nowhere near the fill. Damp cloth, a little mild soap, rub in small circles with the direction of the fur, blot dry. The plush is wet for ten minutes instead of two days and the shape is never at risk.

Hand washing, properly

Cool water, mild soap, submerge, squeeze gently twenty times, drain, refill with clean water, squeeze again. Do not wring: wringing is what twists a seam and leaves a plush with a permanent kink in the neck. Press the water out between two towels instead.

Drying is the long part

High-quality PP cotton holds a surprising amount of water and gives it up slowly. Dry flat, out of direct sun, turning the plush over twice a day. A 19-inch plush pillow can take two full days. It will feel dry on the outside long before the middle is, and putting it away early is how a plush ends up smelling of a cupboard.

Bring the fluff back

A washed plush almost always comes out looking flat and slightly sad. Once it is completely dry, brush it with a soft brush — a baby hairbrush is ideal — working against the pile and then with it. The fur stands up again and most people cannot tell the plush has been washed.

What not to do, ever

No tumble dryer, no radiator, no hairdryer on hot. Plush fur is a synthetic fibre and heat permanently curls the tips, which is exactly what matting is. There is no fixing it afterwards.

Where this leads

Everything above comes out of sewing the same animals over and over and hearing back about them. If it helped, the shelves are the next stop; if it did not, write to us and we will add the answer here.