[vanilla_sky]

hmmm, this thread might seem a bit random, but here it goes:
I have had my white teddy for about 4 years already and he was a great companion through my college years. everybody loves him, he is just so huggable. but with time he became really grayish and he doesn't look nice anymore... I was wondering what I could co to make him look new again, without any damage. I thought dry cleaning, but I never done it with a toy, so I am not sure how it wold take it. I also thought about putting him into washing mashine, but somebody told me it makes the teddy bears look worn out after that - something happens to the fur, it is not so fluffy anymore. I don't want it to happen, I want him to look the same, just whiter... any advice?
I attach the picture of my teddy bear coming back from college with me
and another one of him hugging my bf's guitar

[LilDee]

Sorry other than washing it in a pillowcase or asking the dryclean people, i have no good tips.. i just wanted to say he's cute

[vanilla_sky]

Thanks! I think he's adorable too.
anyway, maybe somebody tried drycleaning on a teddy bear before?
oh, and I just wanted to say I didn't put him to the trunk like this, my friend did it... I never knew he was squished like that in there, and when I opened the trunk I felt so bad... poor teddy bear! hehe, he went through a lot.

[LilDee]

lol i've never tried drycleaning my teddy before..
but i thought they might have a better idea than i have but who know mabey it can be drycleaned

[Marisol]

Dry cleaning might work. You can ask the dry cleaners to see if they would recommend it. You could throw it in the laundry on the gentle cycle with minimum soap and dry it in the gently cycle too.

[LVA]

i made the mistake of washing my teddy w/my clothes and his fur is kinda stiff - if that makes sense -

u should ask the experts @ the drycleaner to see if they would rec it .. i have no idea. ..
but .. your teddy is sooo cute and cuddly looking ... hee hee

[vanilla_sky]

thanks for all advice, you are right girls, I should ask dry cleaning people. Hopefully it will work. I will let you know

[Little_Lisa]

Yeah, I would ask the dry cleaners, too. He's a cute teddy! Let us know how it works.

[spazbaby]

i hope he doesn't get too scared being away from you at the dry cleaners

[SamanthaBNYC]

you could check with your local art or history museum as most of them have a person specialized in textile and costume preservation and can give you the best answer. Washing the fur in a washing machine will make it get a little stiff, and you'd have to brush through it to make it feel soft again, but I'd worry that the washing machine would make the stuffing clump (I used to work at a company that did character costumes--like Smurfs on Ice--and when people needed those costumes cleaned, we just put them in the washer and then air-dried and brushed them--but they were not stuffed). When I took museum textiles and historic costumes class in college, we used a detergent called "Orvis paste" and put the textile in a tub (I think the tub was glass, but can't remember that far back), the water was cold but we had to put the tub outside to get the natural sunlight to react with the Orvis paste to help remove the dingy color from the textile) and we dried it on a special screen. The work is a bit involved. When you contact the museum, you should see if they'd like to clean it as a "special project" (that's a very good way for museum interns to learn about the textile cleaning process without having to work on the museum's priceless textile treasures--which they could ruin as they're inexperienced), it's worth a shot.

[SierraWren]

What an adorable teddy!I don't have any advice other than what's already been suggested:to ask what the drycleaner recommends. I think drycleaning just might do the trick. At any rate,keep us posted on your loyal little friend!

[Elisabeth]

I just washed my cat's small white teddy- Yes, my cat's have their own stuffed animals-I know, I'm a sick puppy.
What I use is just plain hot, very hot water- no soap, and something called Mrs. Stewart's Bluing. You can get it next to the starches in the laundry detergent section of your store. It is a small blue bottle with a Grandmother-looking-face on it. It effectively bleaches..without bleaching. I don't like to use bleach as I don't think it's that fantastic for Mother Earth...and I use it to whiten all white shirts. Works like a charm. Oh, and no need to freak out when the water turns blue. It's supposed to do that..your shirts/teddy/whatever, however will not turn blue. It's Magic!!!!

[KimC2005]

Aww, such a cute teddy!!