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Lhearn Aug 9, 2009

I have just been asked on how to clean an old bear, here is the email I received,

I have resently inherited a very old teddy bear, he growls and is about 55 years old, my problem is hes filthy, and l dont know how to clean him, someone said wet wipes, but rubbing is not good as the material is very thin, do you have any suggestions ?

I don't know what to tell her as I have not ever cleaned an old bear. I would think that there may be only certain things you could use on some thing old that would not damage the bear. Any one out there that could help me give this person the right way to do this. Thanks.

dangerbears Aug 9, 2009

Hi Lynn,

It is possible to surface clean an old bear -- carefully. Always start by getting rid of loose dirt. I use the brush attachment on my vacuum cleaner to do this. (If you don't remove the dust and dirt, it will act as an abrasive.) Then you can gently start to brush out the fur with a pet brush -- the kind with little plastic tips on the wire "bristles" is good.

Then get yourself some mild soap flakes and make a batch of suds. Lift suds only (no water) onto a barely damp sponge or washcloth. Use this to clean the fur. Keep rinsing out the dirt and picking up fresh suds.

When you're finished, you want to air dry the bear (no electric dryers). You can continue to gently brush out the fur as it dries. (Throughout the process, of course, you have to be very careful with old ears, eyes, limbs, etc.)

The bear deserves to be cleaned, and if you do it carefully and don't drench the old soul with water, it should be just fine.

Becky

edie Aug 9, 2009

Becky's got it right - IF the bear's fur is mohair! Just be very careful not to get it too wet and work in SMALL patches at a time - gently rubbing the suds into the fur and then using a different clean cloth dampened in clear water go over that patch to take the suds and dirt out - maybe several times if needed, and then take a DRY cloth or towel and soak up as much of the moisture out of the patch you've cleaned as possible before going onto to the next patch. Always start in a more inconspicuous spot to make sure everything is working fine and the fabric is colorfast.
Now if the fabric is art silk plush I would be VERY careful about trying to clean it this way - might not be very successful at all! Also the cotton plush fabrics are pretty tricky to clean.

dangerbears Aug 9, 2009

Thanks for the clarification, Edie. I've never cleaned an other-than-mohair bear, but I've heard those old types of plush can be tricky.

And as I re-read the original post and its mention of "thin fabric," I'm wondering whether there are bare spots with no fur, and it's the fabric itself that's dirty. In that case, you probably wouldn't do more than vacuum, I suppose.

(Wish your friend good luck from us:)

Becky

Lhearn Aug 10, 2009

Thanks Becky, Thanks Edie. I will pass this info on.