You bought your child the cutest Beanie Boo plush animal, and your kiddo drags it along everywhere with them. It doesn’t matter if you go to the grocery store, library, a friend’s house, school, or for a car ride; you can be sure the Beanie is glued at your youngster’s hip. Meal and snack times are no exception, so when an unfortunate spill of grape juice or spaghetti sauce stains the cherished plush beanie, it becomes crunch time to find a solution to clean the tarnished plush. When the tears start flowing at the realization that their favorite plush animal is ruined, how do you clean your little one’s Beanie Boo and restore it to mint condition? The first thing to remember is not to panic. We have the dos and don’ts on how to clean a Beanie Boo and all Ty plush products.

What Not to Do When Trying to Clean a Beanie or Ty Plush

Before we give you our best suggestions on how to remove that inevitable tainted spot from spilled food or a young one’s doodles, here are some typical methods of cleaning that we strongly advise you to avoid when disinfecting your child’s precious plush.

• Washing Machine & Dryer - Don’t throw the Beanie Boo or Ty plush in with a load of laundry. The washer’s spin cycles, the heat from the dryer, and the harsh detergents used to wash your clothes aren’t a good combination for a delicate plush toy. Your washer and dryer appliances aren’t a friend to your child’s Beanie Boo with its fragile, sparkly eyes and the texture of the plush - whether fur, sequins, or scales.
• Bleach - Using any type of bleach is a hard no. While bleach is a good cleaning agent for tough stains, it will ruin your child’s toy and take the color right off the plush.
• Clorox or Lysol Cleaning Wipes - Similarly, Clorox or Lysol wipes are an everyday cleaner with abrasive chemicals. Using these on a plush toy may leave discoloration on the smeared spot.
• Dry Cleaners - Along with washing, don’t drop off your kid’s Beanie Boo or Ty plush at your regular dry cleaners. While they are skilled at removing soiled marks out of your work attire, plush toys are a whole other “animal.” Remember that the dry cleaner will also be throwing it in a washing machine and dryer with even harsher detergents that are not plush-friendly.
• Dishwasher - Lastly, don’t run the Ty plush through the dishwasher. Beanies and Ty products aren’t meant to get drenched in hot water. If the plushies are submerged in water, their unique textures will likely be damaged.

These tips of what not to do when restoring your plush toys may seem like no-brainers, but sometimes these ways of cleaning are routine. We want you to avoid completely ruining your kid’s Beanie Boos and Ty plush when trying to get rid of the stained spot.

How to Clean a Ty Beanie and all Ty Plush, Properly

Now that we’ve listed what not to do when trying to renew your child’s plush, let’s get to our recommendations for cleaning Beanie Boos and Ty plush products. The iconic Ty heart tag instructs parents and kids to “surface clean” only. This means spot cleaning the blemished area of the plush toy will be your best bet to restore the Beanie Boo. Here are our recommended suggestions to refresh your youngster’s Ty plush. *Caution: We always advise that you first test out any of these cleaning tactics on a tiny spot that is not quite as visible to see how the plush Beanie handles it.

• Baby Wipes - If you have baby wipes on hand, gently wipe the soiled area. Dabbing it and softly rubbing the dirty spot may clean the Beanie or toy plush.
• Cold Washcloth - Grab a washcloth or a paper towel, and run it under cold water. Wring the cloth out, and blot it on the smeared spot until the stain comes off.
• Tide To Go Stain Remover Pen - If using only water to remove the blemish didn’t do the trick, you can try using a Tide To Go Stain Remover pen. Apply the concentrated stain remover to the tarnished area, and use a wet cloth to lift the stain.
• Baking Soda - You probably have some baking soda around, whether for freshness or baking. Use a small amount of baking soda if the stain is particularly greasy as it will help absorb the oil. Then, spot clean with a damp cloth.
• Handwash - Use soap and cool water if the entire Beanie Boo is tarnished. Let the Ty plush air dry, and then use a soft bristled brush to fluff out the fur.
• Vacuum - If the Beanie or Ty plush was dropped in dirt outside or a sandbox, start by vacuuming what you can. Then, try any of the cleaning methods above.
• Air Dry - No matter which way you spot clean the Ty plush, you want to make sure it air drys. You can start by using a towel to pat the plush animal dry to absorb some of the excess water.

Any of these suggested cleaning solutions could be applied to all Ty products - Beanie Boos, Beanie Babies, plush purses, kids’ face masks, Squishy Beanies, Flippables, Beanie Balls, small clips, plush footwear, sea sequins, backpacks, Baby Ty, classics, Teeny Ty, and Mini Boos. The only exception to the “surface clean” instructions is Ty plush socks for kids. These adorable socks, which will probably get grass stains and covered in dirt, can and should be thrown in a weekly load of laundry.

When you take any of these careful steps to cleanse your child’s plush beanie properly, your kiddo will thank you, and you will be happy because they’ll have their favorite plush - good as new. No more tears over spilled milk - literally.

If the plush toy doesn’t come clean after applying any of the above cleaning techniques because of a tough and hard-to-remove stain, you may have to throw in the towel and repurchase a new Ty plush.