Decluttering advice required - childhood soft toys.

[ipanemagirl]

Should I bin my beloved old soft monkey from my childhood - now 30 years old.
It looks manky. My ds won't notice if I shed it.
But part of me fears some scary subconscious reaction and running to the bin in the middle of the night in unhygenic rescue.....
Shurely I should bin it???

[Enid]

OH MY God

no.

put him in vacuum pack in attic

[ipanemagirl]

Thanks Enid, I'm sure you're right and yet part of me wonders....
I threw away all my love letters once (from past loves) and regretted that.....

[tribpot]

Don't do it. My teddy survived a house fire (he's a bit crispy down one side) and there's no way I could bin him. These toys are survivors!

[Enid]

I still have Big Bun

[nostalgia emoticon]

[SoupDragon]

How could you even consider it??

[hotandbothered]

Never ever. You will need him some time in the future and NOTHING ELSE WILL DO!

[Pannacotta]

NO WAY, agree with the others, you're mad to consider it. Get rid of obsolete plasticy things if you need to declutter but not old beloved toys. Hand wash him in gentle detergent and he may well come up fine...

[JackieNo]

Agree - if he's The One Soft Toy, keep him. If you had 20, I'd say you'd need to get rid of some. But not if there's only one.

[southeastastra]

no no! i gave away my monkey when i was 16 and really regretted it. i eventually found a replacement on ebay.

[gscrym]

I still have my pink elephant (age 34, both me and the elephant). I don't think I'll ever rehome him.

[ChocolateTeapot]

Do not, under any circumstances be tempted to chuck him in the washing machine unless he is in a lot better condition than my old teddy who DD decided needed to come in from the garage. He very predictably split and his stuffing clogged up my washing machine. He's on top of the fridge now drying and awaiting plastic surgery.

[ipanemagirl]

Thank you all SO much - I love mumsnet!

So how can I hand wash him? Just hand wash in luck warm water and hang him out to dry????!!

Poor George - I can't believe I even thought about it.
(self-recrimnatory emoticon)

[tubismybub]

noooooo, can't imagine binning christmas ted

[tubismybub]

not sure about washing really, xmas ted just gets occasionally febreezed

[ipanemagirl]

is that frozen or febreezed? What can you mean? I am ignorant about the washing of soft toys - I always fear the innards won't dry.

[southeastastra]

surface wash him in warm water and peg him out

[ipanemagirl]

so total immersion of ancient cuddlies is out?

[southeastastra]

try not to unless he can cope with it! and not fall apart

[tubismybub]

febreezed as in fabric deoderiser. I too fear the consequences of fully immersing a 30 year old bear with a tracheotomy scar (our version of doctors and nurses were quite intense - we nearly lost him in '81 )

[lilybubble]

Aw no don't bin him! Give him a wash with a sponge and put him out in the sunshine to dry.

[ChocolateTeapot]

I think it was the being spun and bashed in the washing machine that did for Big Ted rather than total immersion.

[ipanemagirl]

thanks for all suggestions
He is rescued!