Machine washing soft toys?

[HangryCaterpillar]

I have lots and lots of soft toys that have been stored for awhile so smell dusty and need a wash. Most of them say not machine washable, but can I chuck them in anyway and hope for the best?
And how do I dry them quick enough? I dont have a tumble dryer but don't want them to end up smelling damp!

I always wash soft toys in washing machine and sit them on the radiator to dry

I always chuck them in the machine too, usually on a 40 degree wash, and then either peg them out by the ears, or sit them on the radiator. I've tumble dried a few on low, as well. They're usually fine, although fluffy ones can get a bit matted

I should say that I used to do loads of these when I was on the school PTA (we used to have a second hand soft toy stall at the Christmas Fair) and they were all washed before going on sale. It's honestly fine. They're made of nylon type materials so they dry pretty fast

I agree generally fine but they can be damaged. Eg. Suede rubbed of nose, stuffing clumping etc.

When I was very young, DM put Jingly Panda in the washing machine. After that, he was Rattly Panda. 🐼

Poor 🐼

It's well worth brushing the soft toys after they have been washed (but before they have dried) to fluff up their fur again.

I've even put a leapfrog Caterpillar thing in the machine fully expected its tune not to work afterward. However it even survived with its daft jingle.

I had a load handed down when DD was born. They'd been stored in a doggy garage, so had to take their chances. They came out fine.

tie them up in a pillowcase before you put them in the machine stops the fluff off them clogging up the filter in the machine

The thing is, they're unusable now.

If they get wrecked going through the washing machine, they'll be unusable in a slightly more hygienic way.

If they don't get wrecked, you're fine.

Basically you have nothing to lose.

Merry house, that was exactly my logic when I put lamaze toys with batteries in the wash.

I wait till spring. Put on a gentle wash and dry them on the trampoline in the sunshine.