Soft toy cleaning in the UAETeddies picked up free from any emirate, fluffed by hand

The toys we take for soft toy cleaning

Teddies, plush animals, bedtime comforters and soft baby gear all come to us. Tap one to see how we handle it and what to check before the driver arrives.

Teddies and plush animals · Teddy bear

Teddy bear cleaning

Teddies get carried by one arm, dragged along floors and cried into, so the fur round the face and paws goes flat and grey first. The whole bear is cleaned gently, with a bit more attention on those spots.

Once it's dry the fur is fluffed up by hand, so it feels soft again instead of matted. Give the eyes a little tug before you pack it, and tell us if one wobbles.

• Face and paws given extra time
• Fur fluffed by hand
• Wobbly eyes mentioned at booking

Teddies and plush animals · Big plush animal

Giant plush toys

The huge unicorn from the mall, or the life-size dog that lives in the corner of the bedroom. Big toys gather a lot of dust, and they won't fit in a home machine anyway.

Deep stuffing takes longer to dry right through. Send a photo or a rough size when you book, so we know what's coming.

• Too big for a home machine
• Dried right through
• Photo or size at booking

Teddies and plush animals · Character toy

Cartoon and character toys

Character toys often have printed faces, felt patches or appliquéd details, and those need more care than plain fur. We look at how each part is fixed on before it goes anywhere near water.

A printed face can fade if it's scrubbed, so that part is handled lightly. If it's a special edition you couldn't replace, say so when you book.

• Felt and printed parts checked
• Printed faces handled lightly
• Tell us if it's one of a kind

Bedtime comforters · Comforter blanket

Comforters with a toy head

The little blanket with a bunny's head gets chewed, sucked and taken everywhere. That's why it's usually the grubbiest thing a child owns, and the one they'll least let go of.

It's cleaned with the same child-safe detergents as everything else, dried gently, and the head is shaped back by hand. Pick a pickup day when they can cope a night without it.

• Child-safe detergents
• Head reshaped by hand
• Plan a night without it

Bedtime comforters · Bedtime teddy

Toys that sleep in the bed

Anything sharing a pillow picks up sweat, dribble and dust every single night. In a bedroom with the AC running and the windows closed, dust mites settle in happily.

The deep clean takes the mites out, and the allergens they leave behind. Then the toy is dried gently all the way to the middle, so it doesn't come home damp inside.

• Dust mites taken out
• Dried to the middle
• Back in the bed the same night

Bedtime comforters · Pillow pet

Pillow pets and plush cushions

Half pillow, half toy, these get slept on, sat on and used as a sofa cushion. The fabric is usually fleece or minky, which flattens and bobbles with use.

It's cleaned on a gentle cycle so the pile isn't roughed up further, then fluffed back up once dry. Close any zip or velcro strap before you pack it, so it doesn't snag.

• Fleece and minky handled gently
• Fluffed up once dry
• Zips and velcro closed

Baby's first soft toys · Taggie toy

Taggie and crinkle toys

Babies chew the ribbon tags and squeeze the crinkly pads, so these get damp and sticky quickly. Non-toxic, hypoallergenic detergents count most here, because the toy's back in a mouth the same day.

Ribbon tags are looked at for loose threads before cleaning. A frayed tag is worth spotting early on anything a baby chews.

• Non-toxic detergents
• Ribbon tags checked
• Gentle on a baby's skin

Baby's first soft toys · Cloth book

Soft cloth books

Fabric baby books have brightly printed pages and often a mirror, a squeaker or a crinkle sheet sewn in. We check what's between the pages before the book is cleaned.

Printed colours are treated gently so they stay bright. If yours has a hard plastic part that's stitched in, send a photo first.

• Pages checked first
• Prints kept bright
• Hard parts: photo first

Baby's first soft toys · Soft rattle

Soft rattles and squeakers

A soft rattle has a small plastic capsule hidden in the stuffing. It's cleaned gently so the capsule isn't knocked about and the seams around it hold.

Give it a shake before you pack it. If it's gone quiet, or the capsule feels loose inside, mention it when you book.

• Cleaned gently
• Seams round the capsule checked
• Shake it before packing

Plush baby gear · Plush play mat

Soft play mats

Play mats live on the floor, so they collect sand off the balcony, crumbs and spilt milk. Soft, padded fabric mats are the ones to send.

Unclip the arches, hanging toys and mirrors and keep them at home. Fold the mat loosely rather than rolling it tight, which saves creasing the padding.

• Padded fabric mats
• Arches and toys off first
• Folded, not rolled

Plush baby gear · Plush baby blanket

Plush baby blankets

Minky and fleece baby blankets feel lovely until they've been through a few spit-ups. They're cleaned with hypoallergenic detergents and dried gently so the soft pile stays soft.

Many have a satin trim, which is kept an eye on while drying. Cot sheets and family bedding go to our bed and bath service instead.

• Hypoallergenic detergents
• Dried gently
• Cot sheets go to bed and bath

Older and delicate toys · Much-loved bear

Old and much-loved toys

A bear that once belonged to a parent, or one that's been hugged thin, needs the lightest touch of all. Worn fabric and old stuffing can't take what a newer toy can.

Send us a photo on WhatsApp before you book. We'll look at it and tell you honestly whether a clean is a good idea.

• Lightest handling
• Photo before booking
• An honest answer

Older and delicate toys · Sequin toy

Toys with sequins, beads or ribbons

Mermaid tails, flip sequins and sparkly bows all catch and pull. We check how firmly each bit is stitched on before the toy is cleaned.

Anything hanging by a thread is better sewn back at home first. Point it out when you book, so we know where to go carefully.

• Stitching checked first
• Loose bits sewn at home
• Tell us where to be careful

Older and delicate toys · Talking toy

Toys with a voice box

Talking and musical toys usually hide a battery box inside, and that can't go near water. Plenty of them have a velcro opening so the box slides out.

Take it out before the driver comes. If it's sewn in and won't budge, keep the toy at home and message us about it.

• Battery box taken out
• Sewn-in electronics stay home
• Message us if unsure