Plush Stuffed Animals Guru

I had always harbored preconceived notions about raccoons. To me, they were nothing more than scavengers who terrorized raided my birdfeeders at night and bullied the household pets if we accidentally left them outside. Having seen them scrounging for meals in dumpsters and trash bins, I believed raccoons were a public health hazard. All of that changed last week.

I heard a ruckus outside my bedroom window and turned on the exterior light. It was a band of baby raccoons foraging for their breakfast/supper in our trash. Their adorable little eyes took a while to adjust to the light, and they didn’t see me for several minutes on end. The baby raccoons looked just like Gund stuffed animals I had seen my nephew playing with. How could I possibly hold a grudge against these nocturnal visitors?

You can try to prevent it from happening all you want, but it’s just inevitable. Kids are some of the most efficient mess-makers alive, and they are especially adept at covering their stuffed animals with layers of filth. Whether it’s food particles or bits of dirt from being dragged around outside, teddy bears are often covered in various debris that doesn’t belong in the bed at night.

In order to clean your Gund teddy bears, begin by wiping the bear with a damp cloth. Don’t use soap, but be sure to wipe with gentle, delicate motions. Sometimes a hand vacuum cleaner will suffice. Most stuffed animals feature a small tag that only attracts notice when you need cleaning instructions. These directions should determine whether or not you can safely throw the teddy bear into the washing machine.