HOME | DD
MLWPlushies — Minky Plush Washing Guide
#pie #pinkie #plush #plushie #pony #washing #little #cleaning #guide #handmade #minky #mylittlepony #tutorial #mylittleponyfriendshipismagic
Published: 2015-04-13 00:00:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 51696; Favourites: 814; Downloads: 666
Redirect to original
Description
Russian Version: hazevalley.ru/instructions.htm…(If you translated this guide send me the link and I'll add it here!)
I haven't seen any tutorials specifically for washing minky plushies, though there's probably an overwhelming amount of them that are in need of washing after years of snuggling. This one for instance, is one of my older plushies, and has been snuggled nearly to death for the past 2 years. She's is pretty bad shape and also needs some repairs. I may also make a repair guide if anyone might be interesting. Just for simple things like re-attaching, tails, manes, and holes, but catered toward hand made minky plushies.
If anything is unclear, do mention it! I would be happy to update this guide with more information. (Also feel free to point on spelling errors...no spell check in photoshop ahaha...)
Also if any plush makers have any relevant info to add, do say so! I don't know how all other plush makers create their plushies, and I would like for this to be helpful for all types.
Here's the original plush that's being cleaned:
Some more things I plan to add to this guide in the future:
-Faux fur cleaning
-Spot cleaning
-Synthetic hair
-Minky fluffing with hair dryer (this actually works much better than just leaving to dry, since the warm air keeps the minky from becoming stiff, and you can brush it while it's drying)
Related content
Comments: 129
I had the same issue, but I've since become experienced at repairing frizzy pony hair. For a while I sold vintage ponies on eBay and often had to de-frizz their hair.
I've always used a straightening iron. Works every time. Hot water isn't enough to deal with frizz, but the iron is.
Be sure to apply ample conditioner onto the hair before using the straitening iron. (Ample, as in like load it on generously. xD)
Then, without removing the conditioner, run the straightening iron over it, gently.
After that, lightly rinse the hair out and re-curl it again if you want. You can use human hair curlers, straws, paper towels, etc. to curl it. For a simple curl (such as Twilight's hair), just curl the mane and tail around the pony's legs and let it set until it dries completely.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This is really helpful to keep in mind!! I was wondering if a straightening iron would damage the hair. I know sometimes it's ok to use on dolls, depending on the material the hair is made from (sometimes it doesn't work at all) but I wasn't sure if the pony hair was the same or not. I don't have much experience in that. The most I've done is using some conditioner and warm water to make a childhood pony look more presentable for one of my shelves. She isn't perfect, but I figure I had her since I was small so she should probably look a little worn lol.
That is super helpful though. I will definitely keep this all in mind, I am going to save this comment in my folder so I don't forget. Haha.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, no problem! I've never had it fail on me.
The only occasion when it "failed" was when the hair was soooo frizzy that even ironing couldn't help. But the "fail" is only in the sense that it wasn't fixed completely; it still became better than before, so no loss there.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I don´t remember where I go this tip but when I want to wash my plushies I put it in a pillow case and I let the washer do the rest. They´re well preserved. Fleece does tend to gather lint so I got a very cheap bar of pumice and remove it gently.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Are these plushies store bought, or are they handmade? Do you let them air dry or do you put them in the dryer? I got a couple of plushies from Build A Bear that could use a good washing, but I am afraid they not get dry.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
They´re made with minky plush and handmade and they´re dried on a regular dryer but they are put on a pillow case all the time so the fabric won´t get caught on the machine.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
That's very useful, thanks for sharing!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Ahh, this is really helpful. My poor Wolpertinger is really not white more. A repair guide would be great to see as well since I've never done any work with minky.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Are all plushies made of minky fabric? Because I really need to wash my Sunset plushie and I don't want to find out that I washed her wrong.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Not all, other less expensive custom plushies tend to be made with fleece. Minky is a slightly furry material. Ones you buy from the store or bootleg ones, you can probably wash similarly though. If your plush is fleece I would HIGHLY recommended against scrubbing it, since it will pill the fleece and damage the material. Also something I should probably add to the guide is to not put plushies with faux fur of any sort in the dryer, and it will tangle the fur beyond fixing.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Do you have any suggestions for how best you *should* clean fleece plushies?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I've not tried it myself, but I'd use a soft rag, and definitely no toothbrush on the fabric.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Moms be like: Ain't nobody got time fo dat. *throws in washing machine*
Me: Mooooommmm noooooooooooo qnq
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Great tutorial! I'm sure this will come in GREAT handy to many plush owners!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thank you so much! I've been dying for a thorough guide on custom plush cleaning for years! And I'm very glad and relieved to know that all of my previous attempts followed the majority of the above steps while I cleaned my snuggly bundles of love.
I even have a toothbrush and washcloth I've always set aside specifically for them, heheheh~ ^w^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Years of snuggling is always awesome! 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I use a small spray bottle vinegar for spot cleaning because it keeps the plush smelling fresh and the vinegar smell goes away once it is dries. This is also good for plushies that children sleep or on since it non toxic. If a person has allergies, they should vacuum the plush once a week and put the plush in the freezer for 24 hours to remove dust mites. This works just as well a dryer to remove dust mites.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Alcohol doesn't take too long to evaporate, but vinegar probably works very similarly.
That's interesting to hear about dust mites though! 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Good guide! I'd say if you're confident in your stitching that washing machine and dryer is fine if you throw it in with other clothes or towels to cushion it. I've washed a few of mine that way and wasn't disappointed
However, I also recommend a hair dryer on low works really well for drying especially if you only washed one or two spots on the plush. The air from it also helps keep the minky fluffy
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Oh, yes! I have used a hair dryer before, but only on small areas with frequent brushing, since the heat from the hair dryer can also set the minky in the wrong direction. I could probably add a little bit about that to the guide. C: it did help keep the minky fluffy.
What kind of machine do you have? If you have a front loader I could see that working, but most I've had are top loaders with the column in the center, so most plushies would not fit, and probably get mangled.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ah that makes sense as I've only used front load machines before and also most of my plush are smaller, about 10-11" tall so that probably helps a bit?
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Ah, that's good to hear about hair dryers! I wanted to try using one, but a mixture of uncertainty and never having one when I wanted one kept that from happening lol. Going forward, I will definitely consider using one for drying steps!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Just avoid getting the minky too hot, use it from a distance and stop to brush it somewhat frequently. You can actually melt minky if it gets too hot, so it's important it keep in mind.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Of course! I'd put the hair dryer on low heat and brush often to make sure it keeps its fluff and flexibility. Thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Very handy guide! Sometimes people ask me how to clean their plushes for upkeep and it terrifies me, haha. I tell them just to spot-clean, but I'm sure after a while of cuddles, a cleaning like this is necessary! Added it to my resources. Thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
<= Prev |