come on fhqwhgads

((Story Time!

Please have a moment of silence for the people who were killed instead of freed when news of emancipation finally reached the furthest corners of the american south.

have another moment for the ledgers, catalogs, and records that were burned and the homes that were destroyed to hide the presence of very much alive and still enslaved people on dozens of plantations and homesteads across the south for decades after emancipation.

and have a third moment for those who were hunted and killed while fleeing the south to find safety across the border, overseas, in the north and to the west.

black people. light a candle, write a note to those who have passed telling them what you have achieved in spite of the racist and intolerant conditions of this world, feel the warmth of the flame under your hand, say a prayer of rememberance if you are religious, place the note under the candle, and then blow it out.

if you have children, sit them down and tell them anything you know about the life of oldest black person you've ever met. it doesn't have to be your own family. tell them what you know about what life was like for us in the days, years, decades after emancipation. if you don't know much, look it up and learn about it together.

This is Juneteenth.

This turned into my masterpost of how to clean plushies! I also have a tag for plush care where i’ve answered asks about damaged fur, and brush recommendations + more!

How to wash and clean stuffed animals:

🧸 1. Prep! 🧸

I vacuum/lint roll the plush to get any stray hairs/dust/debris etc. I have a soft bristle brush attachment for my vacuum that i bought off amazon that i use exclusively for stuffed animals

I always hand wash my plushies when possible, but i’ve included a section on both spot cleaning for less dirty plush and machine washing under the wash section!

NOTE: if your plushie has a voice box or joints or anything inside that is incompatible with water then don’t submerge it!!

🧼 2. Soap! 🧼

I use Woolite brand soap because it’s gentle and safe for synthetics. You can also use dawn dish soap at even more diluted ratio. I dilute the detergent with water in about a 1:6 soap:water ratio in a small container (i usually use the detergent cap) Be aware that the more concentrated your soap is exponentially increases the amount of time it will take to rinse it out!

A good rule of thumb for your soap:water ratio is you want the solution you are using to be just a little slippery when rubbed between your fingers.

i use woolite but any gentle detergent safe for synthetics will work. Stuffed animal fur and stuffing is generally made of plastic! NO FABRIC SOFTENER! And no shampoo, conditioner, or soap made for human skin! The moisturizers used in these products will never “absorb” into the plastic fibers! These products will all leave a residue!

You can use very diluted cheap conditioner to detangle a plush but you will need to wash out the conditioner with a a detergent afterwards.

🫧 3. Wash! 🫧

Hand washing: I soak the plush under COLD running water first, and then with my hands i apply and lather the soap in to the fur/fabric and make sure i thouroughly saturate it with the soapy water.

For plush that can’t be bathed/aren’t super dirty/only need a spot clean I use a damp microfiber rag dipped in a mixture of lukewarm water + a tiny (like a drop!) of soap (woolite or dawn) and rub them down all over with it. Then I go over them with a rag damp with clean, soapless water until all the soap is gone. If your plush has medium or long fur you still will want to brush it out to make sure the fur dries soft and not clumped up! Check my section on drying/detailing below.

For machine washing put them in a pillow case to protect the eyes, and put some pillows/ blankets/ towels in the machine with the plush to pad it. use gentle detergent and wash it on “delicates” (or your machines gentlest cycle) with COLD water! Top loading machines do best for this and you’ll want to arrange them sitting up with their backs to the wall of the machine if possible. For front loading machines just throw a bunch of extra pillows/blankets to pad it. skip to step 5 if you end up using a washing machine. I find this method works very well for larger, sturdier plush like build a bears. NEVER PUT PLUSH IN THE DRYER!!!

🚿 4. Rinse! 🚿

Use cold running water! Make sure no soap remains. I smell the plushies periodically to be extra certain i’ve gotten the soap out. You can gently squeeze the plushie depending on the stuffing type. Some plush may need to be washed twice or three times depending on the filth-level, or rinsed multiple times depending on the soap concentration.

Beanie babies and some other plush can be squeezed because of their beans, but plush made out of purely soft stuffing can have their stuffing deformed if you squeeze them too much. Some brands like douglas have stiffer plush with beans and stuffing and they actually can be squeezed too. (DO NOT “WRING OUT” ANY PLUSH!!)

🧽 5. Pre-dry! 🧽

after the soap is 100% out and you are happy with the cleanliness of the plushie, you have two options to pre-dry them:

My favorite way is to put the plush in my washing machine and run it on “spin” cycle only, which is very effective at getting excess water out. In my experience the plush barely moves in my top loading machine, but you can always put the plush in a clean pillow case or put a bunch of clean towels in with it to pad/stabilize the plush in a side loader or if the plush is fragile

If you can’t use your washing machine for any reason, then try your best to get as much water out without damaging the plush. Consider wrapping it in a towel and making a sling with a second towel and spinning it around you, lol. It will be okay if you can’t do any of these things, though! You can also just use a towel and press it on your plush to try and soak up as much water.

Only you know how durable your plush is. The more well made it is (think big brands like douglas, jellycat, wild republic, aurora VS an antique) the more your plush can take without risking damaging the seams/parts. PLEASE don’t “WRING OUT” your plushies as this can deform them!

I NEVER put my plush in the dryer, it can melt the fur fibers and cause matting/damage!! Some people use the “air dry/no heat” but i don’t like to take risks

🧺 6. Dry! 🧺

⭐️ This is the most important part, you must set your plush up to air dry thouroughly!! I prefer to use a fan pointed at the plush. but if you don’t have access to any kind of fan then a hair dryer set on cool could work, and plain air drying works too, it just takes longer.

For plushies with medium/long fur (basically anything besides minky fabric) I brush the fur out with a soft bristle brush once or twice while it’s drying to make sure the fur dries fluffy and soft. I use a build a pear paw brush. You can also use a plastic slicker brush and brush backwards with the direction of the fur to avoid pulling the fur fibers out. Don’t use a brush/comb that’s been used on humans or pets without super disinfecting it first, as the skin oils/dirt can damage your plushies fur!

For beanie babies or any plush with beans you must make sure the beans dry completely, they take way longer than the stuffing!

You need to rotate the plush every few hours or so to make sure it’s drying throughly. Make sure the bottom of the plush gets just as much exposed drying time as the rest of the plush, as gravity will pull any water downwards.

Try not to dry it in a humid room, like a bathroom! There is a risk of mold if a plush doesn’t dry completely before being packed up/sealed up.

I also wouldn’t risk drying your plush outside due to sun bleaching and possibly debris from wind/trees landing on it. You can dry it in a window that gets sunlight still as long as you don’t leave it there for weeks on end. Sun bleaching takes quite a while so the risk is very small.

✨ 7. Detail! ✨

(optional) after the plush is completely dry i go back with the brushes and detangle/fluff up the plush! This is almost necessary for any long/medium furred plush to keep the fur soft and detangled. I use the soft bristle brush for all, and plastic slicker brush for long fur. You can get a small plastic slicker brush for kittens/small dogs at walmart for like $3. Just make sure to be gentle with any combs/slicker brushes to avoid damaging the plush/ripping out the fur. ^_^

This was super long! I have hand washed like 25 plushies of all different sizes at this point and this is what works for me. I have a lot of thrifted plush and they dont always come in great shape. you can reply to this post or send me a message if you have any questions!

extra tip from reblogs:

these are my characters. Please do not tag them as “me” they are not you. they are my creations and ocs that I will be writing for and using on the blogs.

OUGHHHHH

HELPP

I LOVE HIIIMMMM

I LOVE MY ANXIOUS MAN

AND HIS HUSBAND!

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I love everyone...

They're so... just so...!

:-D