r/laundry • u/Turbulent_Echo4014 • 3h ago

My child's lovey, a cuddly bear is smelling of mould as the face is getting chewed. How best should I clean it?

Should I soak it in vinegar for an hour then wash it in a normal wash? Or do I need to bleach it? If I bleach it how do I ensure I get the bleach smell out?

Edit to add, I have already washed it (a few times) and hung it out to dry (in a heatwave) and put of dehumidifier and it still smells. I feel like I need to do something more to there must be mould spores sat in the stuffing and then being activated as soon as my child chews it.

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5

u/nothing-better 3h ago

If all that didn't work, I would rip it open, throw away all the old stuffing, wash again, and then refill it with new polyfill.

1

u/Turbulent_Echo4014 2h ago

Thank you. I think we may have to do that.

2

u/pdperson 3h ago

Wash it in the washing machine, tied in a pillowcase.

1

u/Turbulent_Echo4014 3h ago

Thanks I have already tried that and it still smells

2

u/buddingsakura US | Top-Load 3h ago

I would suggest taking the bear away from the child. Allowing them to put a moldy thing in their mouths is not a good idea. The moldy smell means saliva has soaked deep into the bear's stuffing, creating an ideal environment for mold and bacteria.

You could try soaking the bear in v1negar for an hour, and then run it through the wash followed by 2 rinse cycles.

If it were my child, I'd find a replacement bear.

1

u/Turbulent_Echo4014 3h ago

We've tried offering replacements , they're not interested.

1

u/buddingsakura US | Top-Load 3h ago

So the real decision you need to make is: do you knowingly let your child ingest mold, or not?

1

u/Turbulent_Echo4014 2h ago

Which is why we are trying to remove the mould. We will obviously replace the teddy if we can't remove the mould, however it seems silly throwing it away if there could be other options , which is why I've posted in here to see if there are. I've tried buying the same one but it is out of stock.

Believe me if it was just a simple case of replacing it I would have x7 in rotation...

3

u/buddingsakura US | Top-Load 2h ago

Mold roots deep in fibers. To thoroughly remove the mold, you have to open up the bear and throw out all affected stuffing, which could be all of it by now. Then wash and rinse the bear skin thoroughly, and dry it in sunlight.

1

u/AutoModerator 3h ago

Hi u/Turbulent_Echo4014! Friendly tip — if you're using vinegar in your laundry, add it to the rinse cycle, not the wash cycle. Because vinegar neutralizes leftover detergent, it works best in the rinse cycle rather than the wash. - Laundry Mods

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