Are Second Hand Stuffies Safe?

Have you ever been at a thrift store and thought to yourself “Wow, that is a really cute plush! It’s a shame I don’t know where it came from” or “If only this stuffed animal was in better condition, it’s really cute aside from a few stains”?

Worry not, you aren’t the only one! When it comes to something we are going to want to snuggle with (or even just keep as soft décor) we don’t want to worry about what the mysterious stain, smell, and/or feel of a thrifted plushy might be from.

Luckily for us, there is a solution! If you don’t have the time or ability to refurbish a plush yourself or worry that you might not like the outcome, there are stores online (shameless self insert) that specialize in stuffie rehab!

I can’t speak for every seller, brand, or company, but I do know that for me personally, I would not be comfortable buying a plush second hand and just giving it a chuck in the washing machine or a small hand wash and then re-selling it. Since we don’t know The Past of The Plush™, we don’t know how clean it is or isn’t.

I have had times when washing fuzzy frens that I thought it looked fairly dirty only for it to wash clear relatively quickly and other times when I thought it looked fairly clean only for it to take several washes for it to truly be sterilized.

This means that to me, I will always follow the same protocol and standard of clean regardless of how clean or dirty one appears to be.

You may be thinking to yourself “What protocol do you follow?” Personally, I think the best way to approach it is to find the seam that was originally used to close the plush and open it up. I then proceed to de-stuff the lil guy entirely and wash him with hot water and dawn in a plastic tub in my sink. I wash them until the water runs perfectly clear. Then, I switch to cold water and wash them once with a nice softener detergent. After that, I hang them outside to dry in the sun for at least an hour as a way to kill off any possible remaining ickyness. Then they are brought inside to finish the remainder of the dry. Once I feel they are ready, I either re-stuff them right away or customize them a little first. Then they are all clean, fresh, and ready for their new home!

Whether or not you adopt from us, you should always look into two things with second hand plushies: their condition and the way that the seller cleans them.

If you’re buying a plush off of e-bay, it’s possible that it just sat on a shelf for most of its life so check on the condition it is in per the seller.

If you are buying from a place that rehabs well loved plushies, look into how they are cleaned. Do you feel as though it meets your standards? If so, consider adopting a pre-loved plushy today!