Can I wash a stuffed toy my pet peed on?

GUND says: Before washing, always check your friend's care tag or sewn-in label for specific instructions. Steiff says: Collector's items made of mohair or alpaca in particular are not suitable for the washing machine.

How do I clean a plush toy that is spot clean only?

GUND says: With a clean cloth dampened with cool water and a little mild soap, gently pat any soiled spots. It adds: Then, with a fresh damp cloth, pat again to lift away any soap. Let it air dry fully before it's ready for more hugs.

Can I put a stuffed toy in the dryer?

Steiff says: Please do not dry your cuddly toys on the radiator or in the tumble dryer. Basic Fun! says: If the toy's care label allows, use a dryer on a low heat setting.

Pet Urine on Stuffed Toys and Plush: How to Clean Them

Q: How do I machine wash a plush toy?

GUND says: Place your plush in a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to help protect their features. Use cold water, a mild detergent, and the gentle cycle for best results.

Q: Can I wash a stuffed toy with a sound box?

A Fisher-Price instruction sheet says: Open the fasteners on the back of the toy and remove the sound and light box from the clips inside the toy. It also says: Do not immerse the sound and light box. For a toy whose sound box stays inside, another sheet says: Wipe this toy with a clean, damp cloth. Do not immerse the sound box inside the toy. This toy is surface washable only.

This guide covers what to do when a dog or cat pees on a stuffed toy, plush animal or soft pet toy: blotting, reading the care label, surface washing or machine washing, toys with sound boxes, drying, and why pets pick soft things, using what toy makers Steiff, GUND, Basic Fun!, Fisher-Price and KONG say, plus the Carpet and Rug Institute, Humane World for Animals, the AKC and the ASPCA. None of the toy makers' pages we checked mention pet urine; their steps are their general care advice.

Step 1: Blot up what you can

The Carpet and Rug Institute's advice for wet urine is written for carpet, but its first step is blotting: "Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or white paper towels." If the pee also reached a pet bed or a foam topper, see how to clean a pet bed after an accident or pet urine on a memory foam mattress topper.

Source: Carpet and Rug Institute, Spot Solver: Urine, Wet.

Step 2: Read the care label first

GUND says: "Before washing, always check your friend's care tag or sewn-in label for specific instructions." Basic Fun! says: "Check the care label first."

Steiff says: "Yes, most of our plush cuddly toys can be washed in the washing machine at 30°C. However, it also depends on the item in question and its individual materials. Collector's items made of mohair or alpaca in particular are not suitable for the washing machine." It adds that its general tips "do not apply to all products without restriction and we cannot accept any liability if your cuddly toy changes if it is cared for incorrectly."

If the label shows the do-not-wash symbol, Steiff explains it this way: "This means that you cannot wash the item, not even by hand and certainly not in the machine."

Sources: GUND, Care Instructions; Basic Fun!, How to Care for Plush Toys; Steiff, How to care and wash your stuffed animals.

Step 3: Surface wash a spot-clean-only toy

For toys labelled for spot cleaning, GUND says: "With a clean cloth dampened with cool water and a little mild soap, gently pat any soiled spots", and to "try not to rub, as that can be too rough on the fabric." It goes on: "Then, with a fresh damp cloth, pat again to lift away any soap. Let it air dry fully before it's ready for more hugs."

Steiff's advice for toys that cannot go in the machine: "we recommend rubbing it only superficially with the foam of a mild detergent and then washing it carefully with a little clear water." Basic Fun! says: "Use a damp cloth with mild soap to gently wipe the surface."

For dog toys, KONG says: "We suggest spot cleaning all plush toys as needed", using a stain and odor remover.

Sources: GUND, Care Instructions; Steiff, How to care and wash your stuffed animals; Basic Fun!, How to Care for Plush Toys; KONG, The Importance of Cleaning Dog Toys.

Step 4: Machine wash only if the label allows it

GUND says: "Place your plush in a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to help protect their features. Use cold water, a mild detergent, and the gentle cycle for best results."

Basic Fun! says: "If machine washable, place the plush toy in a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase. Use a gentle cycle with cold water and mild detergent. Avoid using bleach or fabric softeners."

Steiff says: "If your cuddly toy is suitable for the washing machine, place it in a laundry net or alternatively in a pillowcase before putting it in the washing machine. Please wash at max. 30°C with a mild detergent, separately from the other laundry."

On pet-soiled laundry in general, Humane World for Animals says for machine-washable items: "Add a one pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent and wash as usual, air drying if possible." Its page has a further step if you can still see or smell the soiling after that wash. For the full routine, see getting pet pee smell out of clothes, bedding and towels.

Sources: GUND, Care Instructions; Basic Fun!, How to Care for Plush Toys; Steiff, How to care and wash your stuffed animals; Humane World for Animals, Get urine smell and pet stains out of carpet.

Toys with a sound box, lights or batteries

Fisher-Price instruction sheets cover two kinds of toy. For a toy with a removable unit, the Touch & Squiggle Sammy sheet says: "Open the fasteners on the back of the toy and remove the sound and light box from the clips inside the toy." Then: "Place the toy in a pillowcase and machine wash cold on a gentle cycle. Do not use bleach. Line dry the toy." It also says: "Do not immerse the sound and light box."

For a toy whose sound box stays inside, another sheet says: "Wipe this toy with a clean, damp cloth. Do not immerse the sound box inside the toy. This toy is surface washable only." These sheets are for those products; check the sheet or label for yours.

Sources: Fisher-Price, Touch & Squiggle Sammy instruction sheet (PDF); Fisher-Price, X2919 instruction sheet (PDF).

Step 5: Dry it fully

GUND says: "Be sure to let them air dry completely before returning to snuggle time." Steiff says: "Please do not dry your cuddly toys on the radiator or in the tumble dryer. It is best to place the cuddly toys on a clothes horse at room temperature or dry them on a line."

Basic Fun! says to "gently press out excess water without wringing or twisting", then: "Allow it to air dry completely, avoiding direct sunlight or heat sources." It allows a dryer only when the label does: "If the toy's care label allows, use a dryer on a low heat setting."

If the smell is back once the toy is dry, see why pet urine smell comes back after cleaning.

Sources: GUND, Care Instructions; Steiff, How to care and wash your stuffed animals; Basic Fun!, How to Care for Plush Toys.

If the toy cannot be washed

Steiff suggests asking the maker: "If you are not sure how to care for and wash your cuddly toy, you can also contact our customer service team." Whether to throw away a pet-soiled toy is not something any source we checked covers.

Source: Steiff, How to care and wash your stuffed animals.

Why pets pee on soft things

Dogs. Writing about puppies and beds, the AKC says: "It's just as soft and absorbent as the carpet, a common place for potty accidents." More in puppy accidents: cleanup steps that stop repeat spots.

Cats. The ASPCA says: "Some cats develop preferences for eliminating on certain surfaces or textures like carpet, potting soil or bedding." More in kitten accidents and cat peed on a comforter or duvet.

Sources: American Kennel Club, Why Do Dogs Pee on Beds?; ASPCA, Litter Box Problems.

Accident on the carpet or couch too?

P-Cleaner is the Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Foaming Liquid from Pet Cleanup Kit. The product listing says: "Works on carpets, upholstery, tile, and more." It is not described for stuffed toys or plush; for those, follow the care label and the steps above. Follow the directions on the product label.

Buy P-Cleaner on petcleanupkit.com

Quoted from the petcleanupkit.com product listing.