How do I clean amigurumi?

For the amigurumi I made while learning to crochet, I used tissues as stuffing. That means they can’t go in the washing machine. I shake them out and dust them off with the vacuum cleaner. Thanks for any tips on cleaning amigurumi without a washing machine.

Hi Hamster,

I also vacuum my amigurumi that I have here as decorations. I always remove the long tube so that I’m left with just the short piece in my hand. Then I attach a short upholstery brush to it. It has stiff bristles all around the opening, and that works really well.
That said, I don’t do this every time I vacuum, just as needed. :-)

Best wishes
- Steph :) 

Hi Hamster,

why don’t you use stuffing to fill your amigurumi? Pillow stuffing works great for this, too. For example, I buy it very cheaply at that Swedish furniture store. Sometimes you might even have an old pillow lying around at home. Then you can just pop the figures right into the washing machine.

Amigurumi are stuffed with magic stuffing. You can find it online or at craft stores. Little animals stuffed with it can be washed in the washing machine at 30° without any problems (as long as you’re not using fancy materials like cashmere or something similar) — it doesn’t affect the stuffing at all. If you have very intricate little animals with arms or similar features, put them into a pair of tights so nothing can tear off during washing. You can also use the spin cycle (900 rpm). Then put them out in the sun to dry. Pat them back into shape and that’s it. I wash all my little animals this way on a regular basis.

Thanks for the tips

Why use expensive stuffing when the cushion fillings from that Swedish furniture store are much cheaper?
Plus, they’re washable up to 60°C... Okay, you rarely wash an amigurumi that hot, unless it’s a children’s or baby toy, which you do have to wash at a higher temperature every now and then because otherwise they start to smell sour and milky...

But back to the actual question: I clean my amigurumi either on the wool cycle in the washing machine or, if they’re too delicate, by hand in a basin, very carefully with mild hair shampoo :) Then they smell great right away ;)

Does it make a difference whether you use shampoo with silicone or without?