How to Clean a Stuffed Animal's Eyes

Last Updated: November 5, 2020

Over time, with lots of love and cuddles, a stuffed animal's eyes can start to look scuffed, dull and lackluster. To clean the eyes of a stuffed animal, choose a method that best suits your toy.

Steps

1
Start with clean hands whenever cleaning a toy.
2
Check what the eyes are made of.
- Plastic eyes can be damaged by abrasive items removing ink or gouging into the plastic, and heat can melt it.
- Glass eyes can chip, crack or break if mishandled.
Advertisement
3
Decide whether to spot clean or wash the toy completely. If just the eyes are the issue, simply spot clean them with one of the suggested methods.
- If washing the toy as a whole in the washing machine and it has plastic eyes, place the stuffed toy in a pillow case before putting in the washing machine. The pillow case will protect the eyes.
- It is not recommended that any stuffed toy with glass eyes, moving eyes or eyelashes be washed in a machine. Doing so will likely harm these areas of the toy.
4
Hair dry on low if you have had to wash the stuffed animal as well. Alternatively, wash on a lovely warm day and air dry outside, under a porch or shaded area (being careful to avoid birds that might leave a mark).

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cleaning glass or plastic eyes

1
Make a weak solution of warm soapy water. Use gentle dish soap or baby shampoo.
- Note: You may like to see whether water alone is sufficient before using any detergent.
2
Use a soft cloth to dip into the soapy water. Wring out the water so that the cloth is only damp, then use it to wipe the eyes.
- Avoid getting water behind or in the eyes. The cloth must only be damp, not saturated and wet.
3
Polish using a soft tissue.
4
Done.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Toothpaste clean for plastic eyes

This method will clean plastic eyes. It can also help to restore light surface scratches on plastic toy eyes as it acts as a soft abrasive but don't expect a miracle, especially not if the scratches are deep.

1
Put a tiny dab of toothpaste on your finger.
- Use mint toothpaste, for a crisp, clean smell. Use proper toothpaste, not the gel.
2
Gently massage it on your stuffed animal's eyes.
3
Wipe off the toothpaste with a wet towel.
4
Pat the eyes dry.
5
Done.

Community Q&A

Question

Will the toothpaste damage the eyes in any way?

Community Answer

No, it won't. Just be careful not to get it on the fur.

Warnings

Do not use alcohol, alcohol-based or acetone products on the toy's eyes. These can fade, etch or melt the eyes.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
Water stuck inside or behind the eyes can cause mildew––take care to prevent this from happening.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Don't get toothpaste or oil in the toy's fur. Use a laundry detergent water mix to get any toothpaste or oil out of the fur.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0