cleaning soft toys

It really depends on the type of toy, what it is made from and whether it is old and of some value. Most soft toys will go throught the wash, others can be spot cleaned and spruced up with a brush and a damp cloth, some will need specialist cleaning. Did you put them away dirty? or was the storage medium inadequate?

I would hand wash these items. You can use Woolite or Tide. Rinse several times until you don't see any more soap suds, then wrap it tightly with a terry cotton towel. After 5-10 minutes place the items in the sun to dry for a few days (a sunny window sill will do)--this will prevent mold/mildew. After they are dried they can be tumbled with a couple tennis balls in the dryer on the no-heat setting for several minutes to fluff them up.