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Watching an adorable kid lovingly curl up with their favorite stuffed animal can be achingly cute … until you think about where that stuffie has been. The sandbox, the car trunk, the dog’s mouth—oh, my! And then, ugh, what’s been on that stuffie (I have observed a kid burying boogers into the fur of their favorite stuffed lion).

Officially grossed out? Fortunately, many stuffed animals and plush dolls are machine-washable. Vinyl dolls should never be submerged in water. But with some supplies and techniques, you can remove grime and even undo a doll’s marker makeover.

Machine-washing a stuffed animal or plush doll will take as long as the gentle cycle lasts (on my washer, it’s 44 minutes). If you’re washing by hand, stuffed animals and plush dolls should soak for at least 15 minutes. Drying time varies based on whether you choose to machine- or air-dry.

For vinyl dolls, a daily or occasional wipe-down takes one to three minutes. To remove surface dirt and marks (pencil, washable marker, makeup, and so on), it could take a few minutes more. Washing and combing out a doll’s hair will take about five minutes, and then another hour or so to dry. Removing a stain that’s seeped into the doll’s vinyl “skin” will take five to 10 minutes of preparation and cleanup, with two to four hours of resting time in between.

Throwing a stuffed animal or plush doll in the washing machine is easy enough. Select the washer’s gentle cycle, with cold water, and use a small amount of detergent. This article from The New York Times suggests using a mesh washing bag and then padding the load with towels to protect the stuffed toy during the cycle.

If a stuffed toy has delicate features or is tattered from years of use, you may want to hand-wash it.

Fill up a sink, bucket, or bathtub—an area large enough to submerge the toy—and add two teaspoons of detergent for every gallon of water. Press down on the stuffed animal to fully submerge it, scrub it gently with your hands, and let it soak for at least 15 minutes (up to an hour).

Drain the soapy water, and refill the vessel with clean water. Submerge the stuffed animal, and gently scrub again to release the detergent. Drain the clean water, and submerge the stuffie a third time to release as much liquid as you can. Wrap the stuffie in a towel to absorb excess water.

Machine-drying is fine for most stuffies that don’t have glued-on or plastic parts (but check with the manufacturer). Just be sure to select the no- or low-heat setting. If you air-dry, use a fan or dehumidifier to shorten drying time.

Using a single baby wipe or slightly damp washcloth, wipe down exposed vinyl surfaces, focusing on hands, feet, and armpits (which tend to get the dirtiest). Apply pressure on body parts with your fingertips and fingernails. But go gently on the head and face, since the coloring of hand-painted features (eyes, freckles, hair) could scratch off.

In a bowl, add a teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of water to form the paste. Wet a corner of a washcloth, wring it out, and use it to rub the paste onto the affected area. Once the mark is gone, rinse out the washcloth, wring it out a second time, and wipe off any residue. Don’t use this paste on a doll’s facial features unless you’ve confirmed they’re dyed, not hand-painted.

A doll’s hair is either glued on or sewn into its head. Either way, avoid getting the scalp area too wet. Submerging the doll’s head or body in water may weaken the adhesive or lead to water getting trapped inside the doll’s body, creating a home for mold.

To begin, rinse the doll’s hair under a faucet, taking care not to wet the scalp. Use one or two drops of shampoo, lather it in, and rinse.

Apply the same amount of conditioner (or a spritz of detangling spray) and rub it in. If the doll’s hair needs detangling, run a small wire or plastic brush through its locks. Some shedding is normal, especially for newer dolls.

Rinse well, squeeze out excess water, and place the doll on the edge of a table to let its locks dry. Doll hair is too delicate to be blow-dried—don’t do it. Also, you might melt the scalp or the hair itself. Repeat after me: Do. Not. Blow-Dry.

Keep in mind that dolls, like humans, come with many different types of hair. Some doll hair may keep its original style better than others. For curly doll hair care, Healthy Roots’ YouTube library has it all.

Doll enthusiasts swear by this tried-and-true method to remove Sharpie marks or other stubborn stains. The sooner you treat these stains, the better. They infiltrate the vinyl’s porous surface, and the vinyl’s plasticizer may cause the ink or dye to spread.

Apply a thick layer of 10% benzoyl peroxide cream to the stained area. Use enough cream to conceal the stain beneath it.

Wrap the area in plastic wrap, and use a hair tie or rubber band to secure it. This prevents the cream from drying out too quickly. Then place the wrapped doll in direct sunlight outside or inside by a window. Start with two hours at a time, keeping an eye on the doll to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. If the doll ever feels wobbly or sticky, let it cool before putting it back in the sun.

Remove the dried cream with a washcloth and warm water. Be sure to remove all of it—otherwise, the benzoyl peroxide will continue sucking pigment from the vinyl. For stubborn areas, you may need to repeat the process. You may see a lighter-colored area where the stain used to be. This will disappear after a few hours to a few days, depending on how many times you reapplied the cream to completely remove the stain.

This article was edited by Connor Grossman and Ben Frumin.

Julie Kim is based in Brooklyn, New York. Her essays about raising a disabled child in an ableist world have appeared in The Atlantic, A Cup of Jo, and The Cut. Long ago, she earned a master’s degree in design, a grueling and expensive career misstep that she’s thrilled to finally put to good use reviewing inclusive products for Wirecutter.

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