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Plush Care

A little gentle care helps keep your plush looking and feeling its best, whether it's a cuddle companion or part of your collection.

Note

Check your plush's care label, any included instructions, and its product page first. Instructions for your specific plush or accessory take priority over this general guide. You may also find notices for your specific plush on the pages under Plush Care in this help site's navigation.

Everyday care​

  • Handle gently. Support your plush by its body instead of lifting it by its ears, tail, clothing, or accessories.
  • Remove dust regularly. An air blow gun is our preferred tool for dusting. Be gentle: use clean, dry air at low pressure, keep the nozzle away from the fabric, and avoid strong blasts at seams, embroidery, or small details. You can also gently wipe with a clean, dry, soft cloth, taking care not to pull at the fur or catch delicate details.
  • Give it room to recover after unpacking. Newer generations of Pawprint Press plushes come in rigid boxes with generous space, so they usually arrive in shape and do not need time to rebound. In rare cases, if your plush looks a little flattened, gently reshape it with your hands and let it rest in a warm, dry room for 24-48 hours. Avoid forceful stretching, pulling on seams, or using direct heat to speed things up.
  • Choose a good home. Keep your plush away from prolonged direct sunlight, excessive heat, and damp areas. Avoid leaving heavy objects on top of it.

How to spot clean​

For small marks on the fabric, start with gentle surface cleaning, provided your plush's specific instructions allow it. Surface cleaning means cleaning the outside without soaking the stuffing.

Use a mild detergent. We recommend a dedicated plush toy cleaner, but only buy from reputable brands. Check that the cleaner is suitable for your plush's materials and follow its application and dilution instructions.

  1. Prepare your plush. Remove clothing and accessories only if they are designed to come off. Check for loose seams or damaged details before cleaning.
  2. Prepare a soft cloth. For a detergent solution, mix a small amount with cool water and dampen the cloth. Wring it out so it is just damp, not dripping. If using a plush toy cleaner, follow its application instructions.
  3. Test a hidden area. Gently dab a small, inconspicuous patch and let it dry. Stop if color transfers to the cloth or the fabric's appearance changes.
  4. Dab the mark gently. Work on the affected area without scrubbing, pulling the fur, or wetting nearby accessories.
  5. Remove detergent residue. Use a second cloth lightly dampened with clean water, then blot with a dry towel.
  6. Let your plush dry completely. Air dry in a well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and direct heat. Keep the damp area exposed to airflow and turn the plush as needed. Make sure it is completely dry before dressing it, cuddling it, or putting it away. Do not twist or wring it to remove moisture.

Avoid bleach, harsh stain removers, and solvents. If a stain does not lift with gentle cleaning, contact us before trying a stronger treatment.

Avoid tumble dryers, irons, steamers, and hot hair dryers unless the instructions for your specific product explicitly permit that method.

Can I wash the whole plush?​

Do not machine wash or submerge your plush in water unless you have experience washing plushes and know how to dry them thoroughly. Once soaked, plushes can be very difficult to dry naturally, and machine drying is likely to damage them. Different designs can also include materials and accessories that need different care.

Ordinary plush bodies are washable. This applies to the basic fabric and stuffing only; it does not include outfits, accessories, or special features built into the body itself.

If you're experienced with washing plushes, you may choose to wash an ordinary plush body, taking its materials and any specific care instructions into account. We do not encourage full washing or provide instructions for it here. For routine care, we recommend the surface-cleaning method above.

Clothing and accessories​

Some of our plushes include clothing, leather pieces, or metal details. An accessory may need different care from the plush itself.

If a plush requires special handling, we include a notice in its packaging. Read it before cleaning or removing clothing and accessories, and see Special Handling for the relevant guides.

  • Remove only parts designed to be detachable. Do not cut stitches or force fasteners open.
  • Follow any separate care instructions for clothing. Do not assume removable clothing is machine washable.
  • Keep leather pieces and metal details dry during fabric cleaning. For routine dusting, use a soft, dry cloth.
  • Avoid applying leather conditioners, oils, or cleaning products unless the accessory's specific instructions recommend them.

Dye Transfer​

When two pieces of fabric are pressed together, dye can move from one piece to the other. This is called dye transfer. It can occur between fabrics of the same type or different types, and the amount depends on the materials, dyes, and conditions. A very small amount of transfer may be too faint to see.

Pawprint Press uses high-quality materials in our plushes. Beginning in 2026, all fabrics used in our plushes undergo rigorous colorfastness testing before being put into production. Colorfastness describes how well a fabric retains its color and resists fading or transferring color under the conditions being tested.

We're confident that visible dye transfer will not occur in most cases with normal care. Even so, please pay attention to the details below, especially if you live in a humid environment or your plush includes materials with special care requirements.

Plushes Are Special​

A plush can wear the same outfit for years while sitting on display. Human clothing is usually taken off and changed regularly, but a plush's clothing and accessories may remain pressed against the same areas of its body or other layers of clothing throughout that time.

That long, uninterrupted contact deserves extra attention. A fabric's performance during everyday wear or a laboratory test cannot account for every combination of years of contact, pressure, and changing storage conditions.

From time to time, gently check accessible areas where fabrics overlap or press together, such as collars, cuffs, straps, and layered outfits. Only remove clothing or accessories that are designed to come off, and follow any instructions for your specific plush.

The Color Matters​

Color contrast makes a difference to how noticeable transfer is. A trace of black, navy, or deep red dye can stand out on white or cream fabric, while a similar amount may be difficult to see on darker or similarly colored fabric.

How easily a material releases or picks up color also depends on its dye, fiber, and finish. Color alone cannot tell you how colorfast a fabric is, so give particular attention to places where dark or strongly colored fabric touches lighter fabric. This includes contact between different layers of an outfit, between clothing and a plush's body, or between separate items displayed or stored together.

The Storage Environment Matters​

Keep your plush in a cool, dry place. Moisture can make some dyes more likely to move between materials. In very humid conditions, fabric can absorb moisture from the air even without a spill or washing.

  • Choose a dry display area. Avoid damp basements, bathrooms, and spots beside humidifiers or windows where condensation collects.
  • Let every piece dry completely after cleaning. Dry removable pieces separately and allow all cleaned fabrics to dry fully before bringing them back into contact.
  • Keep moisture out of storage. Do not seal a damp plush or damp clothing inside a bag or box. In a humid home, monitor conditions where your plushes are kept and use a dehumidifier if needed; airflow alone may not reduce the humidity.
  • Avoid prolonged compression. Give your plush room in its storage container and avoid placing heavy objects on top of it.
  • Separate contrasting fabrics during long-term storage where practical. Keep removable dark or strongly colored items from pressing against lighter fabrics, whether those belong to a plush's body, another piece of clothing, or a neighboring item. Follow any product-specific packing instructions, especially when shipping a plush through conditions you cannot control.

If you notice color transferring, separate the affected pieces where they are designed to come apart and contact us with photos before trying to remove the mark with a stronger cleaning treatment.

Special Handling​

Some plushes need special handling because of their materials, clothing, or construction. These plushes come with a special handling notice in the packaging. Please read and keep that notice, and follow the instructions for your particular design or production version. Those instructions take priority over this general guide.

You may also find special handling notices on the pages under Plush Care in this help site's navigation.

Need a hand?​

If your plush has a stubborn stain, damaged stitching, or an accessory you're unsure how to clean, contact our support team. Include the plush's name, a photo of the affected area and care label, and any cleaning methods you've already tried so we can help you find the right next step.