If you have children, then you most likely have squishmallows at home – you know, those funny and super soft stuffed pillows that look like cartoon animals! They are great fun for the little ones because of the bright colors and attractive exterior.
However, they do have one big downside. Squishmallow pillows tend to get dirty pretty fast! Especially if your kids adore them and take their squishmalow friends everywhere with them.
So how to wash a squishmallow so that you won’t damage the pillow and its exterior?
You will get a detailed step-by-step guide that will lead you through the washing process, no matter whether you wash the toy by hand or in a washing machine.
In this article, we will provide you with the answer. In addition, you will find out how to both wash and dry squishmallows.
In particular, we will explain how these pillows should be machine washed and washed manually.
We will also tell you how to spot-clean them and share a handy recipe of a mold removing solution that might become handy if your squishmallow remains wet for a long time without proper air access.
With all this information in mind, you will be able to both keep your kid’s funny pillows always clean and safe to use no matter how frequently your little one plays with them or uses them.
How to Wash a Squishmallow?
Can you put a squishmallow in the washing machine? This is one of the most frequently asked questions that can be heard from parents whose kids adore these fun pillow animals.
Luckily, these pillows can be washed in your washing machine in the majority of cases! That’s good news, right? Of course, you still need to double check with the care tag on your pillow to make sure that its fabric and insides will withstand the washing barrel.
In addition, it is good to know whether these soft pillow toys can also be washed with the help of different washing products.
In particular, you should know in advance how squishmallows will react if you wash them using a regular detergent.
Sanitizing mallows may also be a point of concern for parents, so being aware of this nuance is also essential to keep the toy not only clean but also safe for your kid to play with.
You may see that the care tags on squishmallows usually say that these pillows must only be dry cleaned or spot cleaned, and if you try to wash them differently, you will have to do that at your own risk.
Well, to a certain point, it is true. But! We would like to pay your attention to the squishmallow washing instructions that have been tested by many parents and everyone gives exceptionally positive feedback!
So below, you can find a detailed description of both machine wash and hand wash methods that you can use to keep your squishmallows clean easily.
How to Machine Wash Squishmallows?
So, if you need to launder your squishmallows pillow, here is the list of supplies that you will have to get prepared in advance before you start your washing machine:
- Squishmallow
- Washing machine
- Dryer
- Pillow case (for smaller squishmallows) or flat bed sheet for larger items
- Detergent of choice
Now that you are ready to start, the washing procedure itself is going to be very simple. Below, you can find a detailed step by step description of it. Like this, you will surely won’t miss anything, and your squishmallow will be washed properly without getting damaged.
Put It In a Pillowcase [STEP 1]
Start with putting your pillow into a pillowcase that has been prepared in advance. Since these pillows are rather delicate, you can’t just throw them into the washing machine barrel and press the START button!
In this case, even if you use the most delicate washing setting, your squishmallow might get damaged. Or, as an option, it will not be washed properly.
So what we suggest is to put your squishmallow pillow inside a pillowcase. If the pillow is too big, put it in a flat bed sheet and tie the opposite corners to wrap it. lIke this, you will protect the pillow and its exterior (which often has all sorts of decorations) from any possible damage.
Wash On Cold And Gentle [STEP 2]
We know that it might be tempting to wash your pillow in the hottest washing setting, especially if it is pretty dirty. However, please remember that these pillows are decorative and so they are not supposed to withstand hot water!
What we recommend you do is to place your pillow in the washing machine with the normal detergent that you typically use, turning on a cold and gentle washing setting.
Never wash on a hot setting though, as it can melt the material of a pillow!
Also, adding bedding to the load with your squishmallows can help keep them from getting too squished or flattened! Like this, you will also save time and detergent since you will not have to load two different washes to get everything laundered.
Tumble Dry It Correctly [STEP 3]
Just like with washing, drying your squish mallow also requires following certain rules.
Tumble dry these pillows on a low and gentle drying regime only. Leave the pillow in the pillowcase and put it in the dryer on low and gentle, but never on hot.
Remember it as a rule of thumb: squishmallows can’t stand heat!
Fluff It! [STEP 4]
Kids and adults love these fun pillows because they are so incredibly fluffy! But if you wash them, you will see that your squishmallows come out of the washing barrel flat and without that adorable fluff. This is why owners of squishmallows often wonder how to fluff squishmallows
Fortunately, it is easy to revive your soft and fluffy “friend”. Just give your pillow some hugs and squishes to fluff it back up. You may have to break up the stuffing a bit with your fingers to get it feeling fluffy again.
Like this, washing a squishmallow pillow in a washing machine should not be a great deal for you anymore.
Just make sure that you use the correct washing setting and temperature regime, and you undergo all the required after-wash procedures like fluffing – and your pillow will remain the same soft and adorable as it has been before!
How to Hand Wash Squishmallows?
In case you need to clean your squishmallow by hand, it is also possible to do so. These pillows will survive the manual washing routine the same well as they do with the machine wash basically.
All that you need to keep in mind is that you should avoid using harsh bristle brushes on these pillows since vigorous scrubbing will damage the exterior fabric. Also, it is not recommended to use whitening detergents and other whitening cleaning products.
If you do so, there will be discolored spots left on the surface of your soft pillow!
So the best hand washing option is to wash the pillow either with a soft brush working on it delicately, or by using a clean cloth.
In fact, even a bath sponge might work pretty well! As for the detergent, it’s ok if you use the one that you typically add to your washing machine when doing your laundry.
The washing procedure is very simple.
Step 1
Get a tank with warm water ready, ensuring it can fit your mallow right in. If the pillow is not big, you may use a bucket. But if it is large, you might want to consider using your bathtub!
Step 2
Get all the washing tools and products ready. If your mallow is dirty, you will need a soft brush or a soft sponge (of course, you need to use the new items only!). As an option, feel free to use a soft clean cloth. Also, get the detergent ready.
Step 3
Dissolve the detergent in warm water and create a foamy substance. Then, soak your mallow in this solution and work over it with a brush, cloth, or sponge you have prepared. When the pillow is clean, rinse it and let it dry.
With all these tips and recommendations, washing squishmallows will be easy for you from now on.
Make sure that you keep them clean by washing regularly, though since dirty pillows tend to accumulate dust which might result in certain health issues for you or your kids!
Types of Squishmallows
There are different types of squishmallows, and this is not only about the mallow squads they are divided into. These toys come in a wide variety of types, and each type looks different and should be maintained differently.
For example, there are mallows with hair, big and small mallows, and even squishmalow slippers! And all these types of squishmallows should be differently washed and cleaned.
For example, big toys will be hard to squeeze into a washing machine barrel, so you will have to find another way to wash them.
As for the mallows with hair, those required more delicate treatment and washing to not damage the hairy part of the toy and not leave its “chevelure” tangled or ruined!
This is why you should always read the care tag of your toy attentively and wash and dry it according to the specifics of the item.
How to Dry Squishmallows?
Except for washing, the biggest point of concern for mallow owners is how to dry squishmallows.
Since these toys are very soft and delicate, people simply don’t know what drying method will be the most appropriate in terms of safety and efficiency.
According to the official squishmallow website, air drying is the optimal way to dry your soft toy after it is washed. It will take more time for sure, but the item will retain its shape and keep its soft texture, unlike the scenario where you toss it into the dryer. Also, it is not recommended to use irons, hair dryers, fans, or any heating objects to speed up the drying process!
Such methods may damage the toy!
How to Get Stains Out Of Squishmallows?
Since these fun and super soft pillows are so much loved by our children, as a parent, you have probably already wondered whether it is possible to spot clean them somehow to get rid of the juice or ice cream marks.
Well, basically, spot cleaning is available. In this case, your best bet for a squishmallow spot cleaning is a spot remover pen.
As an option, you can use a bit of detergent to squirt it on a damp cloth, and then scrub at the spot and rinse it off.
We would not recommend you spray any stain removers on a squishmallow.
See, these products are rather strong and if you use one of them, it might result in a faded spot on the fabric. Let’s agree, this will not look very attractive!
Of course, you can always test it in a discrete spot, but still, we would not suggest this option.
How to Remove Mold From Your Squishmallows?
Of course, we hope that this will never happen to you, but still, it is best to keep the following information in mind just in case you might need it one day.
If squishmallows are left wet, especially very wet in a dark space, and if they spend quite a long period of time in such conditions, they can grow mold.
Fortunately, you can cope with the mold growth relatively easily and quickly. There are two different methods that we can suggest:
- White vinegar
- Oxy cleaning product
White vinegar can kill mold, as you probably know. You just need to soak moldy spots of a pillow with straight white vinegar, let it sit for one hour, and then wash as normal.
And of course, remember to dry your pillow after the mold is removed!
There is another solution that can be successfully used in case you don’t have vinegar at your disposal right now, or if you don’t like how it smells.
You can also soak in a mixture of hot water and Oxy clean, and then scrub the moldy spots with a clean toothbrush. Then, wash the cleaning solution as normal.
If the stuffing of your pillow also has mold in it, you will need to cut it open along the big seam, re-stuff with fresh stuffing, and sew back up.
What Are Squishmallow Pillows Made Of?
If you are a parent and you want to buy a squishmallow pillow for your kid, you might surely want to know what squishmallow fabric these pillows use.
Even if your child is not allergic to synthetic materials, being aware of how safe the thing that your little one is going to play most of the time with is essential.
And of course, another great point of parents’ concern is what’s inside squishmallows.
So, squishmallow pillows are synthetic, as you might already guess. They are made of plush fabric that is extremely soft and has a nice spongy texture.
This makes these pillows look and feel like big marshmallows which is why kids adore them so much!
They are super soft, cuddly and cozy! As for the inside stuffing, there is polyester fiber inside of these cute pillow toys.
When And How Did These Pillow Toys Appear?
Back in 2017, squishmallows came out on the market, and their appearance turned the entire world upside down! The world of toys was never the same.
Because of the perfect combination of something cute and cuddly, with its cozy round shape and somewhat simple features, these toy pillows soon turned it into a phenomenon.
The company behind Squishmallows created these super squishy plush toys as a way to encourage imaginative play while offering comfort for kids, too. Currently, there are over one thousand (!) squishmallows to collect, and their number is growing.
They are even organized into so-called “Squads” (for example, you can find Adventure Squad, Food Squad, Pet Squad, and so on). Also, these toy pillows have their own names and each of them has its unique backstory!
Well, now you know quite a lot about such a crazily popular thing as a squishmallow! We told you how to wash it in a washing machine and how to do it manually in case obstacles make you do so.
You are even aware now of how to spot-clean them and how to dry your super cuddly toy pillows without causing any damage to them. In addition, we explained what this funny pillow is made of and how it appeared on the market.
So now you know all about them, from A to Z!
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