I dropped the Captain!

chipperchicken · June 2011

Let's talk toy cleaning....

E looooves her Captain Calamari. If you're not familiar with the Captain, it's similar to jacques the peacock but a squid instead. And he has an eyepatch. Swoon. Anyway, his tentacles have crunchy stuff inside, and Elsa loves to chew on them until they are sopping wet and looking pretty gnarly. One unfortunate day last week I dropped the Captain on a sidewalk in SF, right next to a constellation of what I can only assume was homeless man pee.

When we got home, I sprayed his ass DOWN with toy cleaner, wiped it down and then let it air dry. But I can't bring myself to give it back to her. I know that you're not supposed to submerse these soft toys in water, but I just don't trust the toy cleaner to get it done!

So how you clean your soft toys that have stuff (squeakies, crunchies, or rattles) inside?

lulu8109 · June 2011

I'm curious to hear what people do too! LO loves Captain Calamari too. I normally steam his stuffed toys, but Capt Calamari is hard because of the rattle and the plastic rings. So I just take hot soapy water, dip a paper towel or cloth in it and wipe him down. But I also have not dropped him in or near pee =P

Edited for clarification: I steam his toys in the dryer. Although, now that I think of it, I guess I could use my handheld steamer that I use on my clothes.

OhSewCrafty · June 2011

Our Captain Calamari is grungy too. I plan on throwing him in the washing machine on hand wash cycle and winging it. We have a front loader, so he won't be completely submerged. I'll let you know how it goes!

All else fails, its a $12 toy that I KNOW will get used to death.

lulu3061 · June 2011

I wash everything, even if it says not to. I've never had any issues and I cannot understand why toy makers wouldn't make washer safe toys...have they never seen what kids do to their toys?!?!?

melissa4252008 · June 2011

I put Sir Prance-A-Lot into the washer recently. I know I'm not supposed to, but he survived.

chipperchicken · June 2011

OhSewCrafty:
Our Captain Calamari is grungy too. I plan on throwing him in the washing machine on hand wash cycle and winging it. We have a front loader, so he won't be completely submerged. I'll let you know how it goes!
All else fails, its a $12 toy that I KNOW will get used to death.

Definitely let me know how it goes in the wash! I agree that I may just upgrade to a new Captain. But then I think about Toy Story 3 and I get really sad....

CFH79 · June 2011

I wash anything soft that doesn't have batteries. Hard plastic items go in sink of hot soapy water. Batteries get spot cleaned.

chipperchicken · June 2011

melissa4252008:
I put Sir Prance-A-Lot into the washer recently. I know I'm not supposed to, but he survived.

Hmmm....if it worked for the knight, then it should work for the squid. I think I'm going to give it a go today. Did you air-dry, or put it in the dryer on a low setting?

melissa4252008 · June 2011

chipperchicken:
melissa4252008:
I put Sir Prance-A-Lot into the washer recently. I know I'm not supposed to, but he survived.
Hmmm....if it worked for the knight, then it should work for the squid. I think I'm going to give it a go today. Did you air-dry, or put it in the dryer on a low setting?

Dryer on a low setting! We live on the edge!

I put him in with all of B's clothes as well as a couple of those blankets with animal heads that oddly enough are also not supposed to go in the washer. So he was surrounded with lots of soft stuff.

MommaEA · June 2011

chipperchicken:
OhSewCrafty:

Our Captain Calamari is grungy too. I plan on throwing him in the washing machine on hand wash cycle and winging it. We have a front loader, so he won't be completely submerged. I'll let you know how it goes!

All else fails, its a $12 toy that I KNOW will get used to death.

Definitely let me know how it goes in the wash! I agree that I may just upgrade to a new Captain. But then I think about Toy Story 3 and I get really sad....

LOL

tiffanyp · June 2011

Wash it in the dishwasher! It sounds strange, but a lot of things you wouldn't expect (baseball caps, hair brushes, make-up brushes, shoes, toys, etc) can be washed in the dishwasher.

Also, this is totally off topic, but I didn't realize we had any San Fran mamas on this board. I'm moving there in the next couple months Do you have a suggestion for which neighborhood to move to?

OhSewCrafty · June 2011

I just realized something. When I first read the title of your post I immediately knew you were talking about Captain Calamari of all the things it could be about.

Geeze, I am a Mom, aren't I. lol

jnicolen · June 2011

OhSewCrafty:
I just realized something. When I first read the title of your post I immediately knew you were talking about Captain Calamari of all the things it could be about.
Geeze, I am a Mom, aren't I. lol

i totally thought she was talking about captain morgan Embarrassed

chipperchicken · June 2011

jnicolen:
OhSewCrafty:
I just realized something. When I first read the title of your post I immediately knew you were talking about Captain Calamari of all the things it could be about.
Geeze, I am a Mom, aren't I. lol

i totally thought she was talking about captain morgan

Baaaahahahhaaaa!!! 6 years ago I totally would have been talking about Captain Morgan. And the story would've ended with a tiger locked in my bathroom.

Gidgetwho · June 2011

OhSewCrafty:

Our Captain Calamari is grungy too. I plan on throwing him in the washing machine on hand wash cycle and winging it. We have a front loader, so he won't be completely submerged. I'll let you know how it goes!

All else fails, its a $12 toy that I KNOW will get used to death.

I would do this. Just don't put it in the dryer. It won't crinkle anymore.