Sanitizing our teddy bear post-COVID

[Anonymous]

Our house is at the tail end of a COVID outbreak. Our resident and much loved teddy bear has been a source of many needed hugs but now that we are recovering I'm not quite sure how to sanitize him. He was originally my teddy bear and he's pushing 35, so I think the washing machine would be too dangerous (and traumatizing) for him. Should we give him a good spray of Lysol? I just want to make sure we don't damage his fur. My mom used to put him in the freezer after I was sick as a kid but that seems like an old wives tale. Any advice is welcome!

[Anonymous]

Meh. I'd put it in a cardboard box, cover it loosely with some plastic so it doesn't get wet and leave it on a porch for a week.

[Anonymous]

Lysol should work well, but you can also put him in a pillowcase then use a hairband to close the end of the pillowcase. Make sure he has plenty of room to move. Then wash on delicate in cool or eco warm water. He’ll be fine - I regularly wash my kids’ most precious stuffed animals and dolls like this.

[Anonymous]

spray it with lysol and let it dry

[Anonymous]

Definitely not Lysol.

I'm actually too disgusted that you let your kid play with a 35 year old teddy bear to offer any helpful advice. I bet that thing is saturated with mold spores. Ick.

[Anonymous]

Covid isn't spread through fomites. Teddy is a fomite. Strep or something might be different.

-- Someone very cautious about covid who wouldn't do a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lysol should work well, but you can also put him in a pillowcase then use a hairband to close the end of the pillowcase. Make sure he has plenty of room to move. Then wash on delicate in cool or eco warm water. He’ll be fine - I regularly wash my kids’ most precious stuffed animals and dolls like this.

I’ve done this with my childhood teddy bear that DH gave to DD when I was finally ready to throw the thing away. Also dried it in the sun.

[Anonymous]

I bet the freezer thing works. Germs can't survive well at those low temps.

[Anonymous]

Freezer or microwave. Or a few hours in the warm sun if you can find it - maybe in the dash of the car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our house is at the tail end of a COVID outbreak. Our resident and much loved teddy bear has been a source of many needed hugs but now that we are recovering I'm not quite sure how to sanitize him. He was originally my teddy bear and he's pushing 35, so I think the washing machine would be too dangerous (and traumatizing) for him. Should we give him a good spray of Lysol? I just want to make sure we don't damage his fur. My mom used to put him in the freezer after I was sick as a kid but that seems like an old wives tale. Any advice is welcome!

Not an old wives tale. ORs are deliberately kept cold to slow/prevent infection.

[Anonymous]

I would do a woolite wash, which he probably needs anyway. Or one of those dryer dry-cleaning bags.

[Anonymous]

Put him in a lingerie bag. Wash on gentle/cold. Air dry.

[Anonymous]

I would just not worry too much... reinfection via teddy bear is just not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not Lysol.

I'm actually too disgusted that you let your kid play with a 35 year old teddy bear to offer any helpful advice. I bet that thing is saturated with mold spores. Ick.

The melodrama lol. Sounds like the thing is washed frequently. It's fine.

[Anonymous]

Covid particles inactivate themselves naturally when left for 3- days on inert surfaces.

Freezing for 4 days kills certain pests such as clothes mites. However certain mold and bacterial spores resist such cold temperatures quite well.

Washing and drying on hot will kill most bacteria and certain molds, as well as all viruses.

For a venerable teddy, I would put him out in strong sunlight. Make sure to expose all parts of him over several days. This used to be recommended for Covid masks as well, since sunlight can inactivate viral particles, however it is not recommended now, because scientists found that the disposable mask fabrics could be damaged by repeated exposure to sunlight.

- microbiologist, whose own beloved teddy is going on 40.