How to Clean Needle Felted Figurines and Wash Felted Soft Sculptures and Wool Toys?

The needle felted figurines are delicate sculptures and should be handled gently. But that doesn't mean that they are not suitable for play or even.. traveling, like the #SnowmanOnTheRoad, am I right?

If the felted ornament is firm and tight the risk of damaging is much lower. In fact, the needle felted sculptures make wonderful toys for children over 3 years old. With good care and love, the felted figurines can last for many years.

How to clean them if they get dirty? How to clean the dust from the felted decorations? Keep in mind that the wool tends to shrink when it is exposed to moisture and liquids. Have you ever had a cool wool sweater that you’ve tried to wash with the rest of the laundry? If yes, you know what I mean – it shrinks and loses its shape.

The same thing might happen to the felted figurines, so follow these tips to avoid the risks of damaging them:

-          Do Not Wash the felted toys in a washing machine

-          Do Not Put them in the drier

-          Do Not Wash them with hot water

-          Do Not Use harsh detergents for washing

-          Do Not Rub, pull or squeeze them tightly 

-          Do Not Place them in the freezer

How to wash and dry the needle felted sculptures?

The things you’ll need:

1.      A bowl with fresh filtered cold water

2.      The felted toys and figurines you want to clean

3.      Paper towel or a soft clean cloth

4.      A place where you can leave the felted decorations and toys to air dry, away from direct sunlight

Follow the steps:

- take a clean bowl and fill it with filtered cold water (not icy). The wool would shrink more if you use warm water, so opt for the cold.

- dip the felted ornament into the water and gently squeeze it a few times

- Avoid rubbing and pulling the felted figurine

- Use special detergent for wool, like Woolite. Be sure to rinse the felted ornament a few times to wash out the detergent completely.

- Wrap the decorations in a paper towel or a soft clean cloth to soak up the water

- Leave the toy at ventilated room to air dry. You can place it on a paper towel and leave it for a few days.

More tips for washing felted toys:

1.      Lemon water
If you prefer to use only natural cleaning methods, squeeze half of fresh lemon in the water that use for washing.

2.      Vinegar
The vinegar is great for thorough washing of felted toys because it works as a disinfectant and it also removes any unpleasant odors. Use 1/2 part vinegar to 1 part water. Dump the felted toy for less than 5 minutes in the water and leave it to air dry.

Those are my tips for cleaning and washing of felted soft sculptures and toys. If you have any suggestions or more ideas of how to keep your cute figurines nice and fresh for a very long time, please leave a comment or send me a message. I’ll love to hear from you.