When it comes to stuffed animal care, the thing to keep in mind is this: No matter how well you take care of them, no matter how well you mend them and store them and clean them, they’re only as valuable as you make them. What we mean by this is that you need to really invest in your little buddies with love and affection. They need more than just a regular washing, or you may as well just buy some throw pillows.

Just as with keeping any pet, stuffed or otherwise, you can’t be a responsible owner without devoting some actual time and energy into your little buddy. Okay, it’s just stuffed animals, but if you want to keep them for long enough to hand down to your own kids or grand kids, you do need to take proper care of them.

Bathe Them Regularly

You’re taking a risk just throwing them in with your shirts. You want to wash them in cold water to prevent shrinking, and then dry them out with a blow dryer to make absolutely certain they’re not going to get any mildew from the inside out. Some stuffed animals are dryer safe, but even so, you want to dry them out with the blow dryer just to make sure they get nice and thoroughly dry. Once a plus starts mildewing, there’s nothing you can do about it, it’ll always have that funky odor.

Mending Your Buddies

Now and then, a stuffed animal does get a tear. Usually you can correct any of their mending needs with a needle and matching thread. Over the years though, the stuffing may become a little too worn out and might require some new stuffing put in. When this happens, cut along the biggest seam and remove the old fur, then stuff it with new fur and reseal.

Storing Them

With any luck, you won’t have to store your favorite little guys off in a closet or a storage facility, but if you do, keep a few pointers in mind. First of all, if you have to put them away somewhere for awhile, make sure you don’t expose them to the elements. Keep them somewhere cool and dry. They’re highly susceptible to mildew, so moisture can really take it out of them. They’re not perishable, but they are sensitive to certain elements, so make sure they’re protected, don’t just stuff them in a tool shed or something.

Play With Them!

Even if you’re an adult, you shouldn’t just treat your stuffed animals like decoration. If you have kids, you’ve got a great excuse to pull out the stuffed animals and put on a little play or use them to tell some jokes or what have you. A stuffed animal’s value is defined by how much care and love you put into them. If it’s been awhile, you may feel a little silly at first, but actually CARING for these little guys is a big part of, well, taking care of them.

It’s a fact that stuffed animals care takes more than just regular washing. Check out our guide to jumbo plush care for the inside scoop .