Collecting Bears
Today teddy bears of all kinds are freely available everywhere, costing from a few pounds, to hundreds of pounds for an exquisite mohair collector bear.
My advice to anyone wishing to start their own teddy bear hug is buy a teddy bear collectors book available from most good bookstores, and also purchase the monthly teddybear magazines available at your local newsagents.
Be very careful when buying old bears from fetes auctions etc, they can sometimes contain hidden pests, see page five of this website for advice.
The main thing to remember is a teddybear is there to love and care for, with experience i find any new bear wishing to join my hug shouts out "take me home" when i look into his eyes.
Enjoy your new found hobby by just following your heart.
Cleaning your new Friend
You will need couple of pieces of terry towelling (9-12 inch squares) and slightly warm water. Use white cloth preferably as the dye can run from coloured cloths, especially when new.
Despite what you may have heard, it is probably better NOT to use soap suds or foam unless it is very necessary -the reason being that they can leave a slightly sticky surface residue that can attract more dirt.
If you do have to use suds, use a very gentle soap (soap flakes are good) and wash gently with the suds without wetting the backing cloth too much. Then proceed as detailed below.
Wet the cloths and hand wring them out. Wipe down the teddy in the direction of the nap with about as much force as you would exert on a young child’s skin, being careful not to get the backing too wet.
Keep moving the cloth to a new area. Use a second cloth to go over the teddy again. You may be very surprised at how much dirt and grime comes off.
Let the bear dry overnight and whatever you do - don't put the bear in the sun or use a hair dryer to dry your teddy quickly.
Lastly, give your teddy a good brush.
Teddy may have Bugs
If you have just adopted an old teddy bear it may be wise to take some precautions before putting it into your existing bear hug.
Only if you are completely certain of the bear’s previous home then you will probably be all right, if not it might pay to be careful and put the bear into isolation for a while.
Old fillings and fur can harbour pests and diseases so make sure that you do your best to destroy these before letting it near your bear hug or your children!
This is the method i have used in the past and although it sounds unkind it is sometimes very necessary to fumigate the new old bear.
First find two plastic bags, big enough to take your bear and close easily.
Wear gloves and a protective face mask. It is safer to do this outdoors.
Liberally coat the inside of one bag with a “fly and bug” killer spray. Leave to dry - completely. When dry, put your teddy inside the bag and seal tightly. Leave to one side for about 14 days.
After 14 days to make completely sure of killing every kind of pest, put your bag with the teddy INSIDE the second plastic bag and seal that one too. Place the sealed bear inside your freezer for about 14 days.
14 days later release teddy from the bags and dispose of the bags carefully.
Allow teddy to thaw in a warm dry airy place, don’t rush this bit - it may take quite a while to completely dry teddy inside as well as out.
When dry, give your HEALTHY teddy a good brush.
The above is information is given to the best of my knowledge.
Disclaimer
I DO NOT accept any responsibility for damage that may be caused to your bear or other soft toys by following the information CONTAINED ON THIS PAGE.
You undertake these steps at your own risk. If you are uncertain about the outcome, it may be wiser to seek a professional bear restorer for help.
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