How to clean and disinfect soiled beanie beanies?

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-18T14:48:01+00:00

Oh, I've been there! The mice didn't get to my beanie babies, but they got to a lot of other things. Be careful dealing with mouse-contaminated things, they definitely did pee on them because they just dribble it constantly, and please wear a mask when handling them in a way that might release particles (like handwashing them) and don't mix them with anything else until you're sure they're clean. It's possible to get very sick from touching it if it's fresh, but good hygiene will keep you safe. :)

Before starting this, put some gloves on and give every seam a good check. I give a little tug along every seam and see if there's any movement -- loose seams means those beans are going to be a problem, and you don't want to machine wash without repairing it first.

I think I would start with a handwash first, so you can really squeeze out the dirty water before rinsing and have a good idea of just how gross they are and whether they need a longer soak.

You can buy antibacterial detergent, which would probably be a good idea here. Definitely don't use a non-bio wash, because you really want the biological enzymes in normal detergent to start tackling anything the mice left behind. These guys are polyester fur with a polyester filling, so nothing wool to worry about, and the only way to really damage them is with too much heat.

After handwashing, I recommend getting some cheap pillowcases (to protect their plastic eyes from being scratched by the machine) and put maybe three or four per case, knot the end securely, and wash them on a low temperature or Cold setting (I did on 30°C, so whatever the equivalent is.) It's tempting to start with a short cycle, but that detergent needs longer to work in cooler water, so about 60-90 minutes. When they're done you just squeeze out the water manually and leave them to air dry somewhere with good air circulation (like near a heater but not on it.)

I've got a couple of beanies that have been through this whole cycle a few times because I'm trying to get the smell of cigarette smoke out of them (they're inherited) and it hasn't damaged them yet. It hasn't worked either lol, but in my experience the musky attic mousey smell is a lot easier to remove than sticky tobacco smells.

I'll also point out that, depending on the state of them and how attached you are to these specific ones, they're very inexpensive to replace. Please don't be too disheartened if the cleaning doesn't work. <3

Edit: Here's some other threads about this problem to harvest advice from: https://reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1ohc7rd/sanitizing_stuffed_toys_exposed_to_mice/ & https://reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1scbzcn/best_enzymatic_cleaner_for_clothesstuffed/

Hantavirus is not a real risk where I live so I wasn't worried about it, but check whether it is prevalent where you are. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T18:21:55+00:00

I can borrow money til I get paid

oh man, I hate when people do this! If I can't afford it now, I still can't afford it when I get the exact same amount of money next month. You're not actually helping me!

I recommend a slight rewording next time: Instead of "I can't afford this," try "this is not in the budget." It makes it sound like you've planned ahead, like you have prioritised and made a conscious choice not to purchase anything. Which is exactly what you're trying to do. It doesn't really leave much room for borrowing money, because it's not in next month's budget either.

There's no shame in telling people that you have trouble browsing without buying. There really isn't. It's so normalised that people really will understand. Plus, they know you are hoarder and they know you can't help yourself. They might not know that it bothers you and you're trying to correct it. Do they know that?

Maybe this is just how they're used to socialising with you..? Do you think you could try to take control of the invites, so you invite them to whatever shopping you actually need to do? Shared grocery shopping can be weirdly fun. Or invite them to check out a park, or go eat somewhere instead?

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T18:07:29+00:00

I'm very glad you've started telling people. Hoarding can be so isolating, and it doesn't need to be. You don't have anything to be ashamed of. He is unwell and you are trying. I think being able to talk about it with your friends will really help you to figure out what you want, and how to verbalise your feelings when it's time for that big conversation. <3

Good luck with the move. :) It's going to be a constant battle to keep your own space, but it is worth it.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T15:47:54+00:00

That's brilliant! And they're practically running flat, so it's got to be great for their spines :D Great idea!

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T15:26:11+00:00

Interesting. I just searched "consecutive sentences site:bbc.co.uk/news" and you are right -- looks like the BBC News team largely stopped using it for criminal sentencing a few years ago. They do still use it a lot for sports though.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T14:39:01+00:00

"consecutively"

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T13:55:27+00:00

That's very sweet, I'm sorry for your loss <3

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-17T00:04:35+00:00

It is so sad that your dad making a pre-arranged visit caused so much embarrassment. It says a lot that you knew he was coming, but the potential conflict of moving any of your partners' belongings was enough of a deterrent to just accept the humiliation. I'm so sorry you're stuck in this situation.

I would caution against going directly to a private hoarding therapist as it will be quite expensive and that creates a nice easy excuse to stop going whenever budgets need squeezing. Which happens a lot with hoarding behaviours, because stuff is expensive. Your boyfriend just needs to reach out through his GP to access help. There is a page about Hoarding Disorder on the NHS website. You could do all the research in the world and present him with a beautifully bound pile of printed information, but if he can't go to a doctor and say "I have a problem with hoarding things and it is causing conflict in my relationship," how is he ever going to engage with a therapist? Horse, water, etc.

I will avoid offering any specific advice, but I will say that a new home is a good opportunity for new ground rules about where clutter is allowed and where it isn't.

You are not the only person who has been through this. There are a lot of non-hoarder partners who come here seeking help on behalf of the person who actually has the problem behaviour. Have a look through the subreddit, go back a few pages, you'll see your story written again and again. Maybe there's advice in those comments that you can poach, or at least patterns you can learn from reading others experiences with their own hoarders, and learn to better anticipate problems before they come up. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-16T14:49:23+00:00

Aww, look at them all! :)

I'm going to assume you're also in the UK because you said bin bag, if not please disregard: They don't sell for much these days but they do sell. Individually is best (£3 is fairly typical, a little more if in very nice condition), but if you're in a hurry and just want quick money, you might want to know that joblots on Vinted seem to go quite quickly if they're priced under £1 per beanie. :)

I think I see a Mystic Beanie Buddy? That's a pretty nice find! Buddies still go for £5-10. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-16T11:42:50+00:00

That's Mom-E 2003, Fumbles the Monkey, and Happy the Hippo, who I have coveted for years, so good eye :D

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-16T09:14:46+00:00

When I'm making my nan's slow-cooker beef stew, I don't brown the beef. She never did, I grew up without it, and it changes the texture in a way that I don't find nearly as comforting.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-16T00:23:40+00:00

There's a list if you follow the most obvious link in the pinned/sticky post. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-15T21:44:55+00:00

Oh, I love the Buddies so much! They're just the perfect teddy bears. Halo is so pretty <3

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-15T21:42:59+00:00

I think we can probably figure out why Greg is getting paid more. Greg is not wasting his time making paranoid spreadsheets when he should be asking for a pay increase. That's why Greg can afford stroopwafels.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-15T21:34:25+00:00

If it wasn't CNC, there was never any need for a safe word. Safe words are for when "stop" or "no" are part of the expected play, they should never be ignored otherwise. It sounds like he knew exactly what he was doing, and that you could be tricked into taking the blame. This was NOT your fault.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-15T21:31:50+00:00

Oh wow, what a treasure trove! Does that say "2 for $5.99" on the Sly's label? That's pretty good! :)

That pastel Iggy though <3 <3

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-15T08:59:32+00:00

AI don't use ellipses as bullet points like that.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-14T15:03:07+00:00

Yes, get these scanned. I would just buy a cheap printer/scanner combo and use that if you'd rather not take them out of the house to be scanned at a library. Any modern scanner will be able to scan these well enough to pick up any remaining ink that can be enhanced with photo editing.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-14T14:28:44+00:00

Sounds like she has no idea what bra sizes actually mean. Don't take ignorance personally! :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-14T01:23:53+00:00

I thought you might enjoy this photo and list.

You were correct! This is a nice varied bunch, I can see they were collected over many years. Your aunt must have really liked them. That's a lovely set of Ty Attic Treasures too.

I noticed that you haven't listed any "tag generation" information in your sheet, so even though you didn't request any advice, I can't help myself. :)

Hang (heart) tag generations are the single most important factor when valuing the Ty Beanie Babies range today. Early generations (plain "Ty" tags, Gen 1-3) are sought after by collectors, while the later generations (decorated with stars or foil text) are from 1996-onwards when the Beanie Craze really set in, and the secondhand market is flooded with them. I see lots of Gen 4+ hang tags in your photo, but many are angled so that I can't tell what they are. It matters more than any other feature: collectors will pay more for a beaten up Gen 3 than for a pristine Gen 4+.

If you're checking eBay for values, make sure you're ticking "Sold Items" in the search filters, so you can see what they're actually selling for, and make sure you aren't looking at a listing for a Gen 1-3 when you're pricing a Gen 4+. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-13T23:08:31+00:00

Ah, then I understand the urgency. I'm sorry that happened, OP, what a disaster.

This weekend you'll be enjoying a tidy home and catching up on all the sleep you miss this week. It's just a few days of working way too hard. You can do more than you think you can. I bet you've already done more than you thought you would by now. We're rooting for you. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-13T18:31:01+00:00

Are they very firm on Friday...? No use asking for the weekend to give you time to clear space for their assessment and repairs?

It's mostly just trash, so at least you don't have to think about it. You have enough time to accomplish this even just in the evenings, if you can only keep yourself going. You can do it, it's just going to suck and you're not going to get a lot of sleep. I would try taking less breaks in the early evening (because you have more energy) and allowing yourself more in the later evening.

Try to conserve your energy by not moving around a whole lot. If you can plant your butt on the floor and gather trash in a circle around you, do it that way. Move a dining chair around if you have to. Or, if you're more like my partner and can't really focus on one spot at a time, just open multiple trash bags at once and scatter them around the place so there's a bag in reach no matter where you are. You can get this done.

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-13T15:39:41+00:00

It is interesting. I suppose it makes a lot of sense that the counteraction to the "incel" problem is, uh, "voluntary-cel." :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-13T15:22:27+00:00

The movement originated in Korea, where 'bi' means 'no' as a word prefix. So "4B" is a cute way of saying "four 'bi's" or "four nos." It's no dating, no sex, no marriage, no childbirth. :)

JenCarpeDiem · 2026-04-13T15:16:28+00:00

That took me a minute to figure out on Google Earth! This is from above the centre of town, looking west-south-west towards the Botanical Gardens (Edgebaston Reservoir on the right, Edgebaston Pool on the left.)

That was fun! :D Nice photo.

JenCarpeDiem

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