The lady on Bamfords (Auctioneers and Valuers) let out a little squeal when I mentioned I was thinking of washing my vintage teddy aka ‘Dirty Bertie’ in the sink.
“Don’t do it until you’ve spoken to Ian,” she implored. Ian Crawford is a senior auctioneer whose expertise cover toys and other childhood collectables; like Bertie.
Bertie the bear came from Bamfords. I bought him from a general sale and he was described as ‘mohair bear, a little hump, growls when tilted.’ It sounded as though we had a lot in common.
On picking up Bertie I realised that, since 1950, he’s passed through some dirty little hands. The black residue in his fur could not even be described as vintage ‘wear and tear’. You have seen the adverts talking about an item being ‘worn to vintage perfection’. Sadly, Bertie was just dirty (especially around him derriere). Hence his nickname.
“If he’s a valuable antique, you could affect his value,” the nice lady at Bamfords explained.
I just about managed to keep my hands off Dirty Bertie until Ian Crawford called me with some advice.
“Yes and no,” he laughed when I asked if I could clean him.
“You have to be very careful and it all depends on what your bear has inside him. If it’s straw or wood wool use a mild soap to dab the dirt out. I say you’re aiming to get him wet-ish, not wet.”
Ian advises extra care if the bear is stuffed with feathers or down. “It might be wiser to seek professional help. There is a Doll’s and Teddy Bear Hospital in Cheshire which is only an hour and a half away from Derby. My general advice to cleaning old toys very much depends on what they are. If you are a keen amateur with an idea of what to do and the bear didn’t cost the earth – it might well be worth it.”
Reading between the lines, Ian is giving me permission to clean Dirty Bertie for the first time in decades. Here’s a break-down of my bear’s first bath.
- Stick him in the freezer
The online auction site EBay invites lots of people to share their expertise. Through this site, I found a useful article which began with an instruction to look for lice and ticks in Bertie’s fur. Fortunately, Bertie was dirty but not lice-ridden. If he had been host to a few unwelcome guests then the advice was to bag him up and stick him in the freezer for a week to ten days.
2. Gently vaccuum
Stick a pair of old tights or a pillowcase over the nozzle so you don’t suck the poor old dear down the pipe. Then gently vacuum the body of the bear. I began this process by covering my bear with baking soda (great for sticking to grease and removing smells). After just five minutes of being tickled all over by my Dyson, Bertie looked a lot brighter.
3. Sponge bath with mild soap
Bertie was treated to a Fairy soap bath with a squeeze of Fairy Liquid. I scooped the foam from the resulting mix and massaged it into Bertie’s fur. As Ian Crawford was keen to stress you must not soak your bear and you must work in sections and very slowly. No scrubbing.
4. Pat dry with a white clean cotton or linen square, pillowcase or towel
Do not rush the drying process – this is no time to whip out your hairdryer. Pat your old boy dry then leave on a drying wrack or put in a laundry bag and peg out.
Result; one clean, happy looking bear. Now I have just got to buy some kit (next lesson pending) to replace his missing eye. In fact, I was so thrilled I gave Eddie Too (my dog’s alter ego pyjama case) the same treatment.
Wash care instructions for stained dolls clothes…
While Ian was on the phone, I may have mentioned my other little hygiene problem. I have a vintage doll (again 1950s) who originates from Poland. She is wearing a very stained dress.
Once again, Ian comes to the rescue; “If the dress can be removed, take it off and soak it in Fairy Soap for a few hours, even days. Rinse and pat dry but do not wring out the clothes. Some washing machines do have a delicate wash and it may be suitable if your doll’s dress isn’t too valuable. If it does fall apart, you’ll have to get busy with a needle.”
For more advice on how to wash dolls clothes – click on the link.
If you would like Ian Crawford to cast his eye over your vintage bears and toys, contact Bamfords on Derby 01332 210000 for details of the valuation days.
