Flamin' and Arcade Myself!

Stuffed animals are one of children’s most favorite toys. These fun animals are great to have around, and sometimes go everywhere with your youngster. Since these animals are around for almost every event, even they get dirty and will need an occasional bath.

So how do you keep stuffed animals clean? Well here are some tips to keep them clean and in great shape:

First and most importantly read the care instructions that come with the stuffed animal on their label. Also take note of all materials the stuffed animal is made with.

Retailers of stuffed animals never personally recommend washing stuffed animals in the washer or dryer. What is highly recommended is to spray on a mild all-purpose cleanser or simply use soap and sponge it clean with a little water. Then leave your stuffed animal in the sun to dry.

However, many parents really feel like they need to wash stuffed animals in a washing machine to make them completely clean. So here are more tips if you desire to do so:

First, make sure none of your stuffed animals have the following before putting it in the washing machine:

* If a stuffed animal has excelsior, styrene foam, or any other form of foam material, such as foam beads, they must not be washed in the machine.

* If a stuffed animal has joints, or cardboard or any other form of stiffeners, do not put into a machine or they can be destroyed.

* If a stuffed animal has a sound box, please do not put this into a machine or any other form of major water.

* If a stuffed animal is really large, very firm, or has a lot of stuffing please remove the stuffing by cutting a 5-6 inch area in the bottom of the animal. This is important because the stuffing will most likely shift and cause the animal to lose its shape. Plus washing this much stuffing will take a very, very long time to dry. After cleaning, sew up the area and make sure no stuffing will fall out.

After reading the above and your stuffed animal does not fit into the first three categories, you may wash your animal in a washing machine. Before putting a stuffed animal into a washing machine, please make sure there are no loose items, such as button noses or eyes. Please also check to make sure that there are no openings where stuffing can come out, if so please sew up these areas securely first.

Before putting the stuffed animal into a washing machine, find a big enough pillow (or a sheet for big stuffed animals) and fasten all ends with rubber bands, safety pins or string. Please make sure all ends are secure to protect the fur of the stuffed animal. Plus it will keep any loose stuffing inside the pillow or sheet in case any falls out and can be re-installed.

After placing the stuffed animal into the washing machine, please only set the most delicate cycle to be washed. Fabric softener can be added and will make a softer and fluffier stuffed animal. Please be careful when washing other items with the stuffed animal, that there are no items that may bleed onto the stuffed animal making it a different color in the end. Also, if your stuffed animal is wearing clothes, please remove them and wash separately. This is important because the color of the stuffed animal’s fur can sometimes bleed onto the clothes they are wearing.

Tips on How to Clean Stuffed Animals without Using a Washing Machine:

* A great way to keep those precious stuffed animals fresh is to give it a dry bath with baking soda. Just sprinkle the baking soda on the stuffed animal. After 20 minutes simply brush the baking soda off. You may also use baby powder. This process will get smells out and clean off any surface dirt.

* For stuffed animals that have been badly stained or soiled, use a soft scrub brush with an all purpose cleaner.

* For stuffed animals with plastic parts that have spots or stains, you can use rubbing alcohol to remove them.

* For stuffed animals that have dust mites you can do the following:

Place your stuffed animal in a plastic bag. Then place it in a freezer overnight. If you have a big stuffed animal or do not have room in the freezer, you can wait to place it outside on a very cold night. The temperature has to be below freezing. The next day, remove the stuffed animal and vacuum gently but thoroughly.

Tips on How to Dry a Stuffed Animal:

When you have washed your stuffed animal or somehow the stuffed animal has become very wet, please never use a clothes dryer. This can damage the fur of the animal and can sometimes never be repaired. Please don’t risk loosing your child’s favorite animal, instead do the following:

The safest way is to let the stuffed animal air dry. This could take up to several days. However, sometimes you need that stuffed animal dry as soon as possible. So you can use a hair dryer, but be careful to not get too close to the animal’s fur and dry on the coolest setting available.

When a small amount liquid has spilled on a stuffed animal simply shake off loose liquid. Then pat dry with a towel or sponge.

With the care provided above, your clean stuffed animals will provide you and your child many years of fun and happiness. Good luck!

If your child loves stuffed animals, they may also love to play fun, free, family friendly online animal games at www.PlushQuest.com.

Throughout childhood, most of us have grown up playing various kinds of games. Therefore, most of us find it very nostalgic when we say kids playing games and enjoying their gaming session. This is exactly when we all start missing those days when we used to be actively participating in some or the other form of game. However, even if we are highly busy these days, the advent of internet has definitely made things better for us. The free online games are easily available on the internet that help us to quench our thirst for playing games. These free online games are definitely a sure shot way to unwind our mind and soul and also help us to get back to the days when we enjoyed playing each kind of a game.

There are numbers of websites that offer free online games like www.chaosfight.com for free RPG games. Therefore, all you would have to do is to look out for such kind of a website that would help you in downloading free online games at your ease. Now these free online games are nothing but a special kind of an online game where in each player gets a chance to take on the role of any fictitious character of their choice. Once you find a website that offers free online games, all you would have to do is to become a member with that site and then you can download as many games as you want.

We all love playing games and when they come online as free online game, this definitely becomes an icing on the cake. In fact, the regular use of the internet has made the world a smaller place and today, anyone can contact with anybody. Therefore, now you can play your favorite game from the comfort of your home. So what are you thinking now? Download free online games and enjoy your own company.

Without a doubt, the internet has drastically changed the way we live our lives. One of those changes is where we get our entertainment and amusement. For gaming, we used to go to arcades and amusement centers to play video games. But now, we can enjoy the same games within the comforts of our own home. Through online games, we can play arcade games any time of the day and at any place where there’s an internet connection. Aside from that, we also get to enjoy these games as free games. Online gaming sites have provided us the fun of games without the tag price that usually comes along with it.

Of course, it can be argued that the graphics of online games are incomparable to those of actual arcades. That may be true before, but now it’s different. The animation and rendering of flash arcade games that are being offered now in the internet have certainly stepped up. You can say that the current video quality of online games at present is just but a level below that of actual arcades. You’re not really losing out on the graphics department when it comes to online arcade games.

And just like an arcade, online games present different games in different genres. Whether you like fighting games, shooting games, or puzzle and games that use strategy, you are sure to find them online. Online games are offered in such a wide variety that you can call game sites your virtual arcade center. Moreover, game sites and online games are even more diverse than your ordinary arcade center. The choices of games are larger in number in online gaming. Your choices are not as limited compared to a physical arcade center.

And the gameplay in online games are not shabby either. You might think that for games so small they might be too easy to play to pose any form of challenge. But that is not the case. Online games also have differing levels of difficulty that will entice players of all levels. If you think that you’re going to be bored when you play online games, then you better think again.

As mentioned earlier, you can play these games for free. Unlike in arcade centers where your playtime is dependent on your gaming skills and the money in your pocket, you can play free arcade games all you like when you play online. Since there’s no fee or charge for the games, you can play arcade games as much as you want. This is one aspect where online arcade games are better than the physical arcade. You get almost the same level of fun and challenge, but there’s no need to spend for them.