How to clean and care for an alpaca stuffed animal

You clean an alpaca stuffed animal by wiping the fur, never by soaking it: a soft cloth, lukewarm water and, for a mark, one drop of mild soap or baby shampoo. The fur sits on a natural hide and the toy is filled, so the aim is to clean the tips of the fur and keep the inside dry.

1. Shake it first. Hold the alpaca by the body and give it a few firm shakes outdoors or over a sink, so loose dust and crumbs fall out before any water touches the fur.
2. Wipe with lukewarm water. Wring a soft cloth until it is only damp, then stroke it over the fur in the direction the fur lies. Rinse the cloth often.
3. Treat a stain with a drop of soap. Mix one drop of mild soap or baby shampoo into a cup of lukewarm water, dab the stain, then wipe the same spot again with clean water so no soap stays in the fur.
4. Press, do not rub. Press a dry towel on the damp patch to take up the water. Rubbing tangles the fur.
5. Dry at room temperature. Leave the toy standing in an airy room, away from radiators, stoves and direct sun, until it is dry right down to the hide.
6. Shake and brush. Once it is fully dry, shake it again and brush the fur softly so it stands up and looks full.

Alpaca fur has no lanolin, the grease found in sheep's wool, so it does not feel waxy and needs no special wool detergent. A mild soap or baby shampoo is all the cleaning it takes.

No, an alpaca stuffed animal should never go in the washing machine, the tumble dryer or hot water, because heat and movement together felt the fur. Animal fibres carry tiny scales on their surface; hot water makes those scales lift, and rubbing then locks them into each other. The University of Wisconsin Extension explains that once fibres have felted, the change cannot be undone.

A machine wash gives an alpaca toy both at once: warm water and constant tumbling. The soft, loose fur turns flat, dense and hard, and it cannot be brushed back. Soaking also wets the hide and the filling, which then take a long time to dry.

The same goes for hand washing in a full basin. Keep the water lukewarm, keep it on the surface, and keep the toy out of any bath, bucket or machine.

You fluff alpaca fur by shaking the toy and brushing it softly when it is completely dry, working from the tips towards the body in short strokes. A soft brush, such as a baby hairbrush or a soft clothes brush, lifts the fur without pulling it out.

• Only when dry. The Fur Council of Canada advises never to comb or brush fur while it is wet. Wait until the fur and the hide are dry.
• Start at the tips. Hold the fur near the hide with your other hand and brush the ends first, then a little deeper, so you open a knot rather than drag it.
• Matted patches. Where a child has hugged or chewed the fur flat, tease the patch apart with your fingers first, then brush gently. A patch that has felted from heat or washing will not come back.
• Little and often. A few soft strokes every few weeks keep an alpaca toy full and stop small tangles from growing.

In the Tubi workshop the alpacas are brushed by hand before they are boxed, so they leave Peru with the fur open and full. A shake and a soft brush on arrival bring back any fur that was pressed down in transport.

When an alpaca stuffed animal gets wet from rain or a spill, shake off the water, press it out with a dry towel, and let the toy dry slowly in a well ventilated room, away from direct heat. The Fur Council of Canada gives the same advice for fur caught in a shower, and warns against a hair dryer.

• Rain or snow. Shake the toy, press the fur with a towel and stand it up to dry. Do not put it on a radiator, by a fire or in strong sun to speed things up: heat dries out the hide and can leave it stiff.
• Milk, juice or food. Act straight away. Lift off anything solid, press the spot with a dry cloth, then wipe it with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, and once more with clean water.
• A real soaking. If the toy has been dropped in a bath or a puddle, press out as much water as you can without wringing, and give it plenty of time to dry through. Brush only when it is completely dry.

Make sure an alpaca toy is dry inside before it goes back on a shelf or into a box. A damp toy shut away smells musty.

To remove dust from an alpaca toy, shake it outdoors and give it a soft brush; to freshen a smell, air it in a dry, well ventilated room for a day, out of direct sun. Most dust sits on the surface of the fur and comes out with a shake.

Do not spray perfume or a fabric freshener onto the fur to hide a smell. The Fur Council of Canada points out that perfume over a musty smell does not fix it, and that perfume and hairspray can dry fur and make it sticky. A smell usually means the toy needs a surface clean and a good airing.

On a shop floor, alpaca toys on open display collect dust like any soft product. A quick shake and brush when you tidy the shelf keeps the fur looking new for the next customer, and it makes the stock less attractive to moths.

Store alpaca stuffed animals clean and fully dry, in a cool, dark, dry place, in a closed box or a cotton bag, and look at them now and then. Clothes moths feed on animal fibres such as wool, fur and leather, and the University of Kentucky lists toys among the items they attack, so any alpaca toy in long storage is worth protecting.

• Clean before storing. Moth larvae prefer soiled material, and the University of Kentucky advises cleaning susceptible items before they are put away for a long time.
• Closed and dry. A tight box keeps moths out. Never pack a toy that is still damp, and use a breathable cotton bag rather than plastic for one you keep out of a box.
• Dark, quiet places are the risk. Moths are found in the back of cupboards, attics and boxes that stay closed for months. Alpaca toys that are handled and shelves that are dusted are rarely attacked.
• Check a few times a year. Look for small holes, thin patches, fur coming away in clumps, fine webbing or tiny pellets. A pheromone trap on a stockroom shelf gives an early warning.

Cedar is the traditional moth deterrent, and the Fur Council of Canada suggests cedar blocks in a wardrobe for fur. The University of Kentucky is more sceptical: it finds cedar chests and closets seldom effective, because they do not hold enough of the scent. Use cedar as an extra if you like it, never in place of a clean toy in a closed box.

If moths have reached a toy, freezing works. The University of Kentucky advises sealing the item in a plastic bag, keeping it at minus 18°C (0°F) or colder for at least a week, then letting it come back to room temperature for about a day before you open the bag. Brush the fur afterwards.

An alpaca stuffed animal is a children's toy, not a pet toy, so keep it out of reach of dogs and cats. Real fur and a natural hide are tempting to chew, and a pet can pull out the eyes, the nose or the filling, which were tested for a child's hands, not for a dog's teeth.

Pet hair also matters for storage: the University of Kentucky notes that clothes moths can feed on shed pet hair and lint, so a toy kept where pets shed is worth a brush and a check more often. If a pet has licked or carried the toy, wipe the fur with lukewarm water and let it dry as above.

Tell customers that an alpaca toy is cleaned on the surface with a damp cloth and lukewarm water, dried at room temperature, brushed when dry, and never put in the washing machine. Say it at the till, put it in the product text of your web shop, and hand it over in writing, because a customer who washes the toy once in a machine cannot undo it.

This short care text is ready to print on a card, a sticker or a swing tag:

With a private label order, Tubi makes your own hang tag to your design for $0.20 extra per piece, so the care text can be printed on the tag itself. Every alpaca already carries its age label, put on in the workshop. For sizes and colours see the collection, then place your order.