How to: Wash a Build a Bear with sound

This is Snowy.

 He joined our family a few years ago and hardly a night goes by that he doesn't get tucked in next to Kaileb. We got Snowy one day before Nick was deploying to record his "I love you," so Kaileb could hear his voice every day. Snowy enjoys skateboarding, being thrown off the deck, going for rides in the car, tagging along at the store, and getting buried in the (dirty) laundry.  Needless to say, sometimes Snowy needs a good scrubbin'. The first time I was just going to give him a nice sudsy bath in the washing machine, but I was reminded that he has a sound device inside of him that might stop working if water gets into it.  This would be devastating to a boy who's dad was thousands of miles away in another country. So, I called Build-a-Bear to ask the protocol and they said not to put it in the washer and just spot clean with a wet rag.  Unfortunately, Snowy looked like he had just gone rolling around in the pig sty. This is the conclusion I came up with and have done ever since.  It's worked like a charm and Kaileb loves to  "give Snowy a bath."

First, you'll need some laundry detergent of your choosing.

Next, fill the sink with some warm water, adding a splash of the detergent.  

Wet a washcloth, preferably one with scrubbing power, with the soapy water and wring it out so it's not dripping wet. Remember, the goal is to keep water from getting into your stuffed buddy.

Scrub away the dirt and yuck until you are satisfied with how it looks/smells!

Then, empty out the water and fill with fresh clean water (notice how gross ours was!).  Rinse your guy or girl with a clean scrub.  

Lastly, I like to sometimes give Snowy a little scrub down following the same steps with the detergent.  I think it keeps his hair from tufting up.  

That's all there is to it!  If your stuffed animal seems a little too wet, you will want to wring it out and maybe wrap it in a towel. Kaileb does that anyway for fear Snowy will get cold! 

I hope this helps anyone out there that might be unsure of how to clean their Build a Bear with sound!  Those little buddies sure can be special!