Taking Care of Your Teddy Bear
Taking Care of Your Teddy Bear
When you invite a teddy bear into your life, he will immediately become your best friend, companion and confidante and in return all your teddy bear asks for is a little Tender Loving Care.
When you buy an old teddy bear he will undoubtedly need some special care and attention, how much, of course, really depends upon how and where he has been living for the last few years. Obviously, if an old teddy bear needs extensive renovation, it is always wise to consult an expert restorer and, to find one you can trust, which is most important, it is often a good idea to ask a specialist old teddy bear dealer for a recommendation. Remember before having that old bear restored, it is very important to consider whether or not the restoration will be successful. Extensive restoration of an old teddy bear can prove to be extremely expensive but it could also bring forth some disappointing results.
If you have an old teddy bear made by makers such as Steiff or Farnell, for example, it is even more important that the bear is expertly restored due, of course to it's high financial value.
There again, if you have an old and much loved teddy bear who needs lots of restoration, even though the cost of such restoration can sometimes greatly exceed the value of the dear old teddy bear, you may still prefer to have the repairs carried out rather than lose a dear old friend forever.
If your old teddy bear is acceptable in his state of old age, you need to be sure he will not deteriorate further and, there are one or two things you can do about this. Firstly dressing your old teddy bear with some loose fitting clothes will certainly help, as when you pick him up and give him a big cuddle you will not be touching the old bear's body. If he is losing stuffing from his paw pads, putting socks and gloves on him will also help keep his stuffing in.
It is fine to wash very dirty teddy bears more than once if necessary to get them clean but immerse your bear in water! Before washing your bear inspect his coat very carefully for bugs. Either brush him very gently or hoover him, always making sure the hoover noozle is covered with either some muslin or an old nylon stocking. This procedure will remove any dust or dirt from his coat. Next, make sure your old teddy bear is sitting comfortably on a soft towel and next to him have a bowl of cool water. To this water add a very small amount of gentle/sensitive wool wash and with just the very tips of your fingertips work this into a soft lather. Then using a small soft brush (a baby brush is ideal) or even another fluffy towel wrapped around your fingertips, very very gently work just the foam from the lather over his coat, making sure you never get his fur too wet. Remove as much of the foam from his coat as possible with another soft dry towel. If you leave any foam on him, as he dries he will feel a bit sticky and this stickiness will attract more dust and dirt, so be certain to towel out as much as you can. Never use any form of dryer, including a hairdryer, instead let him dry naturally (in an airing cupboard is superb). When he is quite dry, use a fine metal comb to fluff him up, but always be most gentle.
Always inspect old and new teddy bears for moths. A good moth repellent of course is still the old-fashioned moth-balls but neither your teddy bear or you will want to smell like that so, instead use some lavender bags (as moths hate the small of lavender) and/or put some dishes of conkers around your teddy bears as it is said moths hate conkers too – this is really worth a try and it don't cost anything.
Never put your teddy bear in direct sunlight, as this will cause your bear's coat to fade.
Do not sit your teddy bear near any form of central heating or smoke of any kind.
Never put your teddy bear in a plastic bag and store him away, as he will rot.
If your teddy bear is extremely dirty then pop him in a polythene bag of wheat bran, as this will draw out any deep-seated grime. Then wash the bear in the order I have stated earlier.
Putting your old teddy bear in the freezer for three days should rid him of any bugs, but always keep him brushed and combed as dirt and dust attracts bugs and insects.
I would end this article by saying both old and new teddy bears love the attention of being brushed and combed and often this is a good time to talk to your teddy bear. Your teddy whether old or new also likes to look his best, so help your friend to always look loved and to keep his dignity, after all, he gives you enough love.
I would end this article by saying always treat your teddy bear with the greatest respect and any cleaning you do, keep it very gentle and if you are in any doubt whatsoever about cleaning him, have it done by a professional.
Gino loves fast cars, especially fast italian cars. Gino also loves anything Italian. Gino also heads an old teddy bear site which is full of adorable old teddy bears and their friends.
Please visit his website at www.ginosbears.co.uk
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