Thursday, March 08, 2007

A plague, a plague upon your house

About a month ago I brought up Chicky's remarkable health this winter to Mr. C, who promptly started looking into good psychiatric facilities in which to put me.

"It's amazing. She hasn't really been sick all winter."

"Mmm hmm. That's good, right?"

"Well, yeah. But she's got to get sick eventually. All kids get sick in the winter. I wish she would just get ill and be done with it. The waiting is killing me. I keep waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop."

Thud.

I believe that was the left shoe.

The plague that had descended on so many of your homes this winter has finally seen fit to come knocking on my door. Hey, I asked for it. I thought I was ready for it. I was so wrong.

Last night, Chicky vomited on herself. I don't remember hearing her while in the throes of emptying her stomach and she didn't call out to me or cry. She must have gotten sick and then gone right back to sleep, if she really woke up at all. So you can imagine my surprise when I went to wake her up this morning - because she had been asleep for so long so, hey! I should go wake her up so we can start our day! La dee dee! - and found her slumbering amongst the sickness.

And I'm not even going to get into what I just found in her diaper. Suffice it to say that nothing should smell like that. Nothing.

She's in fine spirits, except for being a little less energetic than usual, so I'll watch her closely and be there to clean up the messes. Pretty much everything can be thrown in the washing machine. Except...

Oh, the dreaded Except.

And here's where I need your help, dear people in the computer. Chicky has a stuffed bear, name of Bobby, who was made for her by my Nana. He did not fare so well last night and I must tend to his battle scars. She loves that thing so he must be back in tip-top shape, but because he is hand made, knitted actually, he probably wouldn't make it through the rinse cycle in one piece. How does one spot clean a knitted stuffed animal? I need your wisdom on this. What solution is good to spot clean his soft yarn body and leave him smelling april fresh? Or at least not like puke anymore?

Now I think I need to go light some scented candles or something because my house is starting to smell like what I just found in her diaper and, oh my lord, nothing should smell like that. What the hell have I been feeding her?

30 comments:

Hums said...

Hmmm...
Maybe handwashing with a gentle soap like Dove. Then setting in the sun to dry. The sun will actually kill air born germs that other things don't. Then frebrez as desired. Hell, I sound like a freakin' commercial.
Good luck!

Irreverent Antisocial Intellectual said...

Is machine washing out? Because if not, throw that puppy (bear) into a lingerie bag and wash on gentle.

If not, and unfortunately it sounds like the bear is unwashable, I would spot clean with a bar soap (because sometimes the liquid soap can pool and get greasy and set in too much) and the second (BIG SECOND) the sun-drying.

mr. big dubya said...

Heh - I knew the Internet came in handy once in a while - I was actually reading a post elsewhere this morning that said you can wash stuffed animals by putting them in a pillow case and securing the opening with a large safety pin or by tying it in a knot.

This might help:
http://lifehacker.com/software/household/how-to-wash-a-stuffed-animal-242494.php

OhTheJoys said...

No advice for you, just here to say so sorry!

metro mama said...

Oh, no. I don't have any ideas. I will check back on your comments though--Cakes has a dirty bear I'm afraid to wash anymore.

Binky said...

Hey, if she's going to get sick, sleeping through the worst parts and only being a bit less energetic than usual is the way to go about it. I hope she's back to normal soon.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I was going to suggest the Lifehacker post which Mr. Big Dubya already listed -- but it sounds like Bobby might not make it through a machine wash.

Do you think you could hand-wash him the old fashioned way, in a small tub of cold water with mild soap (Dreft, Woolite) and then gently squeeze the excess out? And some time in the sunlight to dry him out, if possible.

For the odor problem, I recommend Febrize. We had to use that when Rosie threw up on her Baby Tad a couple of months back. He wasn't completely trashed, but had a spot in which the unpleasant vomit odor lingered -- the Febreze took care of that in short order.

Hope your girl baby is feeling better soon.

motherbumper said...

Do you think it could survive the gentle cycle if it was in a delicates net bag or a large sock? Or try putting corn starch on it to absorb the mess, sit for a few minutes and then brush off (though it sounds more - ah - messy than that). I'm going to keep thinking on this one and get back to you if I think of anything.

I hope she feels better soon :) Hugs from Bumper (and me).

Blog Antagonist said...

Poor Chicky Baby. And poor Mommy. Cleaning up a mess like that is so not fun. I don't have anything to add to the advice you've already gotten...I'd do the pillowcase thing myself. You'll never get rid of the puke smell completely by spot cleaning, because it saturates the stuffing. Hope Chicky is feeling better soon!

Christina said...

Been there. Gone through that.

I've found any stuffed animal is washable, even if they say it isn't. Rinse it off well in the sink, to get large particles off, then put it in a tied-off pillowcase and throw it in the washer on gentle.

If it's a small stuffed animal, air drying in the sun would probably be fine. If it's larger, with more stuffing in it, a short trip through the dryer, followed by drying the remainder of the time in the sun would probably work, too.

Jess Riley said...

Aw, poor baby Chicky! I have a mesh bag for washing delicates--would something like that work for Bobby?

This reminds me of the time I vomited on my favorite stuffed bear (he wore a train conductor's outfit) when I was three or something. The stain stuck forever on his cheeks, and one day when I was five I scrubbed it off in the kitchen sink. I remember what a revelation it was that I could actually do such a thing all by myself.

Kyla said...

I hope Bobby pulls through...and that things start smelling a little better around there. *lol*

Girlplustwo said...

oh sister. i don't have an answer to that... all i know is that it must have felt awful for you to find her like that this AM.

Poor both of you.

Damselfly said...

Aw, I hope Chicky feels better! I am certainly not the queen of laundry, but I have washed similar items by squeezing soapy water over them, then squeezing plain water to rinse and letting them air dry. A little Febreeze probably couldn't hurt.

Anonymous said...

I'd handwash with Dreft in the kitchen sink. Let soak for a while. Then you can always Febreeze!!!!!

Mamacita Tina said...

I don't get it, my kids have done that too, sleep through vomiting, how is that possible?

I'm laundry phobic, so I am useless for tips, sorry. Looks like someone above knows what to do. Good luck!

Lena said...

You can definitely wash him in the wash machine on gentle cold wash in a pillowcase.

Then let him dry in the sun - it's a natural deodorizer!

SJINCO said...

Sorry to hear that Chicky Baby is so sick, I hope she's back to her chipper self soon! And as for Bobby, well I have no suggestions really, I just hope he's back to normal soon too.

Girl con Queso said...

Had a similar situation. Handwashed with Dreft in the sink. It worked perfectly.

Unknown said...

Insert animal in pillowcase, place in washing machine and wash in COLD water/lingerie setting. Add Natures Miracle to the wash. Don't use a stinky soap, because that will just make the animal smell worse. Use a large amount of natures miracle and some simple detergent. It will be fine.

A friend of mine makes knitted dolls and I've had to wash them several times. SOme of our dolls are 20+ years old and still in perfect condition.

Good luck!

mo-wo said...

Miss Fancy puked on herself about a year and half ago.. We found her in the morning.

We still have 'bad parent nightmares' about it.

ps... I use at turns Ivory Snow suds on the surface, handwash... and/or Johnson's Baby Shampoo.

And I always tell her Barry had a trip to the spa

moosh in indy. said...

I machine washed a hand made bear in a mesh bag on gentle and he came out perfectly. (I have a snazzy washer though, if you don't have the snazz, bum a wash cycle off a friend who has one.)

Creative-Type Dad said...

I would use Dryel or spray it with Baking Soda.
Baking Soda does a pretty good job getting the "stank vomit" out of the car.

As for getting sick during winter - I'm buying a giant bubble for my daughter next year (with a baking soda air freshener in there- just in case)

Kelly said...

The pillowcase thing mentioned by Margalit works wonders: really delicate things stay in one piece, but still get the thorough washing required.

cooler*doula said...

I second some time with baking soda, and then wash in some kind of bag as suggested.

Ugh. Hope she recovers soon.

Anonymous said...

What is this "sun" everyone is mentioning? If I put a wet stuffed animal outside, it would freeze solid!

Kaitlyn also throws up in her sleep, but so far she has always woken up and let us know about it by crying and screaming. Good times. Hope all is well with Chicky!

Kevin Charnas said...

Poor Chicky...and poor Bobby...I hope that both are better soon.

Sandra said...

Yikes I hope you are both better soon and that the bear survived.

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Natalie Cook said...

No advice for you, just here to say so sorry!