How to Clean Crochet Ornaments and Amigurumi

The best way to clean crochet ornaments and amigurumi is to spot clean them: dab the mark with a cloth dampened with cool water and a drop of mild soap, blot with a dry towel, and let the piece air dry. Most crochet ornaments never need a full wash. Save hand washing for plush pieces made of cotton or acrylic yarn with nothing glued on, and keep anything with wire, glued parts or stiffening out of the water altogether.

Start with what it is made of

Before you clean, check three things:

The yarn. Cotton and acrylic are the usual amigurumi yarns, and both tolerate water. Chenille, fluffy or metallic yarns are best only dusted. If you made the piece, the yarn label is your care guide; the Craft Yarn Council suggests keeping a label from the yarn used, and giving one with a handmade gift, for exactly this reason.
What is attached. Glued-on felt, pom-poms, sequins, bells and beads can loosen when wet. Wire inside a wreath, garland or poseable piece can rust and stain the yarn.
Whether it was stiffened. Snowflakes, stars and lacy bells are often set with starch or glue. Water softens that, and the piece goes limp.

If a piece has glued-on parts, wire or stiffening, spot clean only. That matches the care notes on the shop’s own crochet listings: the nutcracker doll (milk cotton yarn, safety eyes, polyfill stuffing) says to spot clean gently with a damp cloth and mild soap, not to machine wash or submerge it, and to air dry it flat.

How to spot clean a crochet ornament

Shake or brush off dust first. A soft, clean makeup brush or a lint roller rolled lightly over the surface lifts dust and pet hair.
Mix a little mild detergent or gentle hand soap into cool water.
Dip a white cloth, wring it out until it is barely damp, and dab the mark. Work from the outside of the mark inward so it does not spread. Do not rub; rubbing fuzzes the stitches.
Dab again with a cloth dampened in plain water to lift the soap.
Press the spot with a dry towel, reshape any ears, hats or petals with your fingers, and let it air dry away from heat.

Can you wash crochet toys and amigurumi?

Yes, if the yarn is washable and nothing is glued on. Hand washing is the gentle choice. Yarn retailer Herrschners advises hand washing acrylic in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, without agitating or wringing the yarn.

Fill a basin with cool or lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent.
Submerge the piece and press it gently a few times. Do not twist it.
Drain, refill with clean water, and press again until no suds come out.
Squeeze, do not wring. Roll it in a dry towel and press to soak up more water.
Reshape it and let it dry completely, turning it now and then. Stuffed pieces hold water in the middle, so they take longer to dry than they seem.

Machine washing is a gamble with amigurumi. Toys with safety eyes and seams can come out misshapen, with stuffing shifted or pieces pulled loose. If the yarn label allows machine washing and you decide to try it, use a mesh laundry bag, a gentle cycle and cold water.

Can crochet go in the dryer?

Air drying is safer. Herrschners notes that acrylic yarn does not have the same heat tolerance as natural fibers, and that too much heat can damage acrylic fibers. Cotton can shrink with heat. Dry crochet flat or propped upright on a towel, out of direct sun and away from radiators.

How to stiffen or starch crochet ornaments

Stiffening keeps snowflakes, stars and bells crisp. It also has to be redone after any wash, because water softens it. The common methods:

Spray starch. The Purple Poncho lays wax paper under the piece, sprays one coat for light stiffness, lets it dry overnight, and repeats for a firmer finish. Stainless steel pins hold points in place without leaving rust marks.
Liquid starch or glue. Itchin’ for Some Stitchin’ mixes equal parts liquid fabric starch and water, or equal parts white glue and water for a firmer, more durable hold on heavier ornaments.
Commercial fabric stiffener. The same guide names products such as Mod Podge Stiffy and Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener for longer-lasting results. Follow the label.

To shape the piece, soak or spray it, blot off the excess, then pin each point to a board covered in plastic wrap or wax paper with rust-proof pins. Itchin’ for Some Stitchin’ leaves snowflakes pinned for 24 to 48 hours, depending on humidity, and unpins them once they feel stiff and hold their shape. Keep the board away from direct heat and sunlight while they dry.

How to store crochet ornaments

Clean and dry first. Put nothing away damp.
Give shaped pieces their own space. The shop’s mini crochet ornament listing suggests lifting each one by its hanging loop rather than by ears, antlers or scarves, storing them in a clean, dry place, and keeping heavier decorations off the top. Its mini wreath ornament listing says to store it flat in a box and fluff the loops before hanging.
Stiffened pieces lie flat. A flat, dry box or layers of wax paper keep them from crushing or warping, and a dry room keeps them from softening.
Use soft packing. Unbuffered acid-free tissue around raised pieces, not tightly packed.

Our guide on how to store Christmas ornaments shows a box layout for crochet and embroidered pieces together.

Quick answers

Best way to clean amigurumi? Spot clean with a barely damp cloth and mild soap, then air dry.
Can you wash crochet toys? Hand wash, if the yarn is washable and nothing is glued on. Avoid the machine when you can.
Can crochet go in the dryer? Air dry instead; heat can shrink cotton and damage acrylic.
What about wire or glued parts? Spot clean only. Never soak them.
How do you make crochet ornaments stiff? Spray starch, a starch or glue mix, or a fabric stiffener, then pin and let dry.

From the shop

If you are looking for crochet ornaments to hang this year, see the mini crochet wreath ornament or the crochet nutcracker ornament, whose listing carries the spot-clean care note quoted above.