Uh-oh…your alpaca toy just fell into the cupcakes and is covered in icing and sprinkles. Now you want to know: How do I clean my alpaca toy?
You can clean your alpaca toy with water, natural soap, and a sponge. The great news is that we’ve made a video illustrating how to do just that. All you need to do is rinse, gently scrub, brush, and dry before your alpaca will look good as new.
Click here to watch one of our alpacas getting into a bit of a mess and how we cleaned him up.
Let’s learn about the care and keeping of your new alpaca pal.
How to brush your fluffy friend
One of the most fun qualities of our handmade alpaca toys is their luxurious coat, which benefits from a regular brushing. Check out this video for my secret tips!
When you want to make your friend extra fancy, take some time to thoroughly brush their fur from their head to the hooves.
While brushing, make sure that you brush away from the face. This will make sure you don’t scratch their cute little eyes.
You can hold onto their legs and neck to maintain a firm grip while you brush the fleece.
Since there’s so much fluff, brushing your alpaca can be quite the workout. Don’t worry, your alpaca is quite tough and vigorous brushing won’t bother them.
In fact, the more you brush the fluffier they will get.
But remember what I always say: alpacas love to be loved. So, be gentle with your alpacas whenever you can 😉
Shake for maximum fluffiness
When your alpaca has been brushed, it’s time to give them a shake and let the fluff take center stage! Optimum shaking technique is to grab your alpaca by the feet, turn them upside down, and shake, shake, shake. (You can even add a little dance.)
When you’re all done, turn them right-side up again and voilà! One extremely fluffy alpaca ready for a day on the town. Of course, not before you add a few accessories…
Washing
Sometimes your alpaca might get into the ice cream sundaes and get a little messy. You can’t blame them for wanting a tasty treat. Luckily, it’s easy to clean up.
Rinse your alpaca with warm water - don’t soak. Never use washing detergent or soap that isn't wool-based. Gently scrub with a cloth or sponge if necessary. Then rinse away the rest of the mess.
Your alpaca will dry naturally over the next few hours. But to speed up the drying process, place them in front of a fan and watch their hair billow in the wind like a supermodel.
Brush them as they dry and rotate them often to allow all sides to be fanned. Sunshine or warmth from a jacuzzi will improve drying speed!
Alpaca vs. rainstorm
Alpaca fleece is water-resistant. So it’s okay if you and your alpaca friend get caught in a little bit of rain. Their coat will repel some of the water, leaving them only a little bit misted and refreshed.
But don’t immerse your alpaca in water, because it may soak into their stuffing. That means leaving them on a pool chair while you take a refreshing swim. It’s okay, they’ll still have fun watching you.
If your alpaca gets wet, bring them inside to a warm dry place, and give them a shake…water droplets will go flying! Then let them stand for a while in order for the water to evaporate.
