Sanitizing/Cleaning A "Lovey"

Are you referring to the blanket buddies? Head of an animal, and a small blanket attached? I guess I am ruthless, my little guy's blanket buddies get washed in a color safe bleach laundry detergent and tossed in with towels to dry in the dryer...they seem to have held up pretty well, he has had one since birth and when I realized how often it would have to be washed I started buying back ups, I wash them once a week or more often if its Loved extra hard...like chocolate ice cream sharing or some sick day with a runny nose...but the delicates bag or gentle cycle would work if you were worried about wear.

First I spray dreft stain remover on my baby's lovey, rub it in and let it sit for 10 mns, throw it in the washer with Dreft and then I dry him in the dryer on medium with a fabric sheet (bounce/febreeze scent)
Takes the smell out everytime and leaves it fresh and clean, almost looks brand new

I wash my sons in the washer with all free and clear and dry them in the dryer maybe its the stuffing is getting moldy air drying. try bleaching them or vinegar in washer works same as bleach and drying them in the dryer. my sons dont smell washing them this way. his are the blankets with the animal head on them and the rattle in the middle.

I feel your pain! My daughter sucked on her "corner" (the corner of her hand-made blankie) and it always smelled like spoiled milk! Yuck! Just wash it with some shout and regular cycle. It should be fine. I wish I would have had the option of having multiples. Hers was made by a friend of a friend, so we don't have a replacement if something happens.

We have a little blanket with a little lambs head attached-if that's the type lovey you mean? I wash it in regular detergent with color safe bleach every week or sometimes more often. Then dry it. Comes out clean and smelling great.

Best solution is first of all buy even more loveys and rotate them around so that no one is preferred to the others!

My twins can't live without their little Angel Dear brand lovies, we have several types of animals, probably more than a dozen in total, and they are in a constant rotation.

No matter how deeply you clean it, after 20 minutes of loving it will be just as stinky and gooey as ever. I would forget about the baking soda soak and just wash them frequently. Put it in a net bag in the washer so it can't get yanked around, and avoid the dryer as is your current practice. I wouldn't worry too much about what she can catch from it, what's growing on it was what came out of her mouth in the first place.

Part of what makes loveys great is how yucky they are to everyone other than the lover. Take pictures!