Do you have a Wendy Boston Teddy Bear (we love them!!) or do you think your Teddy Bear could have been made in the late 1960s or 1970s?
Unfortunately, most Wendy Boston bears and a lot of the Teddy Bears and Toys made around this time were filled with a foam crumb filling (as seen in the photo) and we now know that as this particular dry type of foam filling ages, it breaks down to a dust, which sadly is toxic ⚠️
This dust comes out through the fur fabric and can be hazardous to health if breathed in.
They are deemed generally unsuitable for playing with especially for Children, or anyone with breathing difficulties as the dust is an irritant.
This old foam filling can also have a very drying effect on the main fur fabric of the bear which can accelerate it's demise 😢
I always advise Clients to have the Teddy Bear thoroughly emptied of the old foam so it can be handled safely and enjoyed.
I ensure that everything that can be removed IS removed. This is very time consuming, but so worth it. Some say "a bit of foam left behind is okay", but personally and if it were mine, I'd want to make sure it's ALL gone, so that's what happens here at Davey Bears and why our service is so popular 🥳
Next is a deep clean ✨this can mean more than one gentle bubble soak to remove any last traces of dust (where possible). After that we remove excess water and let them air dry overnight.
A last dust check is carried out, just in case there is still some lurking in the seams, Teddy is then re-filled with new stuffing which could be either sub/wool/kapok which was of the time (not modern polyester) and all seams closed.
After Teddy has received the mandatory ribbon bow, he can be sent home to be loved safely for many more years to come 💖
Please Contact Us if you have a Teddy Bear in need of foam removal & cleaning.
