Well Hello, Handsome... Before And After!

You clean up pretty nice! That's usually a compliment given to a person who presents themselves in an usually attractive way. But it can also apply to Steiff animals as well - especially those who have been cleaned with TLC. Check out this note from Hannah from Manchester, England who shares....

"I have just watched your excellent YouTube video on how to clean mohair Steiff. We have inherited my mother-in-law's mid-century Steiff Leo lion and I would like to give him a little clean... do you have any advice about how to tackle the longer hair of his mane?"

How exciting! This question is the mane focus of today's blog post. If you are interested in watching the Steiffgal cleaning video, you can catch it on Youtube here. You can also read about cleaning by clicking here.

Now let's focus on Hannah's inquiry. Here's Steiffgal's best take on cleaning Leo's longer mohair. Leo's mane is also mohair, so the cleaning technique is pretty much the same as cleaning shorter mohair. But, because it is longer, it can trap a whole lot more dust and dirt that the shorter mohair. So you may have to go over it a few times. And make sure to get all of the long mohair clean, not just the tips and edges. You might lose a little bit of color when you scrub the mane. That is ok, it will show up on the white wash clothes you are using, but the color won't really fade or bleed on the mane mohair. So don't be upset if the color seems to be coming off, it is not really.

Post cleaning treatment is also important here. Once you are done cleaning the mane, let it dry, and then gently fluff it up with a wire or rubber toothed brush with bristles that bend and are flexible. Don't pull and yank the mane with the brush as this might break some of the fibers. Just do it lightly, and over time, and it will really become quite fuzzy again. Many lions have mane thinning on the very top of their heads (like middle aged men!!!) but that normal and you can't do anything about that.

So now the grand reveal. How did Hannah do? Check out Leo here - post cleaning. There's no question this is one handsome beast... and his cleaning will help insure his longevity and structural integrity for years to come. According to Hannah, "Leo is now feeling all clean and fluffy! We think he had about 60 years of coal dust and general muck on him so he's feeling much better! The mane took ages but he thinks all the brushing was probably worth it (there were a lot of snags)!"

Steiffgal hopes this information about cleaning longer mohair has given you the warm fuzzies.

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.