How to Store Stuffed Animals Long Term and In Kids’ Rooms: From Prep to Storage Ideas

KEY TAKEAWAYS

▸ Stuffed animals can be stored in lidded plastic bins, vacuum bags, toy hammocks, open shelving, or a climate-controlled storage unit, depending on how many you have, how big they are, and how long they’ll be stored.

▸ Long-term storage requires more prep than in-room display. Clean and dry every animal first, use the right container for the material, and keep everything off the floor and away from humidity.

▸ Thrift store and secondhand stuffed animals should always be inspected, washed per the care label, and completely dried before going into any bin or bag.

▸ Giant and oversized stuffed animals rarely fit standard storage solutions. Use dedicated storage bags, large plastic totes with room to spare, or a climate-controlled storage unit.

▸ For vintage, collectible, or sentimental pieces, a climate-controlled storage unit is the safest long-term choice, as it protects against humidity, temperature swings, and pests that garages and attics can’t guard against.

You can store stuffed animals in lidded bins, vacuum-sealing storage bags, hanging toy nets, open shelving, or a climate-controlled storage unit. The ideal stuffed animal storage ideas to utilize depend on how many stuffed animals we’re talking about and how long they need to be stored.

And it’s not just the size of the stuffed animal zoo that counts here. The question of how to store a lot of stuffed animals and how to store large stuffed animals has different answers.

You’ve also got to consider whether these plush toys are in active rotation and you’re only storing them temporarily, or if you’re wondering how to store stuffed animals long term.

The ideal stuffed animal storage ideas also change depending on the size of your storage space.

And even if you are storing stuffed animals that aren’t being used for the long term, you’ve still got to consider sentimental value, and the risks of dust, dust mites, mold and mildew, and moisture damage that comes with the territory.

A plush toy that spends two years stuffed in a garbage bag with a pile of other stuffies and thrown into a damp garage won’t come out looking or smelling like the toy your child remembers.

And that’s not even considering the high stakes of storing heirloom-quality pieces, vintage animals, and collectible plushies like Jellycat Amuseables, Big Beanie Boos, Bukowski Bears, Mary Meyer, or Bunnies by the Bay.

Maybe you’re a parent organizing your kids’ room. Or maybe you’re storing your own childhood collection, or you’re a collector. No matter why you’re clearing out your physical, emotional, and mental space, you’ve come to the right place.

This helpful guide covers how to store stuffed animals in the most common scenarios. We’ll cover how to store stuffed animals in your kids’ room where they’re actually being used on the reg, and how to store stuffed animals long term.

We’ll also get into how to display stuffed animals and how to clean stuffed animals from the thrift store.

And last but not least, we’ll reveal how important the stage space itself is, how SpareFoot can help you find a climate-controlled storage unit near you, and how to score a free month of storage.

How to Store Stuffed Animals: Choosing the Right Stuffed Animal Storage Method

There are lots of cool, creative, and pragmatic stuffed animal storage ideas to choose from. But the right option depends on your unique situation. Here are a few quick questions you can ask yourself to help identify the right products and storage methods for your unique plush toy collection:

How Many Stuffed Animals Are You Storing (And How Big Are They)?

The foundation of your entire stuffed animal strategy is the size of your collection. That means both how many stuffed animals you’re storing and how big the individual toys are.

• A small stuffed animal collection of less than 10–15 standard-sized plush animals can usually be handled with a single toy hammock, an open shelving unit, or a single storage bin.
• Medium collections of less than 15–40 average-sized stuffed animals generally need a combination of display space for the favorites that are currently in rotation and overflow storage for the stuffed animals that aren’t used as much.
• Large collections of 40 or more stuffed animals, or any collection that includes giant oversized stuffed animals, often require dedicated closet space or off-site storage in a climate-controlled storage unit or on large basement shelves, provided the basement is climate-controlled.

Avoid keeping large stuffed animals or collections in places like sheds and garages that experience extreme temperatures and humidity levels.

How Long Will the Stuffed Animals Be Stored?

Next in our personal plushie inquiry is how long the stuffed animals will be stored. We suggest keeping stuffies that are still actively in use, accessible frequently in places that are easy to reach, like open display shelves or easy-to-access bins the kids can reach into on their own.

Long-term storage requires a different situation. Once a plush toy is going into a bin or bag for months or years, you’ve got moisture control, pest prevention, container choice, and pre-storage cleaning and preparation to worry about.

Cutting corners before storing dolls and stuffed animals long-term causes mold and mildew and irreversible fabric damage.

Are Any Pieces Sentimental or Valuable?

Everyday plush toys from the toy bin don’t need the same care as a vintage Winnie the Pooh or a 60-year-old Bearington Collection or Douglas Cuddle Toy that’s been in the family for decades.

For any plush toys with a deep sentimental history or a high resale value, you’ll want to splurge and put in the extra effort. We’re talking breathable cotton bags and climate-controlled storage.

Most households end up managing two stuffed animal categories simultaneously. You’ve got your active stuffed animals kids use daily, and overflow, collectible, or sentimental pieces that need the extra storage care.

Stuffed Animal Storage Ideas At a Glance

Large Plastic Bins with Lids

Plastic bins are the most practical option for medium to large collections. For starters, large storage containers stack efficiently. That protects against dust and air moisture. And clear plastic bins let you see what’s inside without pulling everything apart.

Another huge practical plus to using plastic storage containers for stuffed animals is taking advantage of your bin labeling system. For example:

• If you have multiple kids, dedicate a bin or two for each child’s stuffed animals and put the respective kid’s name on their bin.
• Dedicate each bin to a particular type of stuffie, or to a collection (Colorful Ty Beanie Boos Collection in one bin, Melissa & Doug in another, Jellycat Amuseables in a third)

But you never want to overpack your plastic bins. Stuffing too many stuffed animals into a storage container compresses them. And once compressed for an extended period, your plush toys will lose their original form and get stuck in the smashed shape they’re in.

If you’re storing delicate stuffed animals or plushies made from fragile fabrics, we suggest layering acid-free tissue paper between each animal. A tissue buffer prevents dye transfer and keeps fabric from getting permanently creased, bent, or smashed.

Vacuum Storage Bags

Vacuum seal bags are useful for reducing bulk in your stuffed animal collection during extremely short-term storage, say during a move or when rotating seasonal collections in and out of storage.

But you don’t want to use vacuum storage bags for long-term storage, or any stuffed animal that’s foam stuffed or has a rigid shape or structure. Vacuum sealing stuffed animals compresses them.

And as we mentioned above, compressing your stuffed animals for an extended period can permanently deform their stuffing or foam, and shape.

Basic polyester plush toys can handle a short time in a vacuum-sealing storage bag, but don’t push it. And only use vacuum bags on clean, dry stuffed animals. Sealing moisture in risks mold and mildew.

Stuffed Animal Hammock / Toy Hammock

If you’re wondering how to store and display stuffed animals, a toy net is the most practical in-room display idea. There are toy nets designed to be stuffed animal hammocks, serving as both a display and storage solution:

• Stuffed Animal Hammocks keep your plush toys visible and accessible.
• Toy hammocks keep your stuffies completely off the floor.
• Some toy nets come in corner-mount styles that let you take advantage of all three walls of a corner and hold more stuffed animals.
• Wall-hanging wire toy hammocks work well for smaller plush toys or tighter spaces.

You’ll always want to keep your toy hammocks away from the windows. And don’t hang it under a skylight or in direct sunlight. UV exposure fades fabric over time, discoloring your brightly colored animals or pieces and blasting out any details.

Open Cube Shelving

If you’re looking for how to store and display stuffed animals, or plush toys the kids use often, open cube shelving is an ideal choice. Open cube shelving is like square-shaped cubbies where everything is visible, reachable, and on display out in the open.

Cube shelving works well for stuffed animals and plush toy organization, especially for the toys kids grab on the reg.

• Lining the shelving unit’s top flat surface with fabric bins.
• Stash away the overflow stuffies in the fabric bins to keep your kids’ room organized and tidy.
• Now your kids have their favorite animals on display, with the rotating cast on standby in the bins.

The downside of using open shelving is dust accumulation. Unlike stuffed animals tucked into bins, the toys on open shelves in high-traffic rooms collect dust. You can prevent dust, and in turn dust mites, by cleaning your cube shelf surfaces once every week or two.

Storage Ottoman

A storage ottoman is a great place to store stuffed animals while keeping them out of sight. There are special storage ottomans designed for decluttering kids’ rooms. They serve double duty, providing seating for the kids and holding a small toy collection inside.

An ottoman is an ideal choice for holding the stuffed animals your kids use often but don’t necessarily want to keep visible.

Climate-Controlled Storage Unit

A climate-controlled storage unit is the ideal storage solution for large stuffed animal collections, valuable or sentimental pieces, or if there isn’t enough space to store them at home. If you’re here because you’re wondering how to store giant stuffed animals, commercial climate-controlled storage spaces might be the answer you’re looking for.

Extreme humidity levels and temperature swings can cause plush toys to dry out, discolor, or develop mold and mildew. And pests like bugs and rodents can eat through your stuffed animal collection or turn them into nests. A climate-controlled storage space addresses all three of these primary threats to your plush toy’s lifespan.

Garages, attics, and unfinished basements, on the other hand, expose your stuffed animal collection to all three of the nasty threats. We’ll cover the full breakdown of climate-controlled stuffed animal storage and how to prepare your collection for a storage unit down below.

How to Store Stuffed Animals Long Term

It takes a bit more prep and planning to store stuffed animals long-term if you want them to come out of storage the same way they went in. You need to clean and dry your plush toys properly, choose the proper storage container, and prep the storage space itself to avoid mold, mildew, pests, crushing, fading, and discoloration.

Let’s explore each step in depth:

Step 1: Clean Before You Store

You’ll want to clean the surface of every stuffed animal before putting it into long-term storage. Dust, skin oils, and food residue attract pests and break the fabric down over time.

Always check the care label to see if it allows machine washing. If it does:

1. Slip the stuffed animal into a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to protect button eyes, decorative details, and delicate features during washing.
2. Add a small amount of mild detergent.
3. Run the stuffed animal through a gentle cycle in cold water only.

Stuffed animals with care labels that specify dry cleaning or hand washing, have pieces with internal electronics, are vintage or old, or have fragile embroidery, here’s what to do:

1. Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove any surface dust.
2. Dampen a soft, non-abrasive cloth.
3. Add some mild, non-toxic soap or a small amount of upholstery cleaner.
4. Spot clean the stuffed animals’ fabric, taking care not to be rough with your scrubbing.

Don’t put your plush animals into storage containers or vacuum-seal bags until each one is completely dry. Vacuum sealing moisture in with your plush buddies leads to mold and mildew, which is difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.

Step 2: Choose the Right Container

For your vintage, sentimental, or heirloom quality pieces, use breathable cotton bags or clean pillowcases rather than sealed plastic. Cotton lets your stuffed animals breathe. Plastic, on the other hand, traps moisture. Even the small amount of residual humidity that gets sealed into a plastic tub can cause damage to more delicate pieces, especially over the course of long-term storage.

That said, if you’re storing large groups of stuffed animals together, resilient plastic bins with sealing lids are a practical and protective choice.

But since you’re storing stuffed animals long-term in these plastic totes, add a cedar block or lavender sachet inside each bin to deter pests. Throw some cedar chips or other chemical-free moisture absorbers into the plastic tubs to manage airborne moisture. Chemicals can mess up the fabric.

Step 3: Prepare the Storage Space

Now that you’ve got your stuffed animals prepped for long-term storage, it’s time to prepare the storage space. All the steps you’ve taken thus far will be wasted if the storage space itself is hostile to your plushie pals.

First, when it comes to how to store stuffed animals long-term while preserving their condition, keep stuffed animals off the floor, regardless of where you’re storing them.

• Moisture, pests, and water leaks all travel low to the ground.
• Setting your plastic bins directly on concrete or naked floors risks exposing your stuffed animals to these hazards.
• Using pallets or shelving units to boost your bins off the floor is ideal, but at the very least, throw a tarp underneath them.

Next, consider where you’re storing your plush animals. For example, attics and garages might be the most common storage spaces for plush toy overflow, but they’re also the most problematic.

Garages and attics are subject to severe temperature and humidity swings. They hit temperatures that damage synthetic fabrics and get damp enough to cause mold, even inside sealed containers with cedar chips.

Cedar can only absorb so much moisture. They work great in climate-controlled storage spaces, but they can get bombarded and overwhelmed in places with constant high humidity.

If you’re storing your stuffed animals for more than a single season, consider renting a climate-controlled storage unit. A climate-controlled unit maintains an indoor temperature range between 50°F and 80°F with stable humidity year-round.

How to Store Stuffed Animals in a Kids Room

Store stuffed animals in a kid’s room by keeping the animals accessible enough for kids to grab and use, while making sure the room stays functional. Wall-mounted and hanging solutions and multi-purpose storage furniture help achieve both.

Let’s take a closer look at a few specific hanging and furniture solutions you can use to store stuffed animals in your kids’ room:

Wall-Mounted and Hanging Solutions

Corner toy hammock or stuffed animal hammock:

• Hanging a toy hammock from a corner space takes advantage of vertical space without impeding on the floor space.
• Stuffed animal hammocks hold a surprising number of animals and keep them fully visible.
• Most kids can reach in and grab the stuffed animal they want on their own, and can put it back on their own when they’re done.
• If you don’t have a corner freed up to use for hanging, a multi-pocket hanging organizer serves the same purpose.

Wall-mounted wire baskets or wall-hanging planters:

• You can mount wire baskets at different heights to hold smaller plush toys, keeping everything off your kids’ room floor.
• If you want to show off certain stuffed animals in your kids’ room, hang tiered metal or macramé wall-hanging planters for a unique and decorative stuffed animal storage solution.

Over-door shoe organizer:

• Throw a shoe organizer over a closet or bedroom door and put one or two plush toys in each pocket.
• You can put the shoe organizer full of stuffies on display on the front of a closet door, or tuck it inside the closet to hide it away.
• Whichever side of the door you put it on, the shoe organizer takes up zero floor space.
• Shoe organizers are the ideal stuffed animal kids’ room storage solution for narrow rooms with limited floor and wall space.

Floor and Furniture-Based Solutions

Bean bag stuffed animal storage:

• You can throw soft, durable, lightweight, and flexible polyester plush animals that don’t have rigid forms into large bean bag covers that your kids can use as seating when they’re not playing with plushies.
• Your kids can unzip the bean bag covers and add or remove stuffed animals as needed.
• Large-sized bean bag covers have a large capacity that can hold a lot of stuffies.
• Put the stuffed animal-filled bean bag covers on the floor space that was already dedicated to sitting to avoid taking up extra space.

Under-bed rolling bins:

• Keeping stuffed animals in under-bed rolling bins lets you take advantage of unused space.
• Some under-bed roller storage bins are open cages. Others are low, flat-lidded bins.
• They all equip casters that slide in and out of the bed without requiring lifting, so kids can pull them out and put them back on their own.
• Under the bed is a great place to store stuffed animal overflow, seasonal favorites, or animals your kids like enough to keep close, but don’t grab every day.

Cube shelving with labeled fabric bins:

• The open display shelf cubes can hold your kids’ current favorites.
• The fabric bin drawer you slide into, under, or on top of the shelves can hold the stuffed animal overflow.
• You can organize the plushie overflow by category.
• Labeling the fabric bins helps the kids find what they need on their own. If they’re not reading yet, try picture labels.

When the Room Runs Out of Space

No kids’ room has unlimited space. And if your kid has a large stuffed animal collection, big stuffed animals, or both, you may need to store a few of your kids stuffed animals outside their room.

When the hanging nets are full, the under-bed bins are overflowing, the bean bag covers are stuffed, and there’s still a pile on the floor, it might be time to book a storage unit.

We suggest separating the collection into two categories: animals the child plays with often, and animals they don’t use but might someday, or used to use and are still sentimental about. This should include seasonal and holiday-themed plushies.

Rotate seasonal stuffies and the ones they don’t use as frequently to a storage unit temporarily. Rotating stuffed animals in and out of the home frees up room space without requiring anyone to get rid of anything. And it helps old stuffies feel new again after a short time in storage.

And remember, if you’re storing pieces longer than a month or two, or during extreme weather, you’ll want to book a climate-controlled unit.

How to Store Big, Large, Giant, Stuffed Animals

Now let’s talk about how to store giant stuffed animals. The storage tips we used so far won’t work for a big three-foot stuffed bear or the large plush you won at the carnival.

Giant stuffed animals refer to anything taller than three feet. Giant plushies won’t fit in standard plastic bins or cube shelving. Unless, of course, you fold them up and force them in, crushing their structure and deforming their shape.

• Store giant, oversized plush toys in a dedicated corner of a room. It can be your kids’ room, the toy room, the living room, or even a guest room.
• You can keep them in a large specialty, breathable cotton storage bag designed for oversized plush. These soft storage bags can accommodate the unique shape of your giant plush toy without compressing it.
• You can keep your bagged plush animal in a climate-controlled area, like a spare room or a storage unit.
• Don’t keep giant stuffed animals in humid spaces like attics, garages, or unfinished basements.

If an oversized plush toy can fit in an extra-large plastic tote without you having to shove it in there, go for it. But be vigilant about not compressing it for extended periods.

We don’t suggest using vacuum sealing bags for large stuffed animals, especially if they have rigid, structured shapes. The same compression that shrinks them down to save space can crush their stuffing and distort their form.

It’s quite common for kids to be attached to a large stuffed animal, but not to play with it regularly.

Rather than forcing yourself to make a hard and permanent decision about getting rid of the oversized plushie, you can rotate it into a climate-controlled storage unit to free up space at home.

Maybe you can alternate it with some seating in the kids’ room, keeping the giant stuffed toy new and exciting by rotating it in and out of your child’s play sessions.

A climate-controlled unit is also a great place for large stuffed animals with sentimental or collectible value or a childhood heirloom you want to keep for the next generation.

But the key in all these scenarios is climate control. Not to sound like a broken record, but temperature and humidity swings in a garage or attic will break down the fabric and wear down the stuffing, causing it to clump over time.

When to Use a Storage Unit for Stuffed Animals

Store your stuffed animals in a storage unit in these situations:

• Your plush toy collection has outgrown the home, and rotating pieces seasonally is the only realistic way to keep the kids’ rooms functional.
• You’re saving stuffed animals that are no longer in use for future children, grandchildren, or sentimental/collector reasons.
• You’re clearing your kids’ room temporarily while prepping your home for a sale, renovation, or between moves.
• The collection includes vintage, limited-edition, or resale-oriented pieces that need the protection your attic, garage, or unfinished basement simply can’t provide.

Storage unit tip: A small 5×5 or 5×10 climate-controlled unit is enough for most home stuffed animal collections. Our storage unit size guide goes into detail on the various unit layouts and what they can fit. Climate control prevents the humidity and temperature fluctuations that cause fabric degradation, musty smells, and pest invasions in stored plush. Our climate-controlled storage guide goes into more detail.

How to Clean Stuffed Animals from a Thrift Store Before Storing

You always want to clean secondhand and thrift store stuffed animals before going into storage or use. You don’t know what the plush toy has been through. And sealing a stuffed toy that has residue, odor, or potential pest infestation into a plastic tub can concentrate the problem, causing it to fester.

So whether it’s a Rocko Raccoon Plush Toy you scored at a thrift shop or the Bukowski Bear you found at a garage sale, you’ll want to clean them properly before they join the stuffed animal zoo.

Step 1: Inspect First

Before bringing any thrift store animal indoors, check it carefully for damage, loose or missing eyes, and torn seams. You also want to look for signs of pest activity, like small holes in fabric, tiny droppings, or eggs.

If there are signs of infestation, put the animal in a sealed bag immediately and assess whether it can be rescued or whether it needs to be put out of its misery.

Check any hard parts or batteries on animals with internal electronics or battery-operated pieces for battery leakage and ripped or damaged wires that might be sharp.

Step 2: Wash According to the Care Label

We can give you some general advice, but the plush toy’s care label is the most reliable guide for how to clean your stuffed animal. If the care label says the toy is machine-washable:

1. Slip the stuffie into a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to protect button eyes, decorative details, and delicate features during washing.
2. Add a small amount of mild detergent.
3. Run the stuffed animal through a gentle cycle in cold water only.

Stuffed animals with care labels that specify dry cleaning or hand washing, have pieces with internal electronics, are vintage or old, or have fragile embroidery, here’s what to do:

1. Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove any surface dust.
2. Dampen a soft, non-abrasive cloth.
3. Add some mild, non-toxic soap or a small amount of upholstery cleaner.
4. Spot clean the plush animal’s fabric, taking care not to be rough with your scrubbing.

For animals that have internal hard parts, electronics, or delicate embroidery, spot clean with a damp cloth and non-toxic upholstery cleaner. You’re only cleaning the soiled spots and taking care to keep water away from any openings or battery compartments.

Step 3: Dry Completely

Air drying is the safest option for most thrift store animals. Machine drying can shrink fabric, melt glue used on the decorative accessories, and warp plastic parts.

For basic polyester plush without any embellishments, a low-heat dryer cycle is usually fine. But again, consult the care label first.

Regardless of how you dry the stuffed animal, don’t store them until they’re completely dry. Residual moisture sealed in a bin or bag is the primary cause of mildew in stored plush toys. And mildew is a lot harder to get rid of than the moisture would have been.

Step 4: Store Properly

Once the animal is fully clean and totally dry, store it in breathable cotton bags or clean bins with a lid.

But don’t seal a still-warm, recently dried animal immediately in plastic. Let the plush animal fully cool and air out first. Add a cedar block or lavender sachet to deter pests. Cedar chips can help absorb some moisture.

How to Store Stuffed Animals with SpareFoot

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how to store stuffed animals. Most of the storage problems come down to three things: a lack of space, a lack of organizational systems, and animals going into storage without being properly cleaned and prepped first.

Sorting your collection into categories and then building storage systems from there is a great place to start. You want to clean and dry before you store, choose the right container for each category, and take an inventory of what’s going into each bin or bag as you’re filling them.

When collections outgrow your living space, or when keeping pieces long term for hand-me-down or sentimental reasons, a small climate-controlled storage unit is the safest solution.

It keeps the home organized, protects the collection from humidity, temperature swings, and pests, and removes the pressure of getting rid of pieces that still tug on your heartstrings.

But not every storage unit is created equal. You don’t want to pay for more space than you need, but you also need a unit that’s equipped with climate control. Plus, you don’t want to drive across town to get the Where The Wild Things Are Moishe Plush Toy or specific Max Plush Toy your youngest is crying about. You want a storage unit close to your house.

So how do you find a storage space near you that has exactly what you need?

That’s where we come in. Our SpareFoot Search Tool lets you search for storage units in your area, filtering the results based on the features and unit size you need.

Some storage facilities even give you your first month of storage for free, and our SpareFoot Storage Deals search feature even limits your search results to facilities in your area that offer that free first month!

Michael Ta’Nous

Michael Ta’Nous is a full-time writer who works and lives with his wife in Taos, New Mexico. “Mikey” spent his early twenties living either out of a van as a touring musician or out of a backpack on motorcycle trips writing from cafes–these rigorous adventure years polished him into a master packer. In addition to managing storage units full of catering supplies and outdoor gear professionally, Michael has used storage units as a band rehearsal space and a motorcycle garage.