How Do You Wash A Stuffed Dog?

Staff at one of Show Me's favourite museums are rolling up their sleeves ready for a mammoth cleaning session this summer.

Actually, they won't be cleaning mammoths, but dogs. Lots and lots of dogs. Plus snakes, a panda, some kangaroos, several giant tortoises and many more weird and wonderful creatures.

The animals are all exhibits at The Natural History Museum at Tring, first cousin of London's dino-packed Natural History Museum.

It's a long time since many of the stuffed animals in this huge collection were given a good clean. So, 838 of them will get a thorough tail-to-toe grooming over the next few months.

© NHM

We've had a chat with one of the curators at Tring, Alice Dowswell, to find out exactly what will happen.

First off, there will be no buckets of soapy water, no scrubbing brushes and no brisk rub-downs with old towels. This is no normal doggy bathtime but a very delicate operation.

Many of the animal specimens date back more than a hundred years so need very careful treatment. They were collected by a famous (and rich!) Victorian zoologist called Walter Rothschild.

© NHM

Alice explained that 'most of the furry, hairy and feathery animals, the mammals and birds, will be cleaned using an air pressure hose - a kind of air blower.'

The air hose cleans off the dust but isn't strong enough to do any damage to the animals' skin, hair, fur or feathers. Sounds rather ticklish to us, it's a good job they're stuffed.

© NHM

Alice did mention that a couple of old white dogs might get a gentle watery wash. Their fur can discolour with age so they need a special light shampoo.

Do you think these Mexican and Russian lap dogs would qualify for that? The little one does look a little whiffy...

© NHM

The big clean is very important for the museum because it's an opportunity to take a good close look at all of the animals, checking for pests as well as dust.

Rather like kids with their nits, stuffed animals are prone to pesky critters living in their hair to have a good chomp. One of the most common is the carpet beetle and its hungry larvae.

If Alice and her fellow curators find any trace of beetles on the animals they'll clean them off then put the animal in the freezer for two weeks! Yep, in the freezer. It kills all eggs, larvae and beetles stone dead. (Just don't try it on yourself as a nit treatment!).

The big clean is going on until the end of 2008, during which time Gallery 6 and part of Gallery 5 will be closed. You can watch the work going on through special viewing windows in Gallery 5.

There's lots more going on at the museum in the meantime though, including an exhibition called Surprising Sharks until July 6 2008.

If you can't get to the museum there's lots you can see and find out about at home - shark facts, natural history games to play and naturecams.

For more games and makes on nature and animals see Show Me's Natural World section.

With thanks to Alice Dowswell at the NHM. All pictures copyright Natural History Museum.