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Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 10:52:38 AM
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WhiteRoseBlessings
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Care bears, M*A*S*H characters, dinosaurs, Shrek, Army figurines, The Peanuts Gang, M&M's, Star Wars, Disney Characters, etc., etc., etc.
Some are hard plastic; some are what I call "soft or moldable" plastic.
Some have "moveable" limbs . . . not at the "joints" but rather the limbs are "bendable" (although some toys have moveable limbs at the joints as well).
Some are surface-painted; some, the color is infused into the plastic.
The range of years of when the toys were manufactured span 50 years (truly) . . . so I'm sure different materials were used in the earlier years than in the later years.
They're not dirty from being played with; they're "dirty" (slighty sticky-dusty-grimy) from being displayed on shelves for years (in a non-smoking home), if that helps with anyone's answers.
Originally, I was cleaning them one-at-a-time with a washcloth and mild soap . . . . but after doing that for 3 months, I only finished probably half of the toys.
I'm finally getting ready to sell the toys on e-Bay . . . But I need to clean them first.
I'm looking for a quicker way to do this than just one-at-a-time.
Of the ones currently left unwashed, it recently took me 3 hours to clean one filing box full of toys . . . I have a 10 x 10 storage unit almost filled with filing boxes containing toys; and half of those still need to be cleaned. I don't want to spend 3 hours per box washing toys.
My questions:
(1)
Is there a way that I can mass-clean these toys without harming any of them?
(2)
Is there a solvent / solution that I can soak the toys in and then perhaps rinse off?
(3)
I could very easily separate the toys from hard plastic to soft plastic.
Would I need to use different solvents for each type of plastic?
(4)
Any other advice or suggestions regarding this project?
Thanks y'all!
Sharon-Marie
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 11:13:02 AM
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funny_girl
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IMHO, I would sample one and soak it in house hold ammonia and warm water solution then gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush. Soaking can help loosen the grim but I don't know if w/age the paint may come off. I don't think it will but try one.
Have fun!
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 11:18:19 AM
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garsyt
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I would say you really don't have a choice IF you want them to remain in excellent condition. Some of those toys won't bring you much of any money if they are even slightly damaged.
Blessings,
Garsy
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 11:29:40 AM
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funny_girl
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Could you post one of these toys or boxes? I'm curious. I think that if you soaked them for a few minutes and rinsed them in cold water, you'd be good. Let's see this project for an ideal.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 11:53:44 AM
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peculiar_lady2
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I don't know about the "collectible" status of them, but I can tell you how we clean all toys in our house that don't have electronics in them....in the washing machine or the dish washer (depending on what temp of water they need). I do mass loads of all the kids toys probably about once a year in the washer, then lay them out in the sun on a blanket to dry. In the washer load I put some bleach (to disinfect). Things that need more attention then that I do with a toothbrush.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 11:56:32 AM
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WhiteRoseBlessings
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quote:
ORIGINAL: karlie
quote:
I have a 10 x 10 storage unit almost filled with filing boxes containing toys
I have no idea how to clean them without damaging them. I just wanted to say 
I know...I'm most helpful  Oh yes . . . always. 
Thanks for y'all's replies so far (even yours, Karlie)  .
I don't have any photos of them yet (not individually . . . I did take some photos of the Toy Room before I started disassembling it).
However, I thought that once I did get photos of them, I would periodically post one as an avatar throughout this project.
I'm not so sure I'd want to try ammonia on them; I'm thinking that might damage them; especially the soft plastic ones.
I knew someone was going to tell me that I had no other choice other than the washcloth and one-at-a-time. 
If I supply the washcloths, will y'all come out to Pigeon Forge, TN and help me with these goofy things?
Oh, and for the curious, yes, I will be photographing each one of them . . . I bought a digital camera and a portable light studio back in January (or February) for this very purpose . . . it's just taken me a while to work up to actually doing anything else.
What if, I used a combination of very lukewarm (almost cold) water and Ivory Liquid Soap as a soaking solution and soak the toys for only a couple of minutes and then gently roll them (in groups / bunches) in a big terry towell and then individual quickly wiped them with a washcloth?
Do you think that might work and do you think it would be quicker than hand-washing them one at a time?
The movers are coming on Tuesday to empty out the storage unit and to bring all the toys to my house. This weekend, I need to rearrange my warehouse so that I have room to put all the boxes.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 12:26:08 PM
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CoeurdeLeon
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This is what I *think* I would do. The ones that I wasn't worried about the paint chipping off.....I would soak in the bathtub with warm/hot water and Simple Green for awhile and then spray off.
Others I would still use something like Simple Green and warm water but do them individually with a very soft brush.
They are bound to be greasy if they were displayed in the open. That's just the way it is and letting them soak in a degreaser/water solution will do a lot of the work for you.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 12:33:11 PM
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awed
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For removing what you are talking about I thought about White distilled Vinegar
But the diswasher sounds like a good idea too with gentle soap. And in the dishwasher isn't there a drying cycle too? If you use a no spot detergent, you wouldn't have to rub or dry or anything. At least in theory. LOL!
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 12:36:50 PM
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peculiar_lady2
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quote:
I'm not so sure about the bleach, though . . . Have you noticed paint coming off or anything like that when you wash your kids toys
I haven't....but most of the toys we have are solid colored toys (legos, etc) where the color is in the plastic, not painted on top of it.
and hey, if you are paying for the trip then I would be in PF again tomorrow!!!!!
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 1:28:05 PM
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OneOfHisJewels
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I was going to say the dishwasher, but Sarah beat me to it. When I worked at a preschool, we had to wash the toys once a week, and at first we did it by hand with bleach, but we got tired of that and started using the dishwasher. It never hurt the toys at all. HOWEVER..washing them for resale and washing them for kids to play with are two VERY DIFFERENT things. I might be a little more hesitant about the dishwasher if I wanted to sell the toys.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 3:29:55 PM
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zmanfan38
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I wash GB's toys in the dishwasher sometimes (her fake Crocks too), but don't think I'd take a chance on collectibles.
I Googled the topic and found a suggestion of using a wet Magic Eraser on them, but it doesn't sound any faster.
Wish I knew a good, quick way SharMar!
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 7:22:26 PM
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peculiar_lady2
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quote:
I Googled the topic and found a suggestion of using a wet Magic Eraser on them, but it doesn't sound any faster.
I wouldn't use that on painted toys....it's like a fine grit sandpaper and will wear off the paint.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 9:02:48 PM
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WaitingforBoaz
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quote:
ORIGINAL: awed
For removing what you are talking about I thought about White distilled Vinegar
But the diswasher sounds like a good idea too with gentle soap. And in the dishwasher isn't there a drying cycle too? If you use a no spot detergent, you wouldn't have to rub or dry or anything. At least in theory. LOL!
I agree with Awed I would use a solution of vinegar and water and I would not soak them for too long. A soft full sized paintbrush could be used to "buff" off the grim while it is in the vinegar and then a quick dip to rinse and airdry. I would not use the washing machine or dishwasher for collectables. Especially not the dry cycle on the dishwasher, mine gets very hot and could ruin the paint. Just a few ideas.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/4/2008 9:24:13 PM
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BJinWA
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white rose,
i think i would just sell them dirty........
kidding, i have no idea how to clean them, but i am enjoying this post.
good luck with all the dirty little toys. hee hee
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/5/2008 2:23:56 AM
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OneOfHisJewels
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I just had an idea!!!!!!!!!!
Take one of those dust blower cans that people use for computers, and do part blowing, and part gently wiping off with a very slightly damp soft rag.
For the rag, maybe have a bucket of water, and put a little baking soda in and dilute it, dip the rag in that, and wring it out really well. For the "rag" use a brand new soft cotton cloth from the store.
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/5/2008 2:25:39 AM
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OneOfHisJewels
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quote:
Hey Rebekah and Christi; thanks for stopping by!
You're quite welcome!
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RE: Cleaning Toy Figurines - 7/5/2008 10:31:41 AM
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WhiteRoseBlessings
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quote:
ORIGINAL: OneOfHisJewels
I just had an idea!!!!!!!!!!
Take one of those dust blower cans that people use for computers, and do part blowing, and part gently wiping off with a very slightly damp soft rag.
For the rag, maybe have a bucket of water, and put a little baking soda in and dilute it, dip the rag in that, and wring it out really well. For the "rag" use a brand new soft cotton cloth from the store.
Oh yeah, Rebekah, the cloths I use are very soft.
Early on (when I was originally packing up the toy room), I tried using a dust-blower can. Nothing happened. 
LOL!
To explain . . . these toys figurines belonged to my late husband. When he and I met in 2002, he had been actively collecting the figurines since the very early '80s. Although "technically" his very first toy; the one that started it all, he got when he was around 14 or 15 in the early '50s . . . it was one of the first Peanuts Gang figurines . . . Charlie Brown and Snoopy, to be exact. So . . . there was a room in the house that he turned into "the Toy Room". Floor-to-celing, on all the walls of that room, he had built shelves (the kind that fit into shelf braces that are adhered to the wall with screws. The shelves were spaced about a foot apart in height. 3.5 walls of shelving; all going from floor-to-ceiling, each shelf being about a foot apart in height from each other (the other half of the wall was where the double closet had been that he converted into his computer area).
So anyway . . . rarely did he take a toy down off of the shelf once he had bought it and found a "home" for it in the Toy Room. By the time I started packing up the toys (2006), some of those toys had been on the shelves, untouched and not moved for over 20 years. He simply liked to collect them and look at them.
I believe it was Lioness who made mention of them needing a de-greaser because that's just how things are. And she's right. It's amazing how grimy things can get over the course of time . . . even in a clean home.
I never dusted in that room. (1) CS asked me not to and (2) I was very happy to comply . . . there were literally thousands of pieces being displayed in that room.  
So, while a great idea, the dust blower cans don't work in this situation.
I have a few boxes of toys at the house (the rest are in the storage unit). I think I shall try a couple of ideas with a few toys today. I don't have any degreaser spray in the house, but I do have some Dawn soap, I think I might try a couple of drops of that in a sink full of lukewarm water and soak them for about 10 minutes (with some occasional water swishing) and see what happens.
Sometimes I think I should just put them all in the garbage or on the curb . . . but (a) I moved them all the way from Wyoming to Tennessee with the idea of selling these things, (b) I have paid storage fees (in both states) and more importantly, (c) it's now become something that I must do . . . just to prove to myself that I can do it. LOL!
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