jngunsw

ASK HERE How to clean your LEGO sets/parts?

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My instinct is to put them into a bucket of warm water, but I don't know if warm water would warp the plastic...

I'm not an expert in this but from what I can glean, hot water would not distort the bricks on it's own.

As per the following link, the Deflection Temperature Under Load of of ABS at 66psi is 98 degrees C.

http://www.matweb.com/reference/deflection-temperature.aspx

This link gives an idea what 66psi means in the real world:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=66psi

So it appears to me that it's safe to wash bricks in hot or even boiling water but I'd be glad of a better explanation by an expert in plastic technology.

I'd also like to know the ideal temperature for bending a bent but not broken lego piece back into shape (yellow switch track lever).

:classic: :classic:

Edited by AussieJimbo

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There's an easy experiment for the water temperature issue. Take a few bricks of various sizes that you don't want/need any more, put them in a pot with a thermometer, and slowly bring up the temperature. Fish them out every few degrees or so, and when they start to be soft, you know you've hit around the temperature where damage happens. Surely somebody has done this at some point.

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Hey Eurobricks folks, I live in a very humid environment with tons of dust blowing around (Hawaii). That means my Lego sets get dusty real quick, and soon after start sprouting mold. Yuck. So anyway I'm moving soon so I figure it's time to get these things clean... Cleaned a few by hand with a rag and a q-tip (fun times) but SERIOUSLY it's taking forever and there are only so many episodes of My Little Pony to keep my going.

I guess my question is, has anyone tossed their Lego in the dishwasher and what was the result? I'd remove the rubbery pieces and mechanical pieces (like the Bionicle launchers - most of my sets are Bionicle) and I'm just cautious about throwing scalding water on my bricks. As a side question, I wonder how printed bricks fair?

Besides dish-washing them, anyone else have ideas for mass-cleaning of dusty and moldy bricks?

Thanks regardless.

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Lego should be dish washer safe, though I have never done it. I know they can handle 250F degree heat and your dishwasher is no where close to that. I do soak mine in very hot water and mix of Dawn and Cherry Car Wash soap. I also use a tooth brush for real dirty pieces. It can be a time consuming process but, soaking them for a day or so loosens up most of the debris. If you do use a dish washer I suggest putting them in something with tiny holes so they don't get thrown around or stuck in the drain default_classic.gif

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I have put bricks through the dishwasher. They survived. Just make sure they are well secured and disable the drying cycle on the dishwasher. Another thing to try is the (clothes) washing machine. Toss the bricks in a pillowcase or very tight mesh bag and seal the end. you may have to rinse the bricks after because the pillowcase will collect the grime.

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Thanks for the advice. I washed two loads, and it seemed to go off without a hitch, even on the rubber band I accidentally left on Thornatus.

Except... All six of these I put in came out with a weird sort of splintery crack on the bit just in front of the top piston, towards the toes. All the same. None of them had it before and I'm noticing nothing similar on any of the other pieces. So beware, folks, and clean those by hand.

Thanks again.

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Let them soak overnight in pinesol. It won't hurt the plastic, as I use it to strip paint from minis for wargaming all the time.

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I've just finished cleaning my second hand Creator House (4954) which I bought from ebay recently. It was a bit grubby when received and I'm a bit of a clean freak so I soaked all the pieces overnight in warm soapy water but that didn't do much good. I didn't want to scrub them as wasn't sure if it would scratch them.

So then I decided to follow the advice that apparently came directly from Lego (can't remember which website or forum I saw it on) which said Lego was fine to wash in a dishwasher on no more than 50-60 degrees celsius, in a sock.

I put the pieces in very fine mesh bags and put them on the top rack of the dishwasher on an Eco wash which is 50 degrees on our machine. They went through the drying cycle too and have come up lovely, can't see any damage. They were still pretty wet when I took them out though so I had to hand dry most of the pieces individually to avoid those annoying water marks, but just got the worst of the water off the tiny pieces by shaking them up in a towel. I then put all the pieces in a dry mesh bag in the boiler cupboard where everything dries really quickly as it's so warm.

If I had particularly delicate pieces to wash in the future, I would do them on the delicate wash I think.

I'll definitely be using this method again in the future :sweet:

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Hey all, i had aloooot of complete Star Wars sets in storage and recently took a few out. They were dusty and grimy to say the least. Can i place the pieces say in a bathtub with soapy water and then let it airdry?

Would this be a good method of cleaning the ships without having to disassemble them and clean each piece individually?

305457_268902839814646_100000847978076_751580_253876512_n.jpg

Thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated, the sets above are some of the ones i need to clean.

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If the parts are printed fine, but stickers you will destroy ! :wink:

First, dust with a duster first...then a toothbrush or similar with a mild soapy water and blot excess water away gently - also stay clear of stickers. :wink:

Good luck 'Phoenix_Rising' ! :classic:

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'lightningtiger' made a good point, try a good duster. If that isn't good enough I have taken my larger sets out side and with a garden hose (on mist or soak mode, nothing harder), or squirt bottle, and a toothbrush and washed them that way. If it is just dust, you don't necessarily need soap. I angle the set so the water runs off over the top layer of bricks instead of seeping deeper in the structure. As for stickers, they can handle water but, it can also damage the sticky side. That said, I had accidentally left a sticker piece on a brick and left it in a container of soapy water for two days and it was completely fine, zero damage. If they are on right, no air gaps or peeled sides, water should stay out. If you uncomfortable getting them wet just remove the piece or sticker piece section and clean them separately. On to drying; air drying is fine but, time consuming. I use an electric oscillating fan for quickest results. Make sure you DON'T use the sun!

Best of luck! default_classic.gif

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I use pledge multisurface, air in a can, a cloth, and in certain circumstances the sink and dishwasher liquid. I learned that cat puke comes off legos pretty easily.

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Im going to try using the bathtub and dishwater soap dawn and see what happens. Ill let you all know.

After using air I use a product called Cyberclean. This is a gel like substance that's normally used for electronics and keyboards and gets into all kinds on nooks or crannies and the dirt and dust stick to it and is lifted out. Apart from a brief lemon scent I have noticed no adverse effects to color or stickers.

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My suggestion would be to use a soft toothbrush to prevent any scratches.

I would highly recommend a large glass cabinet to store those sets, so you don't have to keep cleaning! if money isn't a problem for you that is.

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I clean old sets like I clean my trombone: Run water through it.

Take cold(Cold! Not HOT!) water and run it through the set. Then you can dissasemble it into sections and run water through it. You really don't need soap; It usually comes off.

Good luck! :classic:

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I clean old sets like I clean my trombone: Run water through it.

Take cold(Cold! Not HOT!) water and run it through the set. Then you can dissasemble it into sections and run water through it. You really don't need soap; It usually comes off.

Good luck! :classic:

fully agree. just water will do.

a shower spray will also work better than running under a tap.

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I've built and displayed a 4954 Model Town House for a year or 2, and while it sat on the shelf, it got as dusty as you would expect. Then I wanted to take it apart and put it away, so first, I took it to the bathtub, put a mesh strainer in the drain, to avoid losing any pieces, then sprayed the house inside and out with the handheld showerhead, on the setting that provides the most force, to blast off all the dust. Then I disassembled it and laid the pieces on a towel, for them to dry.

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I have this base with sticky stuff all over it, and I can't get it off.

May sound crazy but, DW-40 and a toothbrush should remove the sticky mess. At least any I've come across. It will not damage pieces even translucent ones. It should even add a bit of shine to them. I've used it for really mucky pieces from eBay as well as to lube tire axles. I do wash with Dawn and car wash soap to remove the greasy feel and smell of WD-40 on all pieces apart from those squeaky axles default_classic.gif

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Well i still havent tried anything yet on the pieces but i definitely appreciate the feedback! I have sooo many Lego Starwars models in storage right now assembled. So im going to be busy! haha

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How about marker smudges? I wrote on some of my legos to make signs, and I used kids markers accidentally, instead of a sharpie. Any ideas? It could wipe off onto my finger, but it would stay there for a week.

Edited by Captain Jack

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i find the best way to get rid of dust is with a tooth brush. i just make sure to not put as much pressure on the stickers.

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