hgj710

Hello Thorsten, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain all the fine details so thoroughly. It's fascinating what kind of people you can meet on a LEGO forum. I was actually looking for someone exactly like you, a chemist or materials scientist who would wearily and wisely gaze down upon my messages from the top of a hill. To be honest, I'm simply afraid to use even a weak acid like vinegar, as I feel it could quite possibly ruin the prints, especially the ones with silver paint. The main thing you confirmed for me is something I thought I remembered but still doubted, that distilled water does absorb the salts back. Even if it won't remove them as effectively as vinegar, it still makes perfect sense to give it a try. Thanks again!

Hello everyone. I have a question about hard water deposits on LEGO minifigures. About four days ago I washed some of my favorite minifigures in regular tap water. After they dried I noticed white spots and water marks where the droplets had evaporated. I’m especially worried that hard water minerals may have gotten inside the arm and leg joints. I’ve seen very different opinions online. Some people say to simply rinse everything with distilled water, while others say distilled water won’t remove mineral deposits once they’ve dried and that only a mild vinegar solution can dissolve them. My biggest concern is the joints. Can mineral deposits inside the arm or leg sockets increase wear or even increase the risk of cracking over time if I move the joints? Or is that mostly an exaggeration? At this point the minifigures have already been dry for four days. If you were in my situation, what would you do? Would you try distilled water first, use a tiny amount of dish soap, or go straight to a diluted vinegar solution? I’m trying to be as careful as possible because these are some of my favorite minifigures and I don’t want to damage them. Any advice from people with experience cleaning LEGO would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!