New cleaning challenge - So Soft Wind Whistler! (Pic heavy)

[Sugar]

Hey, pony people!

So I was getting my pony collection up out of the basement, where they'vve been patiently waiting for my re-introduction into collecting, and they've all pretty much come through the sitting-in-a-cardboard-box thing well.  Surprise had a couple little specks of mold, which are fading well after peroxcide and some sun; a couple more have some age spots; SS Scrumptious is a litlle greeny from sitting next to SS Shady, and a couple more ponies have that greeny smear from chartreuse hair, but all in all, nothing untoward, no cancer, no stickiness, no rust, whee!

Or at least, so I thought until I took a closer look at Wind Whistler.
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Bleargh!  What are all those terra-cotta coloured splotches??!
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Crikey, they're everywhere!
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Less on her left side, but still... ick...
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I checked my other so softs, and except Lofty, they have a couple tiny splotches similar, but nowhere near the extend of Wind Whistler.  So she's been elected cobaye.
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Even her poor dear face, which popped off quite obligingly, is starting to splotch out.
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Wah... just... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
But fortunately...
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No tail rust, thank goodness - she's clean as a, well, whistle inside.

So as you can prolly guess fro the pictures, I have de-tailed her and prepped her for a good scrub, started off with Dawn dish soap and a very gentle toothbrush.  She's drying right the now (and did you know those wire banana hangers make dandy pony dryers?) with a hope to have a lot less icky browny spots when she dries out totally.  I really, really, really don't fancy deflocking her, 'cauz her fluff is so lovely and soft and apart from lookin seriously grody, has aged quite nicely, no rubs apart from a teensy bit around her tail hole.  And, frankly, deflocking is a pain in the poot, and I want to avoid it if at all possible.  (She's nowhere near as mangey as my Satin'n'Lace and Truly from the thrift shop were...)  So... I'm open to suggestions and appreciate any expertise any pony people might have to offer.

Thank you all!

[hathorcat]

Good luck getting her clean!

Make sure the water you use too clean her isnt too warm as sometimes that can melt the glue and remove a little flocking as well! Cant wait to see her all spruced up and gorgeous!

[HollowZero]

Her flocking is incredible. I heard Soft Scrub works on So Softs, if nothing else works maybe try that?

[Sugar]

Thank you, everypony, for the cleaning suggestions and good wishes!

I have some progress (and some sadness) to report.

As you can see, the ooky brown splotches have pretty well vanished!
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I used Spot Shot, a carpet cleaner I picked up at WalMart, and I'm delighted to report its pretty safe on flocking.

Her NDS is a bit... well... darn it.
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I tried this side first, with Dawn dish soap, cold water, and a toothbrush (soft).  I must've scrubbed too hard or something, 'cauz the flocking's started to come off her wing and around her tail hole. (Owies, poor Wind Whistler!)  Seriously, though... stupid flocking!  If Satin'n'Lace's flocking had come off so easily... ergh!  Delicate when you want it to be strong, stubborn when you want it to git.  Go figure.

But otherwise, no brown grossness.
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Not in front...
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...nor in back.

Her head is drying as we speak, after a good gentle finger-scrubbing with Spot Shot, and she'll be prancing her prettiest for you in a day or so.

[hathorcat]

Fantastic! She looks wonderful.

It looks like only a minor deflock...unfortunately sometimes flocking is surprisingly easy removable [thats always on the ponies you dont want to deflock of course] - she is still gorgeous

[shockponie]

*Puts Spot Shot on shopping list* Great job!

[scarletjul]

She looks much better, even with the unfortunate bit of missing flocking - sometimes that can't be avoided.

Great job! 

[Sugar]

Thanks, everypony!  I'm a Spot Shot convert.  And I think I may just have a go at cleaning the rest of my So Softs with it.  Anyway, here's my little cobaye (that's guinea pig, I think) in all her glory.

Display side looks pretty darned good for a twenty-some year-old toy.  If I do say so myself.
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Yay!  No trace of brown splotches!
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Beauty shot of her face, and that hair is original pink.   I think the slight thinness of flocking on her cheek might be wear, or where the glue was less strong.  I was gentle as gentle could be.
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Right side face - again, all splotching gone.  Yay!
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NDS side, and the loss of flocking visible on and around her wing, and a bit on the edge of her ear.  Again, prolly less strong glue?
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Wind Whistler says, "Thanks for following my restauration!  I'm fluttering off to join the pony shelf! "
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Thanks again!  Good luck with your own So Soft restaurations, and I'll keep you posted on the progress of mine.

[angela22]

Great job there! Awesome actually! I wonder if they sell that stuff state-side?

[hathorcat]

Gorgeous! And her hair is so pink as well...

[corra]

She turned out well! she looks very happy I had a similar situation with my SS wind whistler. Her flocking was nice and thick but dirty, so I tried to wash her gently but I couldn't be gentle enough! her flocking looked thin and patchy when I was done. I decided to deflock her and it WAS a pain. but after I really liked the results and she is so pretty.

[StarDapple]

Great job!

[Sugar]

@ angela22:  Spot Shot should be available stateside, I think anyway.  It's from WD-40 and there's a coupon for a dollar off on their homepage (can I post that info here?) but I didn't print it cauz I don't have coupon printer on my computer.  I don't do much couponing cauz most of what I find is US only...

@ corra:  The uncertainty of washing her was part of why I started with Wind Whistler.  I had been told about the caprice of flocking (stubborn when you want it to go, quick to depart when you want it to stay), so I thought, in addition to nailing the worst splotchiest pony I had, I could see what happens to flocking with a pony I wouldn't mind seeing deflocked.  She is soooo pretty without her flocking - either way, acutally!  You should post a photo, I'd love to see how she turned out for you.

@ hathorcat:  Thank you.   As always, your advice and encouragement helped a bunch, and I really do appreciate it.

@ stardapple:  Thank you, too!