Cleaning Italians?

[Radha]

  Hi All,

    I've acquired my first 'Nirvana'- a lovely Italian Surprise (sure to be the start of a bad habit! ).  I want to clean her up a bit- she has tail rust.  Is there anything I need to know about opening and cleaning Italians vs. HK or China ponies?  I don't want to risk damaging my newest pony

[SeashellnBubbles]

Italians seem to be a bit more difficult to get the head off of, in my experience. Heating it with hot water or hair dryer definately helps. I didn't find any difference in cleaning tail rust however I haven't done the bright yellow like Surprise has. I just used whitening toothpaste (not gel) and a toothbrush with excellent results. You just have to really condition afterward as I've found it dried the hair a bit
Good luck with your new girl!

[MiRaja]

Use a hair dryer to warm her, NOT hot water.

She's a Surprise, she has chartreuse hair which will bleed if boiled and will make for a very manky pony.  Don't get her wet unless it's cold water or cleaner.  When you go to clean her tail, remove it completely, clean the tail and let it dry very well before replacing it. 

I just got in a bait Honey Comb with a mohawk and I just completely removed all of her hair before putting her down for major cleaning.  I had planned to rehair her anyways ( she's going to be a custom Surprise.  I'd use Surprise, but Surprise yellows really bad and cannot be sunfaded without burning, but Honeycomb is the same color and everything but her plastic is a different batch and she can get dingy and the such, but she's sunfadeable ) so no biggy, but any ponies with the chartreuse hair, nirvana or not, are the bane of my existence even though I have a Surprise army.   

[pinkkittywinks]

You can clean them as you would a regular pony, just be careful with metallic symbol ponies as the paint can rub away if you use an abrasive cleaner.

Love pkw xxx

[Radha]

  Thanks, everyone!  I've never tried the hair dryer method but I should have time this afternoon.  I'll have to post a pic of my first Nirvana when she's all pretty again 

[SeashellnBubbles]

I just bought Italian Surprise, myself, today! Yay! If you find some good cleaning tricks, please let me know, and definately post pics of her...I really can't wait till my girl arrives!!