Sunfading So Softs?

[Marlin]

OK - sorry about this - I'm sure it's been asked before! I'm just being lazy in not researching past posts! 

Just wondering if there has been any success in fading white so soft ponies? I got Taffy recently, who is just delightful, but a little on the yellowed side as I understand is common with this girl 

Correct me if I'm wrong but it's the glue that causes this yellowing, right? Would I have any success in whitening it up by sunfading or would you experts consider it a wasted effort?

I'll be happy either way - she is lovely as is, but if you think it's worth it I'll pop her in the sun come summer    (NZ is on the bleeping cold side at the moment, lol!)

Cheers!

[Gizmo]

Not sure if this is correct but I remember reading that sun exposure causes glue to yellow, I'm interested in knowing more though and if anyone has tried it what the results were like.

And speaking of Taffy, I've spent years searching for the mintiest one and have never seen a true white including ones that are MOC, someone sold theirs to me as still white and she's in decarded mint condition with her original accessories but she still appears yellowed compared to a regular white pony 

[squishy turdl]

Good question, I read also about the glue yellowing which, makes them worse..

I have had some success with a gentle bleach bath.. but you might wanna read and check out the pro and cons before doing that with Taffy and her bright pink hair..

[SpookyTrees]

I'm not sure on the glue issue, but if you do try I might recommend getting her wet before you put her out for a sun bath. I've used cloth diapers with all of my kids and the method for removing stains from the inside of cloth diapers is to take them straight out of the wash and lay them outside in the sun while wet. I even go outside every hour and spray them down with a water bottle. The wet cloth activates the sun and I can remove even the worst stains with 4 or 5 hours in the sun. Might be worth a try with a So Soft!

[MoondancerMilkyWay]

protip: do not put them in the washing machine.

I was trying to lighten/clean up some so-softs I have and I heard that Liquid Oxyclean works. so I soaked, i toothbrushed applied and scrubbed...and for fun I took a couple that were a little worse for wear and put them in a pillow case, in the washing machine with some sheets that also needed washed....guess what did not work to get them whiter? also, they may have experienced additional flocking loss though I can't be sure. either way, Don't put them in the wash. seems like it should be common sense, no?

[summerday]

I'm wondering about peroxide. It really helped on Cuddles' carriage. I think there may have been some glue that lightened. I put it in a Baggie with peroxide in the sun. Just kept a very close eye on it. Didn't take long, considering I'd usually only put it outside when I was at home. Of course, I live in Texas, where the sun is pretty powerful.

I'm just not sure how peroxide would affect the flocking.

[ponyqueen]

That's it. I'm just going to try this right now. I need answers! ["yo! baity truly! you're up!"]

[SpookyTrees]

Yikes just to clarify I did not imply to put the pony in the washing machine!!!!! Just that my cloth diapers sun out stains the best when straight out of the washer - i.e. quite damp.  So if you wanted to wet the SS first and lay her in the sun that might help.

[Elisto]

The only one I tried yellowed more in the sun, but at least that let me get her to an even color on both sides

I've used peroxide (the regular liquid kind) to whiten one, BUT that wasn't for the glue but the flocking itself, it only worked a little, and that can also take the glue/flocking off, so you have to be careful.

[MoondancerMilkyWay]

Yikes just to clarify I did not imply to put the pony in the washing machine!!!!! Just that my cloth diapers sun out stains the best when straight out of the washer - i.e. quite damp.  So if you wanted to wet the SS first and lay her in the sun that might help.

hahahhaa!! no!! not at all! this was just me thinking "well, if I'm using a laundry pre-treater...I wonder what would happen if I put it in with other laundry?"
common sense is not so common when you're trying to wash 200 ponies in a week...

[SpookyTrees]

OMG I gotcha!!!! Yeah probably not the best way! I recommend a hose and line them up

[MiRaja]

The yellowing of the glue is in fact caused in part from UV exposure.  Sunlight would yellow the glue even more.  Also, exposing the glue to increased sunlight will further degrade it and cause it to lose its sticking properties.  It, and the flocking will just turn into a mess of dust and fluff. 

I also don't suggest long soaks for flocked ponies.  Peroxide sunfading can cause the pores of the pony to swell ( which is how I get smooze out, but scrubbing the pony every few days as the dust and particulates lift to the surface of the pore ), these pores are in part what helps some of the glue stick, and can cause further flocking loss than a hot water soak. 

You may just have to live with her yellowed.  Hasbro just didn't care that the glue they were using for their toys was cheap, not acid-free ( part of the reason why it yellows ) and just altogether not that great.  xD 

[hathorcat]

Unfortunately as others have mentioned the yellowing on so softs is almost always a result of glue.

Think of it as kind of what happens when you sellotape/sticky tape has been exposed to air and sunlight over an extended period...it goes all yellow in colour, right? Its the same with the glue holding on the flocking - sunlight and air and time cause the glue to discolour. Any sun fading will not fix it up and could potentially make it worse.

However all that being said, yellowing is now always glue. Sometimes its just dirty or discoloured flocking. For that reason a good and gentle clean is always a good step to try.

[ponyqueen]

LOL! 

OMG I gotcha!!!! Yeah probably not the best way! I recommend a hose and line them up

[Marlin]

Thank you all for your replies 

They have been both highly informative and very entertaining!