Cleaning ponies - ok to immerse? Washing tinsel?

[cmc62]

Hello!

I've read conflicting advice on the internet about cleaning ponies.  One website said that it's fine to immerse any pony in water to clean.  Another site said to never immerse ponies, as it can cause tail rust, mould, etc.

So is it ok to immerse ponies, or not?  It would definitely make cleaning easier, but I don't want to risk damaging them.

Also, a few of my ponies have tinsel in their hair.  Is it still ok to wash, condition, and comb hair with tinsel in.  Or is it more vulnerable?

Sorry for all the questions, but I don't want to cause any damage.  I have bought some 'practice ponies' in poor condition, to practice cleaning.  But I still don't want to make them worse!

Any other cleaning tips would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
-Chrissy 

[cyberunicorn]

I submerge most of the ponies I get when they need a good clean up and none have ended up with tail rust as long as you let them dry properly then they should be ok.

tinsel can depend on the pony but over all it does respond well to normal washing but just be careful when brushing it and applying heat because it will some times melt

[Elisto]

I do a pretty thorough surface-wash without usually submerging because I don't want to have to worry about how long it will take the inside to dry if a lot of water gets in, but if I'm taking the heads off anyway, it doesn't matter to me. Overall, though, I think you can usually submerge them as long as you're careful about drying (if you don't take the heads off, let them sit tail-down while they dry so water can drain out). There are a few with internal mechanisms, though, like the G1 Brush n Grow ponies, that I would avoid submerging.

As for tinsel, I think it can potentially be more fragile/prone to crinkling, but I don't worry about it too much. I just avoid using really hot water or over-combing it so it doesn't stretch, but I don't know if that really makes a difference.

[prancingstag]

It's fine as long as you ensure that the insides are dry before they get stored away. Drying the pony upside down with the tail hole pointing down usually helps to let all the water run out. If the pony has a squishy body, you can also squeeze them to force it out of the tail hole and mane plugs. Personally I pop the heads off my G1s and rinse them under the tap, scrub with shampoo inside and out, rinse, condition the hair, rinse again, and then dry them on a tea towel with the head still separate. Balance the body upside down so that the water drains out the neck/tail hole, and stand the head up straight in the same way. 24 hours usually gives them enough time to dry out, but just to be sure, I wipe a tissue inside before I put them back together to check for damp.

Tinsel ponies I would be cautious with and use cool water, as heat can cause the strands to stretch and they may then break during combing. Be gentle with them, use lots of conditioner to detangle, but otherwise, they're not a big deal to clean - except for with chemicals. I've heard certain cleaning methods like boiling in oxyclean will strip the colour right out of tinsel, and also strip the metallic paint off of G1 Princess medallions. I also would advise against boiling ponies with neon hair, especially the kind of bright lime found on Surprise. The colour can leech out and dye any ponies in the water with it. I can't think of anything else you would need to worry about with regular old ponies though, they're pretty hardy little things. Good luck with your cleaning adventures!

[Artemesia's Garden]

Some great advice already. I personally don't submerge unless I'm going to take the head off because I worry about future problems. I only take the head off if I must to get them clean because ideally the neck seal would still be intact. Even if you have done it 100 times its still possible to tear a neck plug because sometimes the plastic molding is weak inside.  So by removing the head there is always a risk of tearing the plug or molding inside the pony neck which seriously devalues it.. But if needs must try really hot water, take lots of time. Sometimes I try heating up with a hairdryer. Sometimes I leave the pony overnight soaking in hot water and try again the next day. Good luck with them.

Post Merge: January 23, 2015, 12:22:44 PM

Also I don't boil ponies because I worry it might cause plastic breakup. But I think its ok to use oxyclean or vanish oxy action in warm water.

[PinkRosedust]

My rule is to never submerge a pony unless I remove the head. You can't know for certain if all the water will drain out, or if a tiny bit of moisture will stay inside and cause mold or rust. I always advise against it.

[cmc62]

Thanks for all the advice everybody!  It's good to hear about people's experiences of cleaning, before I jump right in and damage my ponies.

I will start out by only immersing if I am removing the head, to be safe.

Hopefully I should have some nice clean ponies soon   

[Sarah-Bee]

Every pony I wash, with the exception of anyone with electrical parts (UK Princess Sparkle and the Sweet Talkin' Ponies) gets immersed. I've never had a problem doing this, I just ensure they are dried thoroughly on a radiator or in the airing cupboard with their tail holes pointing downwards so any water will run out of them and onto the towel they are sat on.

[Stars]

I boil all my ponies and they all get completely submerged. I let them dry out thoroughly and a lot of my G1s had their heads taken off to repair tail rust and such. 

I think boiling is necessary to make the plastic pliable enough for tail repairs and to get the ingrained dirt like smooze out

[hathorcat]

For me - nope no submersion unless we are doing an all out head off, tail out to ensure that evil washer does not get exposed to oxygen and water. It only takes being mildly damp for oxidisation to start and rust to form; also the fact that it can take years for it to show also means I would forever be watching in fear of it developing. Its far too easy for that little bit of water to be hiding away in the loop of hair behind or under the washer.

All out surface washes are normally what I go for; in extreme cases when ponies need it then yes they get submerged (having been taken apart). I would not tend to be keeping such ponies in my collection however therefore thats largely why I side on being cautious about potential rust in the future (for future owners).

But in general there is no hard and fast rule of course. As you can see from this thread, lots of people go with lots of different options. Ponies are pretty durable so most of the time they will be fine with most of what you try with them. Tinsel is fine to wash - but be more careful when brushing it (and try to brush with a wide tooth metal comb) as it is more susceptible to distorting than nylon hair.

Have fun with your pony spas!

[Sukey]

I always decapatate my ponies now  I didn't use to do this- but I feared that mold would develop over time, so I leave the head off for a day or two so it completely dries on the inside. I have also used q-tips to clean out the inside of nasty ponies. Me personally will probably always take their heads off when cleaning to ensure they dry out and don't develop mold.