What are these brown dots inside my sea pony?

[sh00ting_star]

Hi, I recently got this water colour baby sea pony "Misty". The exterior is in pretty good condition BUT the insides were a nightmare with black mould everwhere. I've managed to remove it but I'm still left with these tiny brown dots which are concentrated in patches and will not go away. I've tried soaking in hot water and scrubbing with detergent and more scrubbing after spraying with mould remover but it's still there. Does anybody know what this is and how can I remove it?

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[Artemesia's Garden]

It looks like mould stuck in the pores of the plastic. To kill the mould effectively you could use milton fluid (baby bottle sterilising tablets) at the recommended concentration. A 3% hydrogen peroxide soak would also be good, try ten minutes and then check regularly. You could soak overnight in a solution of baking powder dissolved in warm water then try next day with a baking soda paste and an old toothbrush. Next level up from baking soda is oxyclean which you can also use as a paste or soak overnight. All harsh chemical treatments do have long-term implications for breakdown of soft plastics so I would do the minimum possible as long as the mould is dead. Make sure the pony is bone dry before you reassemble.

[BlackCurtains]

It looks more like rust to me but you should treat it as mold too. Rust can get into the plastic if it's bad enough and can sometimes even show on the outside. I have an Argentina Whizzer like that.

I don't know if you know this, but the best thing to use to clean insides of ponies are bottle brushes. They get into the legs and head and usually are bendable. You can find them in the baby aisle or go to a pet store and get an aquarium cleaning kit which has multiple sizes.

[Artemesia's Garden]

It looks more like rust to me but you should treat it as mold too. Rust can get into the plastic if it's bad enough and can sometimes even show on the outside. I have an Argentina Whizzer like that.

I don't know if you know this, but the best thing to use to clean insides of ponies are bottle brushes. They get into the legs and head and usually are bendable. You can find them in the baby aisle or go to a pet store and get an aquarium cleaning kit which has multiple sizes.

That's true about rust. I remember the weight inside can go very rusty and nasty. In which case vinegar might be a good thing to try.

[ChocolateStarfire]

It looks more like rust to me but you should treat it as mold too. Rust can get into the plastic if it's bad enough and can sometimes even show on the outside. I have an Argentina Whizzer like that.

I don't know if you know this, but the best thing to use to clean insides of ponies are bottle brushes. They get into the legs and head and usually are bendable. You can find them in the baby aisle or go to a pet store and get an aquarium cleaning kit which has multiple sizes.

That's true about rust. I remember the weight inside can go very rusty and nasty. In which case vinegar might be a good thing to try.

I was gonna say, white vinegar works on rust and mold, and keeping the pony parts dry/aired out is crucial for killing the mold. I suggest wearing gloves and a KN95 mask while cleaning, so that if there are mold spores, you're not breathing them in. After the mold is cleaned out, a thorough wash and air dry with Dawn dish soap, a bottle brush and unused toothbrush should help, too.

I hope whatever method you try (from Artemesia's Garden, BlackCurtains, or me!) works! Good luck!