What have I done!

[ClosetAvalanche]

  Okay, so I just found out that the best way to clean so softs is not to boil them in oxyclean. I boiled a paradise and posey with near perfect flocking yesterday and they were fine when I pulled them out. I just came home and the flocking is falling out in clumps. I'm so sad now

[LadyPinwheel]

I'm so sorry... U.U

So Softs must be cleaned always in cold water to prevent the glue from "melting"... although I guess you know that by now. Maybe you could deflock them? U.U

[ponylady]

Yikes!  Yes, never ever boil them.  And really it's a risk even running hot water over them.
 
The best is cold water and mild soap.
 
I think like LadyPinwheel mentioned she might be a good deflock now.

[Moondancer115]

Awh that is so sad  .

Unfortunately you had to learn it the hard way  .
I agree with the rest and maybe you can de-flock them.


 

[partypony566]

Aw sorry that happened hun at least you can deflock them ( and they are common ones anyway so you'll be able to find replacements easily enough )

[hathorcat]

Oh thats horrible!

I ll second what everyone says warm water and soap....I find oxy clean [or the uk equivalent] too aggressive to be honest and boiling water just adds to the astringency of it

Pony hugs....hopefully they will be gorgeous deflocks though!!! Specially Paradise!

[littlexflitter]

Aww, that's too bad~! I'm sorry they lost their flocking! I agree with others who suggest that you complete the deflocking; patching flocking on So Softs tends to look not-so-great.

[kittybethy]

That is very sad.  I'm so sorry.

[cloud_weaver]

I'm so sorry!  That's such a bummer.    I'm not a fan of boiling ponies though - I've heard too many stories of ponies bleeding to other ponies (particularly chartreuse hair).  It's a good thing they're salvageable.    Deflocking doesn't devalue them too much (if at all), and they will turn out brilliant!

[stopxmotion]

eeep! this is why I'm too afraid to do any major clean ups on a pony. I'd do it wrong too and ruin something. 

[SkyCakes]

I messed up ponies too with oxy-clean when I was a newbie collector. Trying to clean them myself. I don't use oxy-clean but I use vinegar with warm or hot water or bleach in cold water for normal ponies. Now if I boil something its just to pop off a head from a body. I try to use a toothbrush and whitening toothpaste to clean so softs.

[SaraMari]

I've messed up some ponies cleaning them the wrong way, and I know others have too, so I hope you don't feel too sad!! T_T I agree that they will look so petty as deflocks.

[ClosetAvalanche]

Yeah, hard lesson learned. I guess I wasn't thinking, LOL. I usually use tooth brush and soap, but that takes forever, so I thought i'd dump them in a pot lol. They are nice and bright and clean now, but I love paradise so I think I'm going to finish the job. Any the posey has red flowers so yeah, I think they'd be nice without their flocking. good thing is- they weren't a part of my collection, but extras I got in a lot.

[HavACrumpet452]

Sorry to hear. I don't use oxyclean on ANY ponies. Too many horror stories. Yet people keep recommending it to clean ponies, especially people who are new to the collecting community and chime in on how-to-clean question threads anyway (this drive me insane).
 
Just to let you know, ponies can also melt if they touch the sides of a hot metal pot. If I'm using boiling water I always pour it into another container before it touches the pony. If I'm just dipping in the hair I hold them carefully away from the sides. "Just dumping them in a pot", as you describe, is a good way to be the next of many threads about how your pony melted.

[Marlin]

Oh gosh, discovering that would have made my heart drop to my stomach! At least you are good humoured about it    I agree, They'd make great de-flocks now.... I personally think Paradise looks way better without all the fluff, but that's just me(!)  Show us some piccies when you've de-flocked them