I have a few clean up questions . . . New Question Added

[terpsichore07]

 . . . that I don't believe have been asked. 
 
 First off, I really want to make sure that my ponies are completely clean and frankly, sanitary.  I have read all the tips on cleaning and I know the heads can be removed, but I also have read that the heads being intact is part of the list of criteria for condition of the pony (on the scale of mintyness so to speak).  So, I would like to know how important it is to keep the head on versus taking it off and ensuring the pony is fully clean and dry inside.
 
 Secondly, I have some ponies that have the growing hair and fairy wings. Is there anything in particular that I need to know with respect to cleaning them?  I am assuming that taking off their heads is not a good idea, but I could be wrong.  I just want to make sure I don't damage the mechanisms, etc. and that they completely dry so as not to create future problems.
 
 Thirdly, how do you deal with a discoloured so soft pony.  I don't know if sun fading would be good or not, but other that cleaning them, I don't know what else to do about the discolouration that seems to be the pony underneath the flocking.
 
 Lastly, how do I know the original style of the ponies hair?  I know some are straight, some curly, some have bangs, some don't.  How do I know if their has been cutting (other than the obvious) and how to restyle the hair to original?
 
 Any info on these questions would be extremely helpful at the moment.
 
 Thanks,
 Kristina

Ok, so thank you for the great advice thus far, a couple new questions.  I know that tail rust happens, I have read all posts of cleaning and washer/weight removal and change.  My question is, do most of you just change the washer or both and do you try not to (ie. there is no visible rust as of yet) or do you swap them out during cleaning no matter what?  Does it change the view of the condition of the pony (I know it must be done a lot)?

Secondly, I have a pony I opened up that was quite dirty inside, she doesn't have any visible outer mold spots, but has 3 small spots inside that won't clean up, but I can't see exactly what they are.  What do you all recommend for making sure it isn't mold/ensuring her being unaffected in the future?  Rinse out with weak bleach solution, just soap and best scrup possible.  I know to make sure she dries really well, but any other advice? 

Thanks again.  I am pretty good at restore of many other types of toys, etc., but I haven't done the ponies yet and want to make sure I ask and really have exhausted all available info before diving into the major issues.

[PinkRosedust]

The heads being removed should not affect value. It's much better to make sure your pony is clean and safe from potentially being damaged by mold and/or rust than to leave the head intact and risk it. Also, please be careful about removing heads and don't glue them back on afterwards.

For the Brush and Grow ponies you should probably leave them as is...I am not totally knowledgeable about them but I think I read that if you remove their heads, they very often break and then the heads will no longer stay on unless you glue something on the inside or...something. I'm sure someone else can explain who actually knows for certain lol. As for the Summer/Windy wing ponies (or even if you mean Flutters) I am sure it's fine to remove the heads...but you should probably be more cautious if you clean the insides on the Summer/Windy Wings.

I don't think sunfading is good for So Softs...I think the glue could get discolored, making the pony look even worse. But they are another set I haven't done much with so again I can't tell you for sure.

I'd recommend you use Dream Valley to check out what the ponies should look like. http://www.kimsites.net/dreamvalley/ponies_list.html

In general, I would say that if you open up a pony and don't see any dirt/grime/rust/nastyness, then there's no real need to clean it out from the inside. A gentle scrub with a towel damp with warm soapy water on the outside, and a careful hair washing is all I generally do to consider my ponies clean. Also, if you have marks that won't come off with soap, next step I'd recommend is a Mr. Clean Magic eraser (but never use it on any symbols or eyes or any other paint!). If THAT doesn't work, you might consider using something like acetone very carefully, and again, away from any paint.

Hope this helps a bit. Remember to always ask before you do something if you're not sure about it! =)

[Oneleo1]

I can tell you that removing a head on a brush and grow is not a good idea unless you are rehairing They are difficult to put back on and have them work.

Oxycleand and cold water works great on So Softs, use an old toothbrush to scrub

[Lavender_Lace]

Removing the head doesn't detract from a pony being mint. However, alterations, even something like rehairing a few plugs will, and anything like that should be disclosed when selling.  It's better to completely clean out a pony and make sure it's totally dry to prevent any type of mold or tail rust.  Sometimes a pony's tail can be rusted and you can't really see it until you get inside of her. 

For cleaning and sanitation, I swear by soft scrub with bleach and a soft toothbrush.  The cleanser cleans better than anything I've tried, including oxiclean and magic erasers, and the bleach will kill bacteria.  You just need to be careful with it on glitter symbols.

For brush n grows, no don't try to remove the head.  The mechanism is in the neck and it almost always breaks.  I think someone has a tutorial on how to reassemble one, but it's a pain.  When I've done restorations on them, I work with the tail completely extended and I don't submerge the pony.  I don't retract the tail until it's completely dry.

For summer/windy/flutters you can remove the head.  It's a little difficult to get inside of them because of the wing plug and because of their smaller size, but you  just have to work around it and bust out the Q-tips to get down into the legs.  Just be gentle with the wings so you don't accidentally crease them, etc.

As for glue discoloration on so softs, I kind of remember reading that you can peroxide fade it, but I haven't tried it personally.  So, that would be something someone else would need to confirm.  Good thing about the soft scrub and tooth brush is that it will really get in there and clean the flocking, plus it helps fluff it back up a bit so overall the pony will look a million times better after just being cleaned even if the glue is slightly yellowed.

For pony hair styles, I would also refer to dream valley and strawberry reef for style confirmation. 

For G1s I can tell you that the ponies with shorter manes, if you wrap the mane around the neck, it should go to the cheek on the other side. 

If you pull the forelock down, it should go to about their lip. 

For the tail, if you pull it between the legs, it should go to the neck seam. 

The hair will not be 100% even when doing this, but should be mostly. 

Sometimes the tail gets in there funky and half of it will be longer than the other half, but that just means that the tail washer needs to be reseated. 

If you keep those things in mind, cuts will be easy to spot.

For styling straight haired G1s, wrap the mane around the neck and the forelock down the face and then wrap the head up in tissue and dampen it.  Wrap the tail around one of the back legs, wrap that with tissue and dampen it.  (you're basically creating a tissue cast kind of...it works better with kleenex or toilet paper than paper towels)  Let the hair and tissue dry completely (1-2 days) and you will have neatly styled very hasbro-esque curl to their hair.  For G3s with straight hair, same deal, but I wrap the mane around a front leg so it gets more curl. 

For curly haired ponies, perm rods with end wraps are probably your easiest route.  I just use the pictures for a reference when wrapping.  If you're really serious about getting it perfect, watching some youtube videos on how to wrap a perm will help.  If the pony needs a complete curl reset, defrizz it first then wrap and do a boil perm.  The reason being is that even if you do a boil perm, you'll end up with frizzy curls that won't look as mint as they can. 

HTH! 

*I forgot to add that if you do go the soft scrub route, after cleaning with it and rinsing, I go over the body with shampoo while washing the hair to remove any possible residue.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Lots of great advice here!  Also check out our stickied thread on the topic:

http://mlparena.com/mlp/index.php/topic,292336.0.html

Best of luck and have fun!

[butterflybuttons]

Looks like you have all the bases covered

[Baby Sugarberry]

Add Dance n' Prance, Happy Tails, Princess Brush n' Grow, and Sweet Talkin' Ponies to the list of "disassemble at your own risk".  Happy Tails can generally have their heads popped off with little trouble, but removing the mechanism isn't recommended.

[terpsichore07]

Bump for new question.  :-).

[Baby Sugarberry]

I don't consider the fact a pony doesn't have her original washer to be a flaw, since it only serves to cause condition issues later on down the road.  If a washer has absolutely no rust on it, I leave it alone, but if there's even the slightest sign of rust that washer is as good as garbage. It's just not worth the long term risk.


Personally I *prefer* ponies with unglued heads and replaced washers, because they are less likely to deteriorate. (and hey, posable heads are cute.  )


Treating any suspected mold with a bleach solution isn't a bad idea, so long as you aren't putting super concentrated stuff on the plastic and/or leaving it to sit for a long time, it's pretty safe.  Better to treat it as mold and find out it's not than leave it to spread.  Keep in mind that how you store your ponies dictates if they will be susceptible to mold - it's impossible to get away from, it's part of our air everywhere.  Keeping your relative humidity below the levels it likes to grow in is the best possible defence.  Do not store ponies in attics, garages, or damp basements. 

[terpsichore07]

I figured as much about the washer, but my question is more about the piece that holds the tail hair together (the clamp thing).  The two ponies that I started with were the worst of the bunch rescues that actually were decapitated (heads truly were ripped off) when I got them (unfortunately not very nicely ripped off).  Their tails are definitely rusty and they are just a mess, so best place to start in my opinion.  I notice though after pulling the washers off and giving an initial wash, that the rust is concentrated around the clamp.  I don't know if this part is actually rusted underneath or if it is residue from the washer.  Both are metal, but I don't hear any reference to the clamp so i don't know if it is more rust proof or just a no no to replace with the zip tie?  Thanks again for the info.

P.S.  Hello fellow Canadian (Baby Sugarberry), I am in Ontario as well.

[Baby Sugarberry]

The tail clamp itself can rust, though it's far rarer for this to happen than to the washer. If it is truly rusty (and not just transfer) then yes, the best thing to do is remove the clamp as well and replace it with a non-metal attachment (cable ties do the job nicely).


Greetings fellow Ontarian! n_n