Cleaning ponies and water?

[Fortress]

Hey everyone! I've been cleaning some ponies today and I must add that I'm not very experienced when it comes to this. I've used a cleaning tutorial from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NR1hW5h7M8&feature=plcp but I'm unsure about one thing. One of my ponies has a loose head and I took it off to see if there was any water inside the pony. She's not soaking wet on the inside but damp, like she's sweating. This is in the head and the area around her behind, the rest seems to be dry. Is this okay and will it dry? I don't want to take the heads off of all the other ponies to check and dry them. There's just too many of them and I really hate taking the heads off because it isn't always that simple when they won't budge. Tomorrow it should be sunny weather. Shall I put them outside so they can dry better or am I doomed to take off all of their heads?
I was hoping to sell these ponies, but I don't want anyone to receive a moldy pony.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Don't leave them out in the sun unless you want faded ponies... that's a technique on how to remove stains, NOT a good general cleaning method.  Ponies don't need to be aired out. 

Also, it's a good idea to take the heads off the ponies to make sure they have no internal mold, mildew, or tail rust.  Watching that video made me shudder, as rinsing a pony under water whole like that creates prime conditions for tail rust and mold.  If the head gives you trouble, run near-boiling water over the neck seam and use a metal nail file to slowly pry the glue's seal open.

The stickiness is probably the plasticizer beginning to leak.  You need to use a dishwashing liquid soap to scrub out the inside of your pony, head as well, then leave her with the head off to dry.  Tilt her bottom down so that liquid will evaporate and not get stuck in the washer/tail clamp.    If you don't do anything, they will get stickier and stickier.  It's also up to you, but I always replace the washer and clamp with plastic zip ties as it resolves the rust issue permanently. 

There's nothing you can do to prevent this process, but it's a good idea to check the rest of your ponies and make sure they aren't also leaking plasticizer.  Eventually it all leaks out and you have a pony with rock hard plastic.  It's just part of collecting 30 year old vinyl toys... 

Oh and give them like a week to dry before mailing one, otherwise they WILL get moldy!   

Hope that helps!  If you still have questions, ask away and we shall assist. 

[partypony566]

Do you mean they are damp inside after you washed them? When you clean them or put them in water, always leave them upside down for at least a few days to be sure there's no water left in them

[shabbychicdee]

i always put washed ponies (if im not takeing their heads of) in a hot water cylinder cupboard or a airing cupboard where your hot water tank is, its great for drying slightly damp washing and the warm dry air will push all the dampness out through the plug hole and tail holes and leave your ponies dry as long as there isnt lots of water inside. you can leave in there for a few days to be on the safe side.

hope that makes sense and is hopefully, all the house iv lived in have all had water cylinder cupboards 

[hathorcat]

Oh gosh...cute idea for a video but if I am honest I am going to repeat what LBS has said washing a pony like that is asking for mold or mildew or a rusty tail washer. Also if you are going to use a flat iron only flat iron in small sections in order to prevent heat building up in the hair. I would recommend you check out the cleaning tutorials at the top of this forum there are lots of great hints there

On your questions - perhaps one of the things to remember is not every single pony needs a proper scrub inside and out. If a pony is in good condition, in order to prevent having to remove a head unnecessarily I often use antibacterial or baby wipes as they are great at removing dirt and any potential surface issues. If you prefer to go the route as shown in the video then I would suggest removing the head and the tail and allowing the pony to dry throughout before putting it back together. You may well find that the people wishing to buy ponies may prefer the neck seal to be in place rather than a perfectly clean pony having her head removed or being bathed in such a way that leaves water residue inside and promotes future tail rust.

Plastic does sweat and when it has been soaked like this and then not allowed to properly dry it can become a little sticky. So do you know if you allowed her to dry completely before building her backup or has moisture perhaps gathered inside and thats what has caused the dampness. Alternatively the "dampness" could well be a plasticiser leaking as LBSs says and in in which case all you can do is wipe it down with regularity as much as possible - there is no way to actually stop it.

Good luck with the pony spa I hope you manage to get a system in place which works for you

[Fortress]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I'll see if I can find the time and courage to open them up. I've turned them all upside down and I'm going to put them outside in the shade today because the weather is warm, that will hopefully make them dry faster.