The best way to clean sticky G1's?

[svleonard]

I just got a batch of G1 birthflowers in "meh" condition, and they are all slightly sticky.  I'm not sure how to clean them.  I don't want to submerse them in anything because there is a slight crack in one and some have spaces between their head and body.

What's the best way to clean these dirty girls without inviting mold?

[Elisto]

It depends why they're sticky, but in general, I just run them under water and scrub with soap or toothpaste rather than submerge them. Or you can take the heads off to let the dry. If it's leaking plasticizer though, alcohol will take it off, as will a lot of other cleaners, but it will continue to come back.

[svleonard]

I have no idea exactly why they're sticky.  I really hope it's not leaking plasticizer!  I didn't even know that could happen!  I paid about 11 dollars each for the whole set of 12.  They're certainly not mint but neither are they baity.  If I can't clean them into nice display condition then I will be very disappointed. 

I'm also afraid of using a cleaner that will remove the cutie mark.

[Elisto]

Acetone is really the main thing you'd have to worry about taking the symbols off. I always just wash them like normal first, condition and comb their hair, and see if anything seems like a worse problem after that. And depending on which ones you have, alcohol generally shouldn't harm the paint. If you want, take a look at the first link in my signature; it's a list of common cleaning supplies people have tried and how well or not they worked.

[svleonard]

Thanks Elisto!

[Elisto]

Sure! And to dry them if water does get inside and you don't want to take the heads off, position them so their tail hole is pointed down so the water can drain out (some people balance them in a bowl or similar, but I just lean them against something).

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Most likely it's plasticizer leaking.  Go ahead and take their heads off and scrub them inside and out with a dishwashing liquid like Dawn.  Elisto has great advice.

[svleonard]

How do you take their heads off without ruining the ponies?

[Elisto]

If the heads are loose or the glue seems to be weak, you should be able to just wriggle/pull them off, assuming you don't have any with some sort of internal mechanism (since you said they're all Birthflower, I assume that's not an issue). If there glue is still strong, I usually leave it unless I think there's something wrong inside. Others have been able to just use hot water to weaken the glue, and 100% acetone on something like a Q-tip works very quickly to melt the glue, but obviously you have to be careful about it not dripping onto the paint. I've also carefully cut through some glue with an exacto knife, but that's not really a good idea.

[NoPonySpecial]

  The thing with plasticizer breakdown is that it goes away eventually. You might have to wash those ponies more often, since they collect more dust, but if you're patient, then you'll notice when it gets better. After it finishes breaking down, the pony's bodies will be hard, less flexible. (But you can always run it under hot water if you need to take the head off again!)
  But it does take awhile, like maybe a year?  My Twinkles the cat has been having plasticizer breakdown for at least five years now, probably longer, and is only now just starting to feel hard. The good news is that the pony pets are completely solid plastic, not hollow like the ponies, so the ponies should finish the chemical process much faster. How long has it taken for you guys?
  I don't mind the plasticizer breakdown. Just think of the monthly cleaning as bonding time with one of your lovable ponies!

[FantasticFirefly]

I'm one of those collectors who will upgrade and re-sell any ponies I get that have had heads removed, so if you do have concerns with resale down the line, or would request a refund and return the ponies if they do not clean up as described I'd recommend testing a very gentle cleaning first that will not leave any water inside, or change condition. (There are times I do remove heads to clean. When there is clearly something wrong inside- tail rust, or black crust inside the body-rust/mold- you can tell if there are dark shadows when held to light)

This "sticky body" problem is very common with twinkle eye ponies and some of the big brothers. But I've seen it sometimes on entire lots I've bought. My favorite for sticky bodies, is a small microfibre cloth soaked in hot water with grease cutting dish liquid. Wrung out until it's nearly dry, not dripping or sopping. Then use to wipe down the body. Once the cloth is clogged rinse it out and start again. I wipe down again with a damp cloth afterward to remove any soap residue from the pony.

Some ponies who had that tacky feeling can have the problem return more quickly (an issue on one of my 4-speeds who looks like he doesn't shower). Most I've found it's been a one time thing, I cleaned the stickyness off when I got them and it never came back. Some ponies it was almost or over ten years ago since they've been cleaned. I'm thinking sometimes it can be caused by poor storage- ponies got sticky from being in a basement or attic (non climate controlled space) until they were sold to me and I cleaned them up.

[hathorcat]

The suggestions here are great and as every one says it depends whether the stickiness is dirt or plasticiser. For the former I would recommend a simple clean and baby wipes is a great cleaning tool and that should get rid of the dirt. For plasticiser break down you ll need to keep wiping down regularly until everything is leaked - be very vigilant with this on the birthflower ponies as the plasticiser or bromides could easily stain the pony. A good cleaning method in order to get surface plasticiser removed are eye make up removal pads - they are gentle but also designed to cut through greasy make up.

Personally I don't ever remove a pony head unless I think something serious is going on inside but if you do wish to do so a handy tip is dental floss dipped in acetone and then you can literally saw between the head and neck to remove the acetone.

Good luck! I hope they clean up for you.

[Elisto]

I've actually never been able to use the dental floss technique without dripping acetone way too close to the paint (and failing to get through the glue), but I've heard this suggestion a lot, so I guess I must be doing something wrong! How do you manage to hold the pony in the right position while "sawing" with the floss and not getting acetone from the floss to your hands to the rest of the pony?

[hathorcat]

Either a patient "assistant" to hold the the pony or just a gentle vice. I have a lambs wool coated vice which I simply secure the pony into - it doesn't need to be tight it just needs to be firm.

[invaderhorizongreen]

plasticizer leaking can also be managed with some talcum power that can help in the short term sense.