Ponies that just don't want to be restored.

[Rachel-Eyes]

I met my pony friend last year by asking her to hold some fakies for me at the MLP Fair and there were a few Tara babies that really needed some TLC. Most of them have been cleaned and are now happily residing with the rest of my fakie collection, except for one- this poor girl was CAKED in mold. Like, it looks like she actually bathed in the stuff. It might not even be mold but dirt, as if maybe she was buried. But whatever it is, I can't seem to get it off of her! I could even see it in the pictures and I thought "bring it on" because I love cleaning and restoring. But one year of scrubbing later, the pony just refuses to be clean. There is still dirt in her ears and mouth, and on the inside of her head. The worst of it is in her legs and there's a big patch around her butt that just won't come off. I've tried everything. I let some nail polish remover sit inside of her. Nothing. Last night I tried a 24-hour soak. Nothing. Every now and then, some little particles will come off, but nothing major. I think this poor pony actually likes living in my bait drawer!

Then there's my poor Peach Blossom... as I was removing her head, I accidentally ripped the plastic right into her hair plug! And now I have no idea how to fix her.

I have another fakie, one of those flocked hollow girls that tends to show up at Wal Mart around Easter-time. I was brushing her hair a little too hard and some of her scalp started to rip off. (Keep in mind that these girls are haired with a seam rather than having rooted holes, and their heads and bodies are one piece of plastic.) "No worries," I thought, "I'll just glue it back down onto her body! Well, yesterday, the glue dribbled, and now she has this big stream of glue running down her side! I have no idea how to fix her.

And not ponies, but I have a My Magic Kissing Dragon that is also full of mold, but I can't figure out how to get her head off! I've only ever gotten it to come out through the holes on her feet. Which really is a shame, because MMKDs are really cute and I was excited to finally own one. I think I might have had one in childhood with the same problem actually... it seems that if I did, then my mom threw it out for the same reason.

So tell me about your, uh, cleaning woes. I've had most of these for at least a year, and I feel so terrible for them because I've never been able to get them fixed.

But at least I get 5 stars for bothering to fix up not one, but two fakies... right? 

[SeashellnBubbles]

Yay, you, taking on Cakey Fakies when I'm faced with the slime mold gone hard (it comes off in flakey sheets?) I use a savage-hit Oxi bath! Bubbles the crud right off her I've also used peroxide to bubble pindot out of a Beautiful Gusty...she was bright white afterward!
But I have one pony that I just can't do anything for...
Poor Majesty has such a bad head/body mismatch, it's scary. She looks like I mooshed 2 different ponies together! Her white streak is stained almost black with...something. But i can't bring myself to just sell her as bait. She was the first Majesty and the first G1 I found in the wild, and i still get that feeling I had when i look at her, same as I felt when I saw her white butt and stubby tail poking out of a tub of toys! She was the only pony in the pile, though, and the only one i found that day. I love her to bits just as she is

[Summer-blade]

ugh feel your pain. I have two so soft G1s that I have been trying to deflock for near a year now.

I have done hot water and scrubbing
I have run them through the dishwasher twice
I have run them through the clothes washer three times

Trurly still has a filmy sticky coating and Twist still has flocking
I broke down and bought acetone yesterday so we're gonna go the chemical route 

[Rachel-Eyes]

Cakey fakies! I love it!

Yes, it will occasionally come off in sheets (and I have cleaned ponies with that problem before), but this stuff is stuck on there good and tight! I even scraped at it with a paper clip, but still nothing.

I've never tried Oxy on my ponies before, but have always thought about trying... Tara ponies have a pearly sheen, so I'm wondering if those chemicals would damage it? The only chemicals that I've exposed to her so far have been Dawn brand dishsoap and nail polish remover.

There is icky stuff in her hair plugs, so I think I'm going to rehair too. Well, I wanted a challenge and I got one!

I wonder how that clothes washer thing would work, as you said, Summer...

[Summer-blade]

Cakey fakies! I love it!

Yes, it will occasionally come off in sheets (and I have cleaned ponies with that problem before), but this stuff is stuck on there good and tight! I even scraped at it with a paper clip, but still nothing.

I've never tried Oxy on my ponies before, but have always thought about trying... Tara ponies have a pearly sheen, so I'm wondering if those chemicals would damage it? The only chemicals that I've exposed to her so far have been Dawn brand dishsoap and nail polish remover.

There is icky stuff in her hair plugs, so I think I'm going to rehair too. Well, I wanted a challenge and I got one!

I wonder how that clothes washer thing would work, as you said, Summer...

It's supposed to work with Oxy clean

[rybett]

Yup, filthy pony in the washer with some Oxy.  The first time one jumped in with a load of clothes so she had the friction thing going as well.  Have used the dishwasher as well, but never with an Oxy product.  Adds to shopping list...

[Rachel-Eyes]

So like, should I tie it in a sock or something to cushion the impact? I usually tie plushies inside of a pillow case for that same reason.

[SeashellnBubbles]

You can, but it would limit the Oxy product's effectiveness. I'd pop her in scalding hot water in a glass mason jar, a small scoop of Oxi, put the lid on and make yourself a pony-tini...shake the hell outta that thing good and long make sure you use grippy oven gloves, though to keep from being burned and to keep the thing flying out of your grip. Shake it for as long as you can, then let it sit a few hours. It'll be more gentle on her than the washing machine, though I'd try that if you do the Pony-tini a few times and it doesn't seem to be working. Oh! And give us some pics! We skanky fix-em-up before and after photos!!

[Whippycorn]

Yep. I have a Ribbon whose flocking will not come off. No amount scrubbing with boiling water, oxyclean, sugar soap or acetone seems to help. The glue is just hard and stuck (and weirdly yellow). I know it's not me because I have successfully deflocked two ponies before.

I also have a Snuzzle with pindot, I managed to get about 80% of it but she still has a bad case. The dirt seems to have merged with her plastic or something!

[MoondancerMilkyWay]

I have a blossom who acquired some pindot and a birth flower Nov who has seen better days and needs a good boil. is there a chemical reaction if i wanted to mix oxy with peroxide in boiling water?

[hathorcat]

I have had a few so softs over the years who even though they were missing most of their flocking were determined to hang on to the rest of what they had. I remember a Ribbon that I finally gave up with She is still sitting in my bait box lol - poor little soul has been there for a couple of years now.