theuncle2kHello.
Recently I have bought ITEM #2193 from the preowned section of Amiami. It was listed as a "C" item so I was expecting it not to be in its best shape.
After opening the box I was relieved to see everything seemed to be OK. It was however obvious that it was kept for a long time by a smoker.
Now, the smell is not a real problem since I can easily get rid of it, but the figure is clearly stained with a dark yellow tone.
I have already tried using soap and perseverance but they didn't do much and I'm reluctant to try solutions taylored for other materials since I don't know if they can ruin the paint or the pvc.
It was cheap, so it wouldn't be a great loss, but I treasure my figures, so I hope to find a safe way to clean it.
Does any of you have experience in cleaning smoke stains and can suggest a method to get rid of them?
UPDATE:
Thank you very much to everyone. You really helped me. Following your suggestions I managed to clean the figure.
Here is what I learnt. Remember it is a personal experience and also depends on the materials/paint of the figure.
- Soap seems not to be enough. Soaking for a whole night and scrubbing with a sponge did nothing.
- Mr. Clean magic eraser sounds like a great choice. Unfortunately I couldn't try it since the most affected part was the face and the hair made it difficult to clean it evenly.
- vinegar and lemon juice worked better. This method, requires patience, but if you don't want to take risks it seems a good choice to me. I tried with a fairly concetrated mix with 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 lemon juice and 1/2 water, a night of soaking and a fair amount of good scrubbing with a sponge. It also removed the smell of smoke.
Some of you suggested stronger methods like acetone. In my case the yellowing was diffuse but it was not a thick layer, so I didn't need to try them. I will however keep that in mind for the future.
Recently I have bought ITEM #2193 from the preowned section of Amiami. It was listed as a "C" item so I was expecting it not to be in its best shape.
After opening the box I was relieved to see everything seemed to be OK. It was however obvious that it was kept for a long time by a smoker.
Now, the smell is not a real problem since I can easily get rid of it, but the figure is clearly stained with a dark yellow tone.
I have already tried using soap and perseverance but they didn't do much and I'm reluctant to try solutions taylored for other materials since I don't know if they can ruin the paint or the pvc.
It was cheap, so it wouldn't be a great loss, but I treasure my figures, so I hope to find a safe way to clean it.
Does any of you have experience in cleaning smoke stains and can suggest a method to get rid of them?
UPDATE:
Thank you very much to everyone. You really helped me. Following your suggestions I managed to clean the figure.
Here is what I learnt. Remember it is a personal experience and also depends on the materials/paint of the figure.
- Soap seems not to be enough. Soaking for a whole night and scrubbing with a sponge did nothing.
- Mr. Clean magic eraser sounds like a great choice. Unfortunately I couldn't try it since the most affected part was the face and the hair made it difficult to clean it evenly.
- vinegar and lemon juice worked better. This method, requires patience, but if you don't want to take risks it seems a good choice to me. I tried with a fairly concetrated mix with 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 lemon juice and 1/2 water, a night of soaking and a fair amount of good scrubbing with a sponge. It also removed the smell of smoke.
Some of you suggested stronger methods like acetone. In my case the yellowing was diffuse but it was not a thick layer, so I didn't need to try them. I will however keep that in mind for the future.
留言14
Thank you!
Needless to say, I'm glad that the more natural and gentler methods (lemon juice and vinegar) worked to remove the cigarette stains and smell--of course it required some elbow grease but hey, your figure is safe (she's a cutie, by the way--one of my favorite characters from Yotsuba to! manga).
I'm also keeping your blog post in my favorites in case something like this happens to me (hopefully not) in the future. ^_^
Updated. I hope it helps.
Steffykin • 10年前 • #1264424You could try Mr. clean magic eraser, that usually removes marks and paint stains on regular figures, even has removed some defects on figures for me... For cleaning a whole figure? I'm not sure, but you could try.
I tried but then decided to move to soaking methods because the bangs were in the way when I was cleaning the head...
Ebi-nemu • 10年前 • #1264438Well... I think some warm water mixed with white vinegar and lemon juice should do the trick?
My answer was found here: uk.answers.yaho...
Thank you very much! It required a bit of effort (read: a lot of scrubbing) but your suggestion worked without being aggressive on the paint.
Rodimus1138 • 10年前 • #1264944Oh damn sorry then, that link is just my general response whenever I see the words yellowed plastic
No need to worry. It still is interesting to know.
Orannis • 10年前 • #1264983Your best bet is probably acetone (nail polish remover). If the staining is on the skin you can pretty much just go at it, but if it's on the painted parts, be VERY careful, and make sure to rinse it well with water when you're done, otherwise it will eat through the paint.
I didn't have any acetone at home to try it out but I'll keep it in mind for the future. It sounds as a pretty strong solution that requires some attention, but some stains might need it.
Danci • 10年前 • #1265374This is completely unrelated but when I got my Ena from the Amiami pre-owned section she came with a centipede in the box >.< Guess this figure is jinxed haha
:D xxx
Really? O_O I always admired international-travelling bugs (it must be tough for them ;) ), but still it should have been a nasty surprise.
The figure might be jinxed, but it's so cute I don't regret the purchase.
:D xxx
Alcohol will strip off the finish. It might be acceptable depending on the figure.
Oh damn sorry then, that link is just my general response whenever I see the words yellowed plastic
Alcohol will strip off the finish. It might be acceptable depending on the figure.
heroicdeceptico...
My answer was found here: uk.answers.yaho...