LEGO cleaning techniques and tools

Question

Previously I've used toothbrushes but maybe these would eventually scratch the surface? What have you used? And was it easy?

As well as cleaning, what about drying and buffing? Anyone tried polishing LEGO bricks?

Answer 1

For drying, I've used a salad spinner to remove the excess moisture:

Answer 2

LEGO recommend using a mild detergent in water to clean your bricks, or a mild bleach:

We recommend that you clean or wash your LEGO parts only by hand at max. 40°C or 104 degrees (F) Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures may affect the quality of the LEGO parts. You can add a mild detergent to the water, followed by rinsing with clear water. Please don't put your bricks in the washing machine or dishwasher or attempt to dry them in ovens, microwaves or with hair dryers. Any electrical parts, such as cables, motors, battery compartments, can only be wiped off with alcohol. Air-dry parts at room temperature. For disinfecting please use mild bleach.

Answer 3

Compressed air, commonly used for electronic equipment. Sold in cans at office and electronic stores, used to blow away dust and other small particles away. A paint brush is cheaper but can clear dust from a more localised area. It helps to have a brand new brush that has never been used.

I use compressed air and paint brushes interchangeably when taking pictures of Lego at Minifigure eye-level where dust is more prominent.

Answer 4

Put them in a pillowcase and wash them in the washer on 30 degrees celsius.

Answer 5

According to the LEGO Cutomer Service (click "Knowledge Base > How do I sanitize or wash my LEGO elements?"):

We recommend that you clean or wash your LEGO parts only by hand at max. 40°C or 104 degrees (F) Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures may affect the quality of the LEGO parts. You can add a mild detergent to the water, followed by rinsing with clear water. Please don't put your bricks in the washing machine or dishwasher or attempt to dry them in ovens, microwaves or with hair dryers. Any electrical parts, such as cables, motors, battery compartments, can only be wiped off with alcohol. Air-dry parts at room temperature. For disinfecting please use mild bleach.

So the best way to wash all your bricks at once, is to put them into a big bowl, a sink or your bathtub. Add warm water (< 40°C), soap/mild detergent and wash them by hand. Spread the bricks on a towel and let them air dry.

This should be enough to remove dust and loose dirt. For harder grime like stickers or glue-rests there alredy is another question that might also be helpful:

• pure alcohol or
• glass cleaner
• cheap hairspay (spray 2-3 seconds from very close distance and then rub of with a piece of cloth) sometimes also does a good job

Answer 6

Soak them in a bath of hot soapy water, dry as best you can, then leave open to dry thoroughly (a couple of days).

Answer 7

I use an ultrasonic cleaner, with either just water or a little washing up liquid. I have also used dishwasher tablets, but this can leave residue on the elements which kinda defeats the purpose of the exercise. I use cold water because the ultrasonic bath heats the water anyway. The benefit of the cleaner is it can clean all nooks and crannies without special tools and it does a very good job. The downside is most ultrasonic cleaners are small so you can't clean large amounts quickly..

Answer 8

Some years ago I picked up some second hand lego and duplo for the kids that was very dirty and grubby and in a general condition that you would not want your kids playing with. The best method I found was to put the items in the bathtub (With the exception of very small pieces that will disappear down the plughole - Put them in a bowl) and spray them with Cif (Jif) lemon bathroom Mouse or similar. Leave for about 10 minutes then Brush using a nylon washing up brush, nail brush or similar. You will be surprised what comes off! Then simply hose off with the showerhead. Then transfer the bricks onto a bathroom towel and dry leave to dry overnight in the airing cupboard, or drape the towel over a radiator and place the bricks on the towel.Biro pen marks can be removed by wiping with methylated spirits and a tissue. Sticky tape residue can be removed with WD40, but then the wd40 need to be remove with a detergent. Hope this helps someone!

Answer 9

I have polished Lego to restore the shine. Bite marks cannot be removed, so don't bother. Most scratches can either be removed or made much less noticable. Be careful not to be too vigourous in your polishing as the sharp, crisp clean edges of a pristine brick can easily be rounded by an over-zealous polisher. I use a simple buffing wheel w/ a felt (or is it cotton?) wheel,as well as buffing compound.

Increasingly I have done only a light polishing, as I find an overly aggressive approach only results in an unrealistic looking shine that is no longer authentic.