Damage Boiling LEGO Bricks

Question

I bought some LEGO bricks from shop on Bricklink and received them yesterday. In order to make sure that the pieces were nice and clean (they were used) so that my two year old can play with them, I boiled them for a minute first. I've done this several times before and never had any problems, however this time, I think I had some pieces warp significantly and I think one was discolored (black piece that turned half white). They warped so bad that I had to throw some of them some away.

I've seen people on this forum talk about boiling LEGO bricks before and I've personally done it before without problems. Was this just a fluke or did I boil too long (maybe 2 min max)?

Answer 1

The boiling temperature of water is 212 Fahrenheit (100 Celsius). The melting point of ABS plastic (the material LEGO is made of) is 176 Fahrenheit (80 Celsius). Therefore LEGO should NEVER be put in water that reaches boiling point or anywhere close to it.

If you want to clean your LEGO, the best way is to just put it in a tub with luke-warm water and a mild soap. Let is soak overnight, then rinse it off with clean water. Here are some further references you can use:

http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/cleaning-dirty-lego/ and http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/cleaning-dusty-lego/

Answer 2

I can also suggest putting them in a solution of vinegar mixed with water. Its excellent at killing germs and cleaning the legos. See more on vinegar in cleaning here: http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html