How do I clean my sprites best?

[Buddy Blue]

Hi,
maybe someone can help me out:

Is there any way to make "old" fur of the sprites (or of other toys like popples) look better and newer again?


What are your experiences in cleaning and/or restoring your RB-Toys?



I attached a picture, so you can see what I mean. The scan isn´t very good, but I guess it shows the problem: I want to make the fur on the left to look again like the one on the right. Is this possible?

[KittyBrite]

Have you tried just brushing the fur?

KittyBrite

[Buddy Blue]

Yes, I did, but it only helps very little :(

[Rainbow Brite]

You can wash them in the washing machine. Just be sure to tie it up in a pillow case so the plastic nose isn't hitting up against the side of the washer. And DO NOT PUT IT IN THE DRIER!! Good luck

[Buddy Blue]

Okay, I will try that (I was a bit affraid if the washing machine would rather kill than clean the little fur-ball, but I guess I´ll trust you and try it :)

[Watercolor]

Well, here are some rules I follow with just about any toys I have.

1: Put your figure in a pillow case (Not the end so it doesn't fall out)
2: Wash in COLD water. The fur may mat or even melt if too hot
3: Do NOT use a dryer to dry. This DOES cause the fur to mat or melt.
4: While still wet take a hair pick or wide toothed brush and pull put the fur carefully. Don't be too hard or you can pull the fur out and you get bald spots.

Hope this helps.

[WishBear2001]

Thanks Buddy Blue, I was about to ask the same thing about my sprite.
I always clean my PlayAlong Care Bears as they have said to clean sprites.

[Buddy Blue]

Well, I had him in the washing machine, but after that, he looked exactly the same as before (he didn´t even get very wet in there, like the fur doesn´t soak the water or something).


The good thing is: After that, I brushed him and it worked a bit better than on the unwashed fur, but after a while I was tired of brushing (and I was feeling kind of stupid, like "what if someone comes in and sees me, brushing a plush-sprite - my brother by the way once saw me cleaning she-ra dolls which I just bought and he´s still a bit confused about that :)) and so I stoped, but I guess if you brush him veeeery long (and careful, ´cause he loses hair while doing that), you will get him to look newer again.



I wish there would be an easier way without all that brushing and brushing and brushing :)



Well, If I get She-Ra Figures from Ebay which have bad hair, I figured out that normal hair-conditioner works very well on them (makes the hair easier to brush and makes it shine again) - maybe I´ll try this out on a Sprite, maybe it makes him easier brusheable too (by the way, does a word like brusheable even exist?)

[Tom-sprite]

Two of my big sprites were very ruffled ...
I washed them by hand ... used a mild fabric softener and wrung them out carefully ... then I waited till they were dry ... finally I brushed them quite a while ...
honestly they look as new ! ;-)