Most of the advice you'll find online relating to cleaning action figures tells you to use soap and water, not to rub too hard, and don't use anything caustic. That's pretty good advice if your prized Batman action figures have done nothing but sit on a shelf and occasionally be re-posed since you bought them. However, if you've been scouring garage sales and have some figures with real potential that are simply covered in layers of miscellania, you'll need something a little stronger! Today we look at the top products for serious cleaning on your Avatar, Harry Potter or Ben 10 action figures.
Rubbing alcohol
The suitability of rubbing alcohol for cleaning your action figures depends on their precise coloring formulation. Put a little rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip or cotton ball and wipe it on an extremely obscure place. If your figure has articulated joins, swivel one around and test your rubbing alcohol in the hidden part. If the paint stays intact immediately, and doesn't dry discolored, then rub away!
Rubbing alcohol is best for ink stains.
Baking soda
Another to test before you go slathering it on -- but baking soda is remarkably versatile. You can either make a weak solution for soaking, or a thicker paste to use as a scrub -- just be careful not to create swirl marks in the paint.
Effervescent Denture Tablets
Why didn't I think of that?! Denture tablets -- made specifically to remove stains and dirt without doing any damage to the underlying material. Wait til the tablets begin to bubble in a glass of warm water before you add your action figure.
Of course, there are some obvious cautions to using any of these products on action figures:
- Don't soak anything with electrical terminals
- Don't soak any figures with decals
- Rinse well after cleaning to make sure the chemicals don't have a reaction with the plastic over an extended period of time.
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