Hello everyone! My name is Hou-san, one of the 2016 newcomers to GSC!!
Recently I’ve had a lot more opportunities to head outside with Nendoroids and take photos! Heading out the house and posing figures to take photos with the beautiful scenery outside can be very rewarding and a lot of fun!
The problem is… when you play around with figures outside it is much easier for them to get dirty!! Today I’m going to be taking a look at some simple techniques you can use to keep your Nendoroids and other figures clean!
What should you do when your previous Nendoroids end up like this?!
Today I’m going to be taking a look at a couple of possible methods to try when trying to clean dirt marks and stickiness from your figures!
Please note that this blog is simply introducing a few possible methods to clean figures! If you choose to make use of these methods you do so at your own risk!
· Using an Air Duster (Compressed Air)
· Using a Rubber Eraser
· Using a Copic Modeler #0 (Colorless Blender)
· Using a Neutral Detergent
· Using Scouring Cream
★ Using an Air Duster
When you want to try and clean away unwanted dust and dirt from a figure, air dusters are ideal for a quick, easy and safe clean! You can even get to those rather hard to each areas if the air duster has a extension piece!
★ Using a Rubber Eraser
Rubber erasers are a great way to clear away dirty marks from areas that are not painted. This is just a standard pencil eraser – simply rub away on the dirt and it will often clear it up nicely. This method is not recommended on areas that are painted, as it may rub the paint off the figure!
★ Using a Copic Modeler #0
https://imaginationinternationalinc.com/copic/101/colorless-blender/
There are a lot of marks that can be removed from figures by making use of a ‘Colorless Blender’ like the Copic Modeler #0!
You can touch up the figure with the pen directly, or if you want to be a little more accurate you can put some of the colorless blender on a cotton swab and then make use of that!
This will also clear away dirt on painted areas, but you run the risk of pulling the paint off together with the dirt, so once again this method is best for unpainted areas of figures!
▲ Nendoroid Kazuki Kazami
The above methods deal with general dust and dirt… but another common problem with figures is that once they have been in your collection for awhile they tend to become kind of sticky! What can we do about that?
★ Using a Neutral Detergent
Also see this previous blog written by Mikatan-sensei for a more in-depth look: Dealing with Stickiness on Figures!
The material figures are made from unfortunately do over time become a little sticky to the touch. What exactly causes this stickiness?
▲ A face plate with a bit of a sticky composition.
This stickiness is caused by the plasticizing agent that is is used in the materials of the figure. This plasticizer is added to the PVC (the main material used in figures) in order to make it softer – the more mixed in with the PVC, the softer and more flexible it becomes.
However, over time this plasticizing agent vaporizes and then sticks to the surface of the figure which creates a sticky layer! This stickiness occurs much faster when the plasticizing agent has nowhere to go – such as when you store a figure in the blister packaging and not out in the open.
The best way to clean this stickiness is with a neutral detergent! In most cases the standard dish-washing soap you use at home will do the trick!
Don’t use a sponge – the rough surface may cause unwanted scratches and damage to the figure! Simply gently clean the figure with your hands and the washing liquid!
After gently rubbing the figure clean, dry the figure with a soft cloth! Try to avoid tissues or paper towel as in the case there is still some stickiness remaining the tissue can get stuck to the figure and cause some unwanted problems! If after this the figure is still sticky, try soaking it in the same neutral detergent for a few hours and then cleaning it once again – this will normally get most figures free from stickiness!
★ Using Scouring Cream
If all else fails and you really want to get rid of the stickiness, this is your best bet! Scouring cream or liquid is a weak alkaline cleaning agent that contains abrasives such as silica minerals to clean tableware and metalware. It is very effective at removing the stickiness from figures!
However, as the name suggests there are abrasives in scouring cream which can very easily damage your figures as you are trying to clean them. Glossy parts on figures may also lose their shiny appearance after the use of scouring cream so always be careful! It’s best to first test on an area that can’t be seen too easily just in case! (Also do not try to use scouring powder, as it will almost always do more harm than good!)
Anyway, that is all for today’s figure cleaning hints! I hope this blog has been of use to somebody!! (^o^)