Now that you a have the finest figure collection and proud of it. I want to share with you some tips on how to look after your figures?
**** Protecting Your Figures ****
There are several measures you should take in order to protect your figures, especially your loose figures, to ensure they stay in as mint or pristine condition as possible.
• Avoid handling them
Your hands and fingers have a lot of natural greases and oils which maybe good for your skin but are unfortunately far from healthy for your figures.
These oils and greases will cause your figure to yellow and spot if handled too often. When, or if, you have to handle them use gloves or a cloth if possible or pick them up using the shell of a carded figure or the base.
In other words use as little direct contact with your figure as possible.
• Avoid direct sunlight
The amount of direct sunlight your action figures are exposed to is a very important factor in deciding where to store them. Direct exposure to the suns UV rays will cause your figures to discolour, fade, spot, bubble and the plastic will become brittle and dry making them very fragile and easy to break.
• Avoid high and low temperature
The temperature of the room or cupboard where you store is also important for similar reasons, if the air is too cold your figures will become brittle and if it’s too hot they will become warped and disfigured.
• Avoid humidity
If you store your figures somewhere with a high humidity, i.e. with a lot of moisture, they will rot and corrode but on the other hand too little humidity can cause dry rot and cracking as well as causing the rubber to rot.
**** When did you last clean your figures? ****
Um..er..um..can't remember...not sure...never...
It often surprises me how few people, even among veteran collectors, can give me a straight answer to this very simple, yet important question.
After all the hard earnt money spent on them...
many collectors have NEVER cleaned their figures!
But...
I'm sure you have, haven't you ;-)
I don't want to dwell on this too much but...
Think about it for a moment, would you leave your car unwashed for years? or your kitchen, work desk, or even chair?
No?
So why neglect your figures?
After all the time and money you've spent on them.
For most the thought just never occurs.
Yet cleaning them is a relatively simple and quick process, especially if done regularly.
My advice, especially if you have a large collection, is to rotate your Figures about every two months. By doing this you can take down and clean the ones you've had on display and change them for new fresh clean figures.
But...
• Getting Rid of Surface Dust
If your figure only has a thin layer of regular household dust the easiest way to clean it is to use the canned air that you can purchase for cleaning computers (an old airbrush will do the job too).
Canned air works best to clear dust away from the tiny cracks and spots which dusting cloths can't reach.
If carefully administered, canned air can blow away dust without harming figures. Be careful as to how much you use in one area and how close you are to the figure.
You could also use feather dusters, but I would recommend it as generally they are too big to use on your average figure.
A better alternative would be to use regular dusting cloths or electrostatic dusters which you can find in most household stores or in the household cleaning section of your local supermarket or Walmart.
• Removing Stubborn Stains
For your more stubborn stains, dirt or grease marks soaking in warm water is the best solution. But DON’T use hot or boiling water, this will damage your figure and any sticker or decals on it will come off.
One of the best “cleaning” products to use with warm water is the effervescent denture tablets.
Add one or two of the effervescent tablets to the bowl or glass of warm water and when the tablets begin to bubble add your figure. The bubbles act to “scrub” the figure clean.
When the tablets have finished bubbling remove your figure from the water and gently wipe it dry with a soft cloth to remove any excess dirt.
But if you haven’t got any effervescent denture tablets available then normal household dish washing liquid will do. It is best to leave your figure to soak for a few hours if using this method.
For the more difficult stains or harder to reach places on your figure you can use a soft bristled toothbrush or cotton buds to gently “rub” the surface of your figure to remove any remaining dust or dirt.
• Cleaning
Dry clean of your figures is ideal if they have stickers, decals, electric wiring or batteries.
All you need is an empty jar or small bowl (a dessert bowl is ideal) with some warm, soapy water, a soft haired toothbrush, cotton buds and pipe cleaners and a small soft sponge.
Start by lightly, and I do mean LIGHTLY, soaking your sponge in the warm water, make sure you wring off any excess, then carefully wipe (NOT scrub) your figure with the sponge, being careful to avoid any areas with stickers, decals or electrical parts.
For the smaller or more difficult to reach areas use the cotton buds, they are excellent for this. The pipe cleaners are ideal for getting into more difficult or otherwise inaccessible places such as the inside of a gun barrel or tubes.
The toothbrush is good for general cleaning purposes and getting rid of the more stubborn stains but be careful not to “scrub” your figures, make only use a soft haired brush or you risk damaging them. Use a gentle brushing movement from side to side.
If the stickers and decals need cleaning use a very slightly damp cotton bud or cloth and gently “dab” them to remove any dust or dirt then dry them immediately afterwards.
If your figure has ink stains these can be removed by using isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) carefully applied to the area BUT always make sure you rinse off the alcohol afterwards.
• Using Chemicals
Be very careful when using any form of chemicals on your figures as certain plastics will melt, bubble, or blister with the use of some chemicals.
If in doubt, seek advice or just use warm soapy water. If your figure has had candle wax spilt on it this can be removed by freezing the figure for half an hour, or by using a small amount of lighter fluid on it. But again, ensure you rinse it off afterwards.
********************************************* WARNING! *********************************************
One of the biggest problems, and most common, among collectors is damage caused by the UV rays from direct sunlight. This can be disastrous for your figures as it will cause them to become discolored, brittle and cracked.
Even if your figures are still carded there is still the danger of them getting damaged and the carding will also become discolored as well as the plastic shell becoming brittle.
If your display cabinet is in a position that gets direct sunlight in the mornings. The best thing you could do would be drawing the curtains or buy UV filter adhesive that you can stick on the glass.
***************************************************************************************************
I hope that this article will help your figures collection lasts for a long time.
Happy collecting Otaku!
Posted on 2008/05/18 06:35
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
uni student
登録日: 2007/11/10 18:19
this is very helpful, thx
Meimi132 in Back end of nowhere, aka Norfolk, England
Student and Mcdonalds Grease monkey.
登録日: 2007/12/04 04:17
Thats a very good guide. :nods:
Mine have never been in direct sunlight I'm glad to say. But can normal light bulb-light do any damage when being expose long term? If anything I would guess they might yellow in colour.
Observer
登録日: 2007/12/28 21:40
According to wikipedia, fluorescent lamps' fluorescent coating absorbs any UV light produced, and re-radiates it to visible light.
And I assume that regular incandescents don't produce any UV light. They produce heat more than anything.
So I think figures are safe with normal indoor lighting. Keep them away from UV "black lights."
I have most of my figures still in their boxes (98%?) stored in a closet... For the lone figure on my shelf, I use a small unused paintbrush. I'm lacking all the pressured air cans and specialized dusters >_>
Poor College Student
登録日: 2008/03/14 09:02
does this work for metal figures?
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
If there is some rusting around metal parts, often just a little alcohol will clean that up.
student
登録日: 2008/01/09 00:24
One of the most useful posts I've read here in a while.
I thought about dedusting my figures for a while now but I was unsure about the right (=non-destructive) method to use. I thought about using a soft brush but it's good to read about these adequate methods.
Anyway, this guide is very helpful.
Imperial Guard
登録日: 2007/08/18 06:30
These are good advise, I see tricks that don`t know... I spend much of my free time cleaning my figures(actually have around 200), and usually use wet soft cloth and sponge as said in the articule, and with resin kit and garages, use a wet pencil, and much careful is also important ^-^!
Student, Programmer?
登録日: 2008/01/24 13:34
This post came at the best possibly time for me just when I was thinking it's time to give my figures a nice cleaning. Thanks for this helpful post.
IT Client Support
登録日: 2007/09/12 21:33
Light dusting and using my airbrush to blow away dist is pretty much all I can do to clean my figures. Using fluids can and will end up damaging the paintwork.
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
Good idea using your airbrush instead of canned air;-)
dannychoo.com no aidokusha
登録日: 2007/12/25 23:02
i like to use a soft baking brush to dust my figures
merchant
登録日: 2008/05/13 01:10
Are you sure I can use a brush and warm water? the paint will not be damage by doing this? one of my figures have a grease mark and I dont know what to do. Thanks nice article.
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
Remember don't use HOT water.
National Servicemen
登録日: 2008/01/19 21:34
That's dedication to one's hobby....
I think i should be worried that my display cabinet is right next to the window...
and i can't move it as there is no more space in the room, and that the cabinet is fixed to the wall with a bracket.
Student by day, Superhero by night.
登録日: 2008/05/04 13:52
I'm facing the same problem too. My display cabinet is in a position that gets direct sunlight in the mornings. The best thing I could do would be drawing the curtains/closing the door. :/
Writer/Academic/Code Monkey
登録日: 2007/01/03 12:07
Do NOT use canned air. They're too high pressure and will damage your Figures in the long term. Instead go to you local record store and pick up a hand puffer (like a rubber bulb with a spout for air to come out when you squeeze it), after all record collectors are almost as fanatical about keeping their records clean as we are with our figures.
Avoid using dusters where possible, again these will damage your figures!
Writer/Academic/Code Monkey
登録日: 2007/01/03 12:07
Oh I forgot, you can buy UV filter adhesive that you can stick on glass if your display case is close to a window. They go on like contact paper.
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
Compressed air works best to clear dust away from the tiny cracks and spots which dusting cloths can't reach.
If carefully administered, compressed air can blow away dust without harming figures. Be careful as to how much you use in one area and how close you are to the figure.
Internship student
登録日: 2007/05/12 03:11
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
I cleaned my figures last night:-)
Student
登録日: 2007/08/09 05:36
This is actually a great guide! All of the suggestions, they look like great help.
Thanks man, you sir know how to keep your figures happy!
Deathseeker
登録日: 2007/12/24 09:20
Great guide guess I just have to get down to cleaning more regularly.
Pokemon Trainer
登録日: 2008/05/15 07:39
Thanks for the advise, I have a pretty small collection but I actually really like cleaning them.
Animation Student
登録日: 2008/03/10 13:26
Thanks for the useful advice!
Optic in Sydney, Australia
IT Desktop Support
登録日: 2008/05/18 10:35
I like your rotation idea. Now I can remember which figure I cleaned and which I haven't.
Thanks for the tips.
zephi in Sydney, Australia
student
登録日: 2008/04/27 02:15
I see in the picture you've got a "Go-Duster". I was so tempted to purchase one of those to clean my figures and other stuff around the house.
I can picture that being a really effective, no contact required method of removing household dust.
I currently remove dust using those dust magnet cloths.
Admin
登録日: 2008/05/18 20:28
That's quite a bunch of helpful tips.
Despite my best efforts, dust seeps in from tiny openings in my glass cabinet.
I guess I'll practice your tips on some not-so-expensive figurines first.
Engineer
登録日: 2008/02/18 10:35
Good idea to clean your not-so-expensive figures first:-)
Otaku Webmaster
登録日: 2006/12/28 21:51
Great advices you got us ! I have many exposed to dust figures and I do a roll with the ones in cabinet, but dust is still a problem. I use canned air and little brushes to clean, and I was afraid to bath them but now I will think about it ^^
Om nom nom
登録日: 2008/05/17 14:05
Those are some really useful cleaning tips.
I'll definitely be trying some of them out next time I clean my collection :D
Thanks for such a great contribution.
Evil King in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, Earth
Student and full-time otaku
登録日: 2007/12/19 00:24
Nice post, thnx a lot, I'll definetely use it. Luckily, I dust them about every month and I already had a hunch about the UV, so that's kudos to me I guess ^^
Student, Otaku, Goddess of the Blue Star
登録日: 2008/06/17 23:36
thanx! really useful stuff on here. will use these tips.
