Cleaning My Little Ponies

First of all, most of the people who have found this page probably know what MLPs are. But, just in case a newcomer has managed to find this hub, i think I should provide a little background information.

My Little Pony is a brand of plastic pony toys. MLPs were originally made by Hasbro between 1982 and 1992. There were many kinds of ponies: some made here in the US and some madee outside the US in places like the UK. Some of the MLPs sold were identical in both the US and other countries, but some were not. Later MLPs were reintroduced and now they are a popular toy and collectors item.

First, I would just like to make this little disclaimer: this is what works for me. It may not work for everyone and people may do things differently. That's fine: use whatever you feel most comfortable with. This info is here just in case anyone wants to know!

Regular Ponies (Non So Softs)

The first thing we do is try to get an idea of what needs to be done. Without assessing the damage first, we do a lot of unnecessary work.

For simple cleaning (when the pony is simply dirty and gently played with) I use non acetone nail polish remover. Soap and water work, but I find that it doesn't get the pony clean enough for me (I am really nitpick about clean!) Stay away from the symbols, though, it will remove them! (trust me, I've had experience with this ...) Cotton balls can be used for large areas, but Q-Tips work best in small areas. Also be careful with the Beddy Bye Eye Babies: try to keep any liquids out of their eyes because of the risk of rusting.

For hair, I use a small amount of shampoo, then conditioner. I usually let the conditioner sit in the hair for a couple of minutes (or however long it takes us to get through the bunch). If a pony's hair is really frizzy, use a tiny bit of gel.

For sticky messes, both Goo-Gone and nail polish remover work. Again, stay away from symbols. I haven't really had any luck with Goo-Gone for any other messes.

I don't have any recommendations for markers or any difficult marks. If you know of anything, post in the comments.

So Soft Ponies:

Here is where I really use soap and water. I gently scrub the pony's body with a soft toothbrush dipped in soap and water. This helps get dirt out and any lint that may be stuck in the fuzz. In the case of white so softs, I have used a very small amount of nail polish remover to remove extremely stubborn marks. I haven't been courageous enough to use a large amount or on colored ponies, though. I try to be really careful with the so softs, because I'm not sure just how delicate the fuzz is.

For the hair, I use the same method as for the regular ponies.