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M.U.S.C.L.E. Cleaning Methods


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#51 walker13.1

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Posted 24 January 2011 - 05:49 AM

Fill Basin with warm/hot water and add some anti-bacterial washing up (dishes) liquid
Pour the MUSCLES in
Leave them for at least 24 hours
re-fill basin with warm/hot water with some more liquid - leave them for an hour..
Wash indivdually with quite firm toothbrush
Place them back in clean water with washing-up liquid again overnight
Rinse very well with cold water and lie them on a towel, fold the towel over and pat the muscles to dry them
if I have time, I leave them in the towel overnight.


That is exactly what I used to get cigarette smoke out, and it took about 1.5 weeks.

Good cleaning story by General Veers:

http://blog.uofmuscle.com/?p=8956

Edited by vette88, 24 January 2011 - 06:09 AM.

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#52 Dabeavis

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Posted 28 January 2011 - 02:58 PM

Just to chip in my tuppence worth.......

I wash each MUSCLE that arrives through my letter box (when the box is small enough) individually by using the following method:

Fill Basin with warm/hot water and add some anti-bacterial washing up (dishes) liquid
Pour the MUSCLES in
Leave them for at least 24 hours
re-fill basin with warm/hot water with some more liquid - leave them for an hour..
Wash indivdually with quite firm toothbrush
Place them back in clean water with washing-up liquid again overnight
Rinse very well with cold water and lie them on a towel, fold the towel over and pat the muscles to dry them
if I have time, I leave them in the towel overnight.


I'm going to try that out, maybe only 16 hours then rinse
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#53 gor4man

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Posted 13 February 2011 - 11:18 AM

Hey guys, I recently found a large number of muscles from my childhood. After going through them I have noticed that a large number of them have some blue marks on them. The box had muscles of various colors in them, and I think some of the blue ones might have rubbed off on the others. Is this a common problem with the colors rubbing off?
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#54 Guest_General Veers_*

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Posted 14 February 2011 - 08:01 AM

If they're all MUSCLE figures, then the blue figures did not bleed onto the other ones.

If the blue marks are only on the bottom of their feet, then it's pen or marker.

If it looks like blue specks, then it is from the 4-packs.

Anything else we'd have to see.
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#55 gor4man

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Posted 14 February 2011 - 08:17 AM

Yea, most of the marks are just little blue specks on the figures, but some are long marks down a shoulder. It doesn't look like ink at all, and I am sure I didn't mark on them when i was younger. I tried to soak them in soapy water and scrum them with a toothbrush and the marks are not really coming off.
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#56 NeonGreen

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Posted 14 February 2011 - 09:23 AM

Yea, most of the marks are just little blue specks on the figures, but some are long marks down a shoulder. It doesn't look like ink at all, and I am sure I didn't mark on them when i was younger. I tried to soak them in soapy water and scrum them with a toothbrush and the marks are not really coming off.


If the figures look "stained" or "tattooed", then those marks aren't coming out, ever. If it looks to be sitting on the surface and a toothbrush doesn't kill it, there's a good chance it's crayon. I've had several figures that have crayon scuffs/marks on them. A toothpick and several minutes of free time will usually get rid of it completely (if that is indeed what it is).
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#57 GRANDTHEFT

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Posted 15 February 2011 - 06:58 AM

If the figures look "stained" or "tattooed", then those marks aren't coming out, ever. If it looks to be sitting on the surface and a toothbrush doesn't kill it, there's a good chance it's crayon. I've had several figures that have crayon scuffs/marks on them. A toothpick and several minutes of free time will usually get rid of it completely (if that is indeed what it is).




Still sounds like it's from the Back of the 4 pack packaging , i agree a bit of time cleaning should get it off , paint scuff marks can sometimes be removed easy with a cloth and nail polish remover.

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#58 Guest_General Veers_*

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Posted 15 February 2011 - 07:20 AM


Still sounds like it's from the Back of the 4 pack packaging , i agree a bit of time cleaning should get it off , paint scuff marks can sometimes be removed easy with a cloth and nail polish remover.

Be careful with nail polish remover. It can be incredibly harsh on figures. If they are soaked in it they will be completely ruined.

I'd just use Simple Green.
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#59 Jet-Mech

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Posted 06 July 2011 - 03:44 PM

Firstly, apologies for resurrecting this thread, and secondly, apologies are due for the length of this post.

I have used hand sanitizer to remove Sharpie marks from sheet-metal and my skin. It works great if the Sharpie is fairly fresh, but not so much on the sheet-metal after a week or so. I'm not sure how it might work on 25-year-old Sharpie marks on M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, but it might be worth a try.

Furthermore, I've done some scale modeling in the past, and that has given me some experience in paint removal. My first step in removing paint from a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure would be a scrubbing with soapy water. If that removes the paint, great! The figure, in that case, was covered with water-based paint, and some elbow grease will have it completely gone.

If the water didn't remove the paint, the next step is 91% isopropyl alcohol or Simple Green. The alcohol will remove alcohol-based acrylic paint very quickly; the paint melts away, rather than flaking or lifting off. Simple Green, in its original undiluted form, is great for removing all but the most persistent enamels, and it is also non-toxic (great for those of us who have kids or pets). It can also be used for its intended purpose: cleaning. If neither Simple Green nor isopropyl alcohol removed the paint, it's onto the most drastic methods.

Warning: I have not tested the following methods, so I do not know how they will affect M.U.S.C.L.E. plastic. They also involve some nasty chemicals that require handling precautions. Use appropriate safety equipment, work in a well-ventilated area, keep away from kids and pets, and proceed at your own risk!

The more drastic methods are Westley's Bleche-Wite (used for cleaning whitewall tires), Castrol Super Clean (or equivalent), DOT 3 brake fluid, and oven cleaner. I have used oven cleaner to remove paint from model car parts. While it removed (most of) the paint, and did not adversely affect that particular plastic, I highly ill advise using it. Even the "lemon-scented," "fume-free" stuff gives off a very obnoxious odor that lingers for weeks. These methods are better tried on a test figure, if possible, and then your purple Claw, light blue 23, purple 29, green 189, etc, etc. And don't strip paint from an l.designs custom-painted figure. :yes:

If you do try the more drastic methods, I'd like to know how they worked. Hope I've been at least somewhat helpful!

Edit: I repeated the washing machine experiment with the damaged 220 seen in the last pic of this post. This time, the results were even more dismal: the figure slid under the agitator, and there was no apparent difference in before and after. So, obviously enough, the washing machine is for textiles, not M.U.S.C.L.E. figures! That 220 will be taking a trip through the dishwasher shortly, though, and he'll eventually be used as a test shot to see if the advanced paint-removal methods listed above will harm M.U.S.C.L.E. plastic.

Edit part two: Most of the rest of those figures (29 and the damaged 138 excluded) were put in a small jar with warm water and hand soap last night. The soak didn't work as well as I'd hoped (probably because I shook the jar), but most of them look much better after a scrubbing. 151, however, is ink-stained, and 223 still has what appears to be silver paint at his right elbow. For the very dirty ones, such as 110, I squirted a pump of hand soap directly on the dry figure, scrubbed, and rinsed. I've yet to take pictures, but 110's color is now much more similar to the others.'

And yet a third edit: I ran the 220 through the dishwasher last night. Yet again, the results were dismal. No change in the figure's appearance was noted. Perhaps further research is needed, but I am convinced that washing machines and dishwashers are thoroughly unsuitable for cleaning M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.

Edited by Jet-Mech, 10 July 2011 - 12:03 PM.

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#60 GRANDTHEFT

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Posted 16 July 2011 - 08:46 AM

Nice post Jet.
some interesting way's of tackling stains , I'd say Veer's would find a few of those methods interesting also , he's also got heaps documented.
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There is a very fine line between
"Hobby" & "Mental illness"
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I just want what every Muscle collector want's , MORE!
................................................................................
................

#61 Leitmotiv

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Posted 19 July 2011 - 11:23 AM

Magic Eraser for the odd dirty muscle. But not for permanent marker stains.
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#62 ChristianG

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Posted 19 July 2011 - 11:32 AM

I just use biological washing powder to clean my figures.
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#63 deathadder5150

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Posted 26 November 2011 - 03:41 PM

Toothbrush with hand soap /warm water. Makes them look fresh out the package. Keep it simple! Heavily soiled figures or pen/marker stains might be a different story.
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#64 Jet-Mech

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Posted 26 November 2011 - 07:28 PM

Heavily soiled figures or pen/marker stains might be a different story.

If a M.U.S.C.L.E. gets any sort of ink on it, it is, for all intents and purposes, ruined. Heavily soiled figures just require a soak and/or a little more elbow grease.
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#65 Jet-Mech

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Posted 17 April 2012 - 08:49 AM

My first step in removing paint from a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure would be a scrubbing with soapy water. If that removes the paint, great! The figure, in that case, was covered with water-based paint, and some elbow grease will have it completely gone.

Not necessarily, as it turns out...

I have one figure that I started to paint with Testors Model Master Acryl (a water-based acrylic), and then decided he wouldn't be painted after all. I figured some warm water and a scrubbing would see all that stuff removed, right? Wrong. While a good bit of it has come off, more remains on the figure. I am now trying a prolonged water soak in the hopes that the water will eventually start lifting off the remaining paint. If not, it's on to the Simple Green.
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Posted 04 September 2012 - 11:39 PM

SIMPLE GREEN
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#67 pylgrym

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Posted 14 September 2012 - 09:28 AM

Here are some "Tip n Tricks" for Cleaning Muscles.
We'll start with the most Safest and Basic ways first.


THANKS for the tips!

/
Now, if I could just get the COLour to change back to the original TRASH CAN PINK ....
'
pEEgEE
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#68 glass67

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Posted 14 September 2012 - 09:48 AM

Pylgrym, I just wanted to say that your avatar pic is great! I love it! After a morning of children turning on me, I needed something to put a smile on my face.
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#69 Foxman

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 02:17 PM

I just cleaned a huge sink full last night with dish/laundry soap & a toothbrush. It worked great. I got a previous lot that was REALLY dirty though and I used a mixture of oxyclean stuff (you can get a 1 gal. jug at the dollar tree for, you guessed it -- $1) and hydrogen peroxide. It's similar to the mixture that they use to remove the yellowing from old super nintendos and PC's. It also leaves them with a nice smell that is kind of similar to the "muscle smell". If you want them to have the original smell though, I found it best to just let them soak in water for a few days.

A few more chemicals that I have been thinking of experimenting with in the future are:

Polident, denture cleaner. Designed to remove the nasties from small crevices, may work good for M.U.S.C.L.E.s

Zorbx (or something similar) it's stuff that hunters use to remove the smell from their equipment. It removes everything so that even a deer can't smell it!

Suntan lotion. Someone else mentioned using conditioner to shine them. Maybe suntan lotion with a HIGH spf would replenish them the same way and also protect them from fading?

Armor All... again to replenish 25 year old rubber.

"AWSOME" again, found at Dollar Tree and many other 99 cent stores. CRAZY GOOD at cutting grease, grime... has a pleasant scent.

Cascade (or better yet, the stuff you get from the 99 CENT STORE... yes, I have been there a few times ;))
The Gel or power is UNSCENTED, highly concentrated and CHEAP. I just did a small batch a few minutes ago and it works wonders...


Anyways, a few ideas to throw out there in case anybody gets bored in the middle of a cleaning project and wants to experiment...

Edited by Foxman, 18 October 2012 - 08:43 PM.

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#70 ironoak

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 02:23 PM

I will be trying the oxyclean and peroxide technique. Thanks for sharing
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#71 GRANDTHEFT

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Posted 21 October 2012 - 06:24 AM

I just cleaned a huge sink full last night with dish/laundry soap & a toothbrush. It worked great. I got a previous lot that was REALLY dirty though and I used a mixture of oxyclean stuff (you can get a 1 gal. jug at the dollar tree for, you guessed it -- $1) and hydrogen peroxide. It's similar to the mixture that they use to remove the yellowing from old super nintendos and PC's. It also leaves them with a nice smell that is kind of similar to the "muscle smell". If you want them to have the original smell though, I found it best to just let them soak in water for a few days.

A few more chemicals that I have been thinking of experimenting with in the future are:

Polident, denture cleaner. Designed to remove the nasties from small crevices, may work good for M.U.S.C.L.E.s

Zorbx (or something similar) it's stuff that hunters use to remove the smell from their equipment. It removes everything so that even a deer can't smell it!

Suntan lotion. Someone else mentioned using conditioner to shine them. Maybe suntan lotion with a HIGH spf would replenish them the same way and also protect them from fading?

Armor All... again to replenish 25 year old rubber.

"AWSOME" again, found at Dollar Tree and many other 99 cent stores. CRAZY GOOD at cutting grease, grime... has a pleasant scent.

Cascade (or better yet, the stuff you get from the 99 CENT STORE... yes, I have been there a few times ;))
The Gel or power is UNSCENTED, highly concentrated and CHEAP. I just did a small batch a few minutes ago and it works wonders...


Anyways, a few ideas to throw out there in case anybody gets bored in the middle of a cleaning project and wants to experiment...




Awesome ideas Foxman,

i've tried the conditioner with great results .

but with all ( bleaching type )chemicals try them out on a small batch first , best to find out the hard way with 2 figures wrecked rather than 200 , and if something goes wrong with the 2 figures it'll also generate alot of interest within the community , most muscles collectors have a dark side and like to see them partly destroyed by something , so they wont have gone to waste after all.

Thanx for your input , cleaning them is a massively important to a serious collector .
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There is a very fine line between
"Hobby" & "Mental illness"
................................................................................
................
I just want what every Muscle collector want's , MORE!
................................................................................
................

#72 Foxman

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Posted 07 December 2012 - 11:18 PM

Awesome ideas Foxman,

i've tried the conditioner with great results .

but with all ( bleaching type )chemicals try them out on a small batch first , best to find out the hard way with 2 figures wrecked rather than 200 , and if something goes wrong with the 2 figures it'll also generate alot of interest within the community , most muscles collectors have a dark side and like to see them partly destroyed by something , so they wont have gone to waste after all.

Thanx for your input , cleaning them is a massively important to a serious collector .



RE: Something else that I have been wondering about on & off:

What chemicals are known to FADE figures? As in, what chems should be avoided and kept FAR away from your M.U.S.C.L.E. collection?

Maybe a new thread should be started & devoted to it?

I think everyone already knows that enough sunlight will fade/ruin them over time. Someone else mentioned in another thread about how figs that have been in swimming pools will often be faded.

So does regular Clorox type household bleach fade them? If not, does anyone know of any other stuff that does?

Edited by Foxman, 07 December 2012 - 11:19 PM.

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#73 Foxman

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Posted 07 December 2012 - 11:41 PM

Oh, and before I forget to mention it...

GO BUY SOME OF THIS STUFF!!! :

Posted Image
DAWN - Pomegranate Splash Scent dishwashing liquid.


It was posted in another thread Things that smell like MUSCLE but I thought it should be put in here too, just in case someone missed it and since this thread is all about cleaning techniques. It has been confirmed by several members that THIS STUFF SMELLS LIKE MUSCLES. It my opinion, they have an even STRONGER MUSCLE scent after being cleaned in this stuff. I put every single M.U.S.C.L.E. I own into a batch of this before I even start sorting them. After they dry, I put them into either 3 x 2", 3 x 2.5" or 3 x 3" ziplock jewelry baggies (depending on the figures size). This of course helps keep them preserved and also helps them retain the better-than-new M.U.S.C.L.E. smell.
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#74 Matlock

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Posted 15 December 2012 - 10:55 AM

Ima wash mine up. it's been about 20 years.. lol
I only got 223 pinks and a handfull of coloreds.
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Brown chicken , brown cow

#75 Muscle Things

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Posted 15 December 2012 - 01:41 PM

Ima wash mine up. it's been about 20 years.. lol
I only got 223 pinks and a handfull of coloreds.


Only! I know some of you have a whole bunch. The more the better. That's how it is with M.U.S.C.L.E. I have 112 mint muscles.. all from the four 28-Packs. I will be giving them a bath in this soap too. The muscle smell is alive and kicking! e+

Thanks for the re-link Foxman ;)

Edited by Muscle Things, 15 December 2012 - 01:42 PM.

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