cleaningtips

**Cleaning Tips for CPKs**
and a few other kinds of toys

I decided to add a section on how I clean Cabbies I pick up from flea markets. Most of these tips can also be used on Puffalumps or other stuffed animals made of nylon or parachute materials.

I do not guarantee my tips will clean all cabbies or other animals, nor do I take any responsibility for personal injury, or for loss or damage of personal property resulting from using my techniques. If you try my methods, you try them at your own risk!!

Most of the products I use for toy cleaning are brand name products, and cannot predict whether non-brand products can duplicate their effect. However, I do not endorse, work for, nor own trademarks to any products listed here. I merely use them out of personal preference.

To remove paint from vinyl CPK heads: Use a SCOTCHBRITE sponge. Use the green scratchy side of the sponge to scrub paint from the vinyl heads. This works on house paint as well as those mysterious, white "paint-looking" smudgemarks. Also good at removing mildew spots (not pox) from the face. Careful though! You can accidently scrub off the eyebrows, eyes, and freckles of CPKs with these bad boy sponges. NOTE: using these sponges WILL leave shiny clear scuffs on the vinyl. Best used in small areas, or on desperate cabbies only!

To remove dirt and water stains from CPK bodies: Use OxiClean laundry enhancer. (You know that stuff on the info-mercials?) This stuff works great on the bodies of CPKs. Fill a sink with hot water and a dime sized drop of dish washing liquid. Let the CPK soak thoroughly, then using a fingernail brush or hard bristled toothbrush, scrub oxi-clean directly onto the dirt and/or watermarks. Rinse thoroughly. Squeeze out all excess water. Lay out a towel on the seat of a chair and stand up your CPK upright with it's face against the chair back to allow the water to drain properly. NOTE: Do NOT let water settle in the plastic heads of Cabbage Patch kids. When water is left in ANY kind of closed-off plastic container (bottles, pitchers, and the heads of CPKs) mold will grow. It's not human error, or faulty manufacturing, it's just plain old fashioned science. This mold contributes to, and can even CAUSE POX in kids made from factories that traditionally are POX free. Remember: One can spot clean watermarks off the soles of a CPKs feet. POX is forever. :(

To remove pen marks (ballpoint) from CPK heads: Oxi-clean on a scotchbrite sponge will remove ball point pen marks from vinyl in a jiffy. However! Oxi-clean is an abrasive! Using Oxi-clean and scotchbrite sponges together will leave clear scuffs on the vinyl. Use at your own risk. NOTE: Never use this method on CPK eyes, brows, or freckles. It will remove them.

UPDATE! January 13, 2003...
I have "discovered" another, less harsh cleaner that can remove ballpoint ink marks from vinyl. You've probably seen the info-mercials for OrangeGlo...well, I bought a bottle of generic brand orange oil to mop my house with, but decided one night to clean up one of my carebear pvcs with it. The pvc had the typical dark "finger smudge" dirt (looks like a coating of dust, but isn't) that can stain plastics, and it also had a large blue ink mark on it's head...which has been there for as long as I can remember. As I ran the washcloth over the ink, I was surprised that the orange oil began lifting it right off! With a little scrubbing the pvc looks like new. Even better... the orange oil did not hurt the pvc paint. Excellent product!

To remove MILDEW from CPK bodies and Puffalumps: Run kitchen sink full of HOT water and add a scoop of Oxiclean laudry booster, and let your CPK or PUFFY soak until thoroughly wet. When wet, squeeze out a generous amount of SOFTSCRUB cleanser with bleach (it will say "with bleach" on the bottle) and rub down the toy until coated with the cleanser. Allow the SoftScrub to set for about 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. If traces of mildew are still present, repeat the process until mildew is gone. Be sure to follow the same drying method as described in: To remove dirt and water stains, shown above.
*******NOTE: BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVES!!! Soft Scrub w/ bleach will eat the skin right off your fingers...voice of experience here. BUT, the plus side is that this method to get rid of mildew works MIRACLES on CPK and Puffy bodies. I have transformed several horribly mildewed toys with Soft Scrub.

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To fix cpk shoes that have gone sticky with age, put them in top rack of your dishwasher right along with your dirty dishes and run them on a medium/hot heat setting. It may take a couple of runs, but it works to take away the tacky feeling. This will also clean the shoe laces!