Looking for Tips for Cleaning/Storing Transformers

[Thylacine 2000]

My collection was cocooned in bubble wrap and stuffed inside big plastic bins for 13 years. When I was finally able to unwrap them, the fumes were very noticeable and I got so woozy that I had to leave them in a room with the doors open overnight before I could finish. Should I ever have to move again (*throws salt over shoulder, spits three times*), I'll use paper towel instead of bubble wrap. Though there's no good substitute for ziplock bags when it comes to accessories.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I've always read that you can do a light soapy water wash to remove the stickiness. But it's just a natural part of plastics. I don't know the science, but some plastics just age this way. I've even had it happen to a couple toys that were just sitting out on a shelf, not confined.

Here's a thing I just googled:

Storing Plastic Figurines

Dear Donia, How do I store plastic figurines? Q. Dear Donia, I am currently working on storing my Star Wars figurine collection. I am putting individual figurines in low-density polyethelene bags with a small hole punched out for breathing. These bags are then going to be placed in trays (to...

www.ala.org

I have a few hundred Star Wars figures that have been packed away for 10 years that I should be checking on.

Well, that's some relief, then.

My collection was cocooned in bubble wrap and stuffed inside big plastic bins for 13 years. When I was finally able to unwrap them, the fumes were very noticeable and I got so woozy that I had to leave them in a room with the doors open overnight before I could finish. Should I ever have to move again (*throws salt over shoulder, spits three times*), I'll use paper towel instead of bubble wrap. Though there's no good substitute for ziplock bags when it comes to accessories.

Hmm, guess I'll scrap the plastic bag idea, accessories aside, then.

Maybe get some more paper towels. I was thinking newspaper, but maybe not?

I'm wondering if putting some sort of holes in the lid would help...

 

[CrockAlley]

Should I ever have to move again (*throws salt over shoulder, spits three times*), I'll use paper towel instead of bubble wrap. Though there's no good substitute for ziplock bags when it comes to accessories.

I just moved across the country last summer, and now I’m going to have to move across the country again this summer. This is after living in the same city for 40+ years. ‍

I should say, I’ve always stored my stuff in zipper bags, going back to the late 90s. Just about all of my TF (everything from G1 onwards) have lived in baggies, in bins, from 2010 to 2022, in an attic that got very hot, then very cold. I’ve had no noticeable problems. Outside a couple exceptions, I haven’t experienced any stickiness or yellowing.

Going forward, I should be more careful, but I don’t want anyone thinking that their figs are going to melt to pieces from being in plastic bags for a few years.

 

[Sciflyer]

Couldn't agree more re: plastic bags, CrockAlley. I've done exactly what you've done since the 90s as well, and my figures are all as decent as they were the last time I checked on them. I've opened them plenty over the years of course, but when not being transformed or displayed, many remain in bags that I bought back then.

 

[3210Self-Destruct]

I convert them to whichever mode is more compact, usually vehicle mode. I pop them into a ziplock bag (sandwich for scouts and legends, quart for deluxe, gallon for voyagers, etc) with accessories included in a smaller bags. I’ll bundle smaller figures into a larger bag together, and place them into large plastic totes where I layer them as evenly as possible. I try and keep figures from same or similar series (movie/studio series/HFTD, siege/universe 2.0/classics, etc) in the same tote, with preferred display figures placed near the top.

For cleaning, I give them a dusting with a rag or swiffer brush. Anything such as food/grease, I use a soft-bristle toothbrush with some warm water and dish soap, sometimes vinegar if it’s particularly bad. After cleaning I pat the figure dry with a cloth or paper towel, making sure to get any crevices that may retain water, then let them air dry before packing them up.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

So... I don't have a lot of Ziplock bags around. However, what I do have is an abundance of plastic shopping bags we put aside from our groceries and such.

Is that about as good? Or should I go ahead and shell out for the bigger stuff?

Anyway, I got started earlier last night, and only quit when a headache crept up on me. I only got seven put away -- all of which I still have boxes for -- and already, the increase in room is surprising.

And that fluffy dust cloth tip was fantastic! I haven't needed anything more drastic than that so far.

 

[Sciflyer]

I would say that you are probably okay short term to use plastic shopping bags. However, if what you are after is a longer-term solution, plop down the dough and spring for the Ziploc bags.

 

[CrockAlley]

I use the plastic grocery bags for some of the bigger items. The main concerns are losing pieces because they can be easily missed in the folds of such bags, so pop off anything that might get lost and store that separate. Aside from that, it's just about preventing figs from bonking into each other and scraping paint and such, so the shopping bags are good for that.