Cleaning Collectible Mohair Plush & Other Amazing Household/Collector Tips!
1) To Clean Collectible / Vintage Mohair Plush or Surface Wash Only Plush Animals:
Check the animal's seam tag. If it says "machine washable", and if there are no paper tags, or ribbons, you should be okay to machine wash in a net lingerie bag on gentle but do NOT put it in the clothes dryer. Air dry only.
If it says SURFACE washable only, or if your animal is mohair plush then you should take these steps on cleaning - (NEVER get excelsior/wood wool or foam chip stuffing wet):
1) Vacuum animal for surface dust. Use an old nylon over the nozzle so you don't suck in any eyes or ribbons or buttons.
2) Use a laundry detergent cleanser like ZERO or WOOLITE (detergent for delicates/babies that is phosphate, enzyme & bleach FREE). Add a small amount to a bowl of tepid/cool water. Make suds with your hand or a mechanical frother/whisk gadget. Fill another bowl with just clear tepid/cool water. Neither should be HOT.
3) Using a clean white cloth or facecloth, scoop up ONLY the suds. Gently rub into the plush in several directions (circles & back & forth) and you'll see the dirt come off on the cloth! Keep moving cloth to a clean spot as you move over the animal so you do not reapply any removed dirt.
4) Using another clean dry cloth, dip a corner into the clear water and wring/squeeze well so it's just damp, and gently wipe over your animal to remove any soap residue.
5) Allow to air dry overnight.
6) When dry, gently fluff with your fingers or a baby brush. If your animal is mohair, you can use a metal cat flea comb to gently comb out the plush to raise any matted areas.
An as yet unidentified cotton plush vintage teddy bear "before & after" pictures.
Fresh and Clean!
Before Steiff Zotty Teddy Bear
After Steiff Zotty Bear
Before Steiff Bully Bulldog
After Steiff Bully Bulldog
OTHER TIPS & TRICKS:
2) How to Remove Mineral Stains/Marks from Vases & Planters
If you have a ceramic or glass planter, pot or vase that has scum, mineral deposits or other staining inside, fill with tepid water and drop in 1 to 2 denture cleanser tablets & let sit overnight.
In the morning, take an old toothbrush & gently rub over inner side surfaces that you can reach. Drain the water, and flush with fresh tap water.
Most stains & deposits will be miraculously removed! If any remain, try a second treatment & concentrate on the worst areas with the toothbrush the next morning.
This method can revitalize old vintage planters or vases that you may otherwise have given up on!
A vintage Rabbit Cache Planter that is as good as new after the denture cleanser treatment!
3) How to Unstick old envelopes
If you collect vintage greeting cards/envelopes, or if you have some aged envelopes that have become sealed or partially sealed "by accident", place the envelope in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Remove from the freezer, and using a thin nailfile, carefully run the file under the flap and your envelope will become miraculously unsealed!
Many folks collect vintage Greeting Cards! If they come with envelopes, you can unstick the envelopes and USE them for your holiday mailings!
4) Remove rust from uncoated Cast Iron pan
One of the most popular cooking surfaces, a seasoned cast iron skillet! Sometimes, we inadvertently leave it in water or neglect to wipe it properly after washing so that rust (oxidization) may occur. Scour off the rust with a nylon brush, hot water and a little salt (a natural abrasive). If the rust is stubborn, steel wool may be called for. After drying, lightly coat the pan inside and out with vegetable oil. Place the pan upside down on a sheet of tin foil in the oven and bakeat 350F for one hour. This will reseason the pan! Allow to cool before using or storing.
To avoid this issue altogether, consider enamelled cast iron cookware! A top notch brand the world over is Le Creuset, made in France. Chef's swear by them! Here is a little skillet, hand for small jobs!
5) Never have car or front door locks freeze in winter!
Before freezing weather strikes, dab a little petroleum jelly on your keys and slide them in and out of the keyholes of your house and vehicle. This will prevent the locks from freezing up this winter!
I hope these hints and tips help you with your collecting and get those items into your car and house!
For many of the items shown above, you can view at Mandicrafts! See Store Link below!
Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts
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©mandicrafts
Thank you for your message! I am happy it was useful to you! Mandy
ReplyDeleteVery helpful advice regarding the Steiff cleaning, thank you. Exactly what I was looking for, as about to clean my Steiff Fox Terrier Mohair on wheels. Didn’t know about the PJ in the locks either..��
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