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Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated)

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GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
To quote Arthur Bishop from The Mechanic (2011), "Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" (brought to you courtesy of DeltaForceChung's signature). In this thread, you are invited to share your experience in dealing with stains on your action figures -- seamed or seamless, hard plastic or soft silicon alike. Tell us what works and what doesn't work or even backfires.

I will start with some examples of my own.

Fittingly enough, my head sculpt of Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) from the ZC Toys Mechanic 2.0 set (see here: http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW-022217b.htm ) suffered some staining when I placed a sea captain's hat on it (not sure why I did that) and the black pleather lining came into contact with the hard plastic surface for a few days. I followed the recommended procedure, washed it gently with soap and water, and applied Benzoyl Peroxide to it (more specifically, AcneFree Terminator 10, which is 10% this active ingredient). After repeating the procedure maybe 20 times every other day or so, the stain has completely disappeared.

The same worked with the recent "plump" body from WorldBox, which was stained by its black shorts. Far less successful (because of different plastic or much older stain?) was my treatment of a Kaustic Plastik muscle body, which was stained by a black pleather jacket -- the fight continues.

I have seen the same treatment advice proffered for the seamless silicon bodies. These do seem to gradually absorb some of the staining that they suffer, but I have never had the patience or composure to avoid treating them. Usually that has meant frantically trying to remove some of the stain with a lint brush and copious amounts of protective powder, then letting it be and hoping for the best. In the case of a Jiaou Doll figure (which seems to have a different rubbery "skin" than the Phicen/TBLeague figures), I actually followed the treatment outlined above: washed it, dried it, applied the Benzoyl Peroxide. A couple of days later washed that off and the stain was gone. Victory! However, weeks or months later when I dug out the body from its box to test a skin tone match with a head sculpt, I discovered what you see in the photos below. The "brown" body had broken out into splotches of more intense coloring (which are a bit like make up and can rub off a little on whatever you use to wipe them with). I am not sure whether this is reparable, but I do think it is related to my treatment of the body with the Benzoyl Peroxide. Do you have any advice? Have you tried this on Phicen/TBLeague with the same or different results? At any rate, a cautionary tale.

Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) Jdbrow10

Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) Jdbrow11

#staining #maintenance #repair #cleaning #discussion #advice


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MarkEl


That’s really strange GF.  It seems like the pigment used to tint the silicone composite has become unstable and is leaching outwards.  Do you think the benzoyl peroxide caused this kind of reaction?  Did you slather it everywhere?  I don’t know.  

I ruined a figure yesterday (Phicen s01a type) by staining it horribly as well as puncturing the foot all in one go.  I didn’t colour test the outfit fully.  I tested the fabric but was nailed by the black hemming thread.  I knew better and should have used dye fixative but didn’t want to wait.  Lessons learnt.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Thanks, MarkEl. Yes, I have no other explanation why it would break out like this -- the staining had occurred on extensive areas of the body, so I did put Benzoyl Peroxide on much of it -- and it seems to correspond, more or less.

Give your Phicen figure some time to recover on its own, before resorting to Benzoyl Peroxide -- unless we have confirmation that this is safe on Phicen/TBLeague "skin." The punctures can be annoying, but the "skin" is quite tear resistant, which might mean that it is unlikely to extend readily.

Tell us more about the dye fixative, how you use it, and how dependable the results.


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DeltaForceChung

DeltaForceChung
UH . . .

You meaning cleaning and care for 1:6 seamless bodies and not 1:1 seamless companion dolls right?

Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
I've tried all sorts of different "recommended" treatments with little to no success on any of the rubber bodied figures (Phicen, Jiaou, Kumik, VeryCool, etc.). Unless it is a minor stain, you're pretty much SOL. I've regretfully thrown a few seamless bodies in the trash thanks to the fiasco of staining.


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Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
DFC -- correct, although someone reported somewhere that the Jiaou "skin" was made of the same material as the "Real Dolls" or some other 1:1 scale dolls.

Stryker -- that is very sad. Have you tried what I do (not the Jiaou disaster) -- pick up as much of the stain with a lint brush, replace the protective powder, and wait and hope and pray? It has worked out so far, but maybe I was lucky and the stains were not too bad or too set in. And surely you could have used the stained bodies for something other than landfill. Although I understand the urge (and disappointment).


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MarkEl


GubernatorFan wrote:...Tell us more about the dye fixative, how you use it, and how dependable the results.

I use the spray on Rit dye fixative for crafting.  If the outfit is washable, I usually try to treat it before using on figures.  Certain things like pleather, fabrics with adhesives attachments and certain fused fabrics can’t be washed at all.  If I can do it, I spray down the outfits with the dye fixative and let sit 20 minutes.  I then hand wash in lukewarm or cold water with gentle detergent for delicates.  I watch for dye leakage and wash and rinse until all is clear.  Sometimes I do a second round of fixative.  There are no guarantees, but I’ve had good results without dye transfer mishaps.  I was lazy on my last one and was burnt.

There’s a big range in dye quality used in 1/6 fabrics.  It really makes me ticked off considering the price point and sewing craftsmanship put into this stuff.  Why not use treated and colour stable fabrics?  Cuttting corners.

Here are some pics.  
Spraying down a suit outfit
Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) A9155510
Wash and rinse
Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) F8336d10
Drying out
Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) 9d7f6510
This is another outfit - a Superduck Tony racing suit.  It leaked dye like no other 1/6 outfit I’ve ever had.  Look at this first rinse!  Countless rinses until clear.  I still don’t trust it and use only with cling film.  You have to assess as you go.  
Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) 106d7810

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Thanks, MarkEl! Wow, did that Superduck Tony outfit ever become fit to use? (See what I did there?) Smile


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MarkEl


GubernatorFan wrote:Thanks, MarkEl! Wow, did that Superduck Tony outfit ever become fit to use? (See what I did there?) Smile

Haha! I had to remove the weird logo letters with debonder and made it a generic coverall. It’s ok,  

Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) Abaa0a10

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Looks good, MarkEl!


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Fox915

Fox915
Sorry about what happened to your Jiaou body GF. I've only had minor stains, I use the usual acne cream like you and the others mention, and its all good. For me there hasn't been any lasting effects on the body.

This is the first time I've heard of a situation such as yours GF, I think I've seen staining issues pop up in Facebook groups from time to time, but I don't recall reading about them having pigment or dye bleeding or splotching like that. It's got me thinking if there's any difference in the materials or dye that they used to make Jiaou and Phicen/TBL bodies.

@MarkEl, wow the dye fixative is a really interesting method, I may have to try it. Thank you for sharing this.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Thanks Fox. The Jiaou that broke out into splotches was treated with soap and water, then acne cream, then washed again, and given protective powder. So I can't imagine what else could have happened.

I have read up on TPE, the material that is apparently used for Jiaou Dolls (you might have noticed a slightly different feel and consistency from the Phicen/TBLeague silicone bodies, which are more sticky). They don't advise anything other than soap, water, and protective powder for clean up. I also see that TPE is more susceptible to stains than silicone, and also less tolerant of heat (which makes it a very good thing that Jiaou hands swap so easily).


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Stryker2011

Stryker2011
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Interesting info, Guv. I knew Jiaou wasn’t using the same material as TBL, but I didn’t know what. Good to know not to use a hair dryer on those things.


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Mark

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Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) C8485110

MarkEl


GubernatorFan wrote:Thanks Fox. The Jiaou that broke out into splotches was treated with soap and water, then acne cream, then washed again, and given protective powder. So I can't imagine what else could have happened.

I have read up on TPE, the material that is apparently used for Jiaou Dolls (you might have noticed a slightly different feel and consistency from the Phicen/TBLeague silicone bodies, which are more sticky). They don't advise anything other than soap, water, and protective powder for clean up. I also see that TPE is more susceptible to stains than silicone, and also less tolerant of heat (which makes it a very good thing that Jiaou hands swap so easily).  

Great research and thanks! That may also explain how the Jiaou bodies more variance in colour shading. They can take a stain better (or worse depending on purpose).

By the way, the stains faded from my Phicen S01a within four days of benzoyl peroxide and sunshine treatment.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Stryker2011 wrote:Interesting info, Guv. I knew Jiaou wasn’t using the same material as TBL, but I didn’t know what. Good to know not to use a hair dryer on those things.

Well, I just wouldn't use it too much. You probably don't need it, at least not for the hands; as for the feet, I forget, are they that hard to take off? Putting them back on, of course, means you could pre-heat them before they come anywhere near the body.

MarkEl wrote:Great research and thanks!  By the way, the stains faded from my Phicen S01a within four days of benzoyl peroxide and sunshine treatment.  

Happy to hear. I have not yet used benzoyl peroxide on a Phicen -- just lint brush and protective powder, though I suspect the silicone flesh does its own magic. Did you leave it around for a bit before resorting to benzoyl peroxide, or did you apply the treatment as soon as you noticed the stain? Also, keep us posted if anything strange happens to it in coming days or weeks. (My Jiaou Doll body didn't break out into splotches until some time after the successful clean up of the stain with benzoyl peroxide -- but again TPE is not the same as silicone.)


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Stryker2011

Stryker2011
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GubernatorFan wrote:Well, I just wouldn't use it too much. You probably don't need it, at least not for the hands; as for the feet, I forget, are they that hard to take off? Putting them back on, of course, means you could pre-heat them before they come anywhere near the body.

I heat up the foot a little, then stand the figure up and push down onto the foot to get them back on (same with TBL). Pretty easy.


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Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
With TBLeague, the feet come off and go on fairly easily -- I don't usually resort to heating.


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Rogerbee

Rogerbee
Founding Father
Interesting about the Rit Dye fixer, sounds like a good investment. I have some Bruce Lee Game of Death suits that were notorious for staining. I soaked one in warm water and washing up liquid and that seemed to do the trick. I didn't do it on the second one as it had a footprint on it and I was worried it would come off. I haven't dared to remove that suit since I put it on the figure, but, it's not one I ever plan on removing anyway.

CHEERS!

Pontiacivan

Pontiacivan
Wow, it's like she tried out some self tanner before her High School reunion!
How bizzare.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
edwick wrote:Staining and Cleaning (continuously updated) 28860403288_3a0493ab9d_z
JX Toys TiFa Female Fighter Photo Review Postscript by Ed's Toy Box, on Flickr

"Hi everyone! Liesel here with a demonstration that sometimes, the best thing you can do with a stained Phicen/TBLeague body is nothing. As I'm sure you all saw above, TiFa here had stains on both her elbows from her arm sleeves right after the photo review was over. We figured she'd need a cleaning, but after a week left alone, all the stains are gone. There's lint and other stuff on her body that we'll give some attention to, but we promise, we didn't do anything to clean those stains off."


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skywalkersaga

skywalkersaga
I’m finally hoping to purchase a tbleague body soon, and I just had a quick question regarding maintenance. GubernatorFan has already kindly explained to me various options for keeping the body from getting too ‘sticky’, but I’m still unsure how to go about ‘dusting’ them. For the rubber torsos on jointed bodies, I tend to just use a small piece of cloudy scotch tape as a mini ‘lint roller’. Can I do the same for the tbleague , or is there a better option?

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
skywalkersaga wrote:I’m finally hoping to purchase a tbleague body soon, and I just had a quick question regarding maintenance. GubernatorFan has already kindly explained to me various options for keeping the body from getting too ‘sticky’, but I’m still unsure how to go about ‘dusting’ them.  For the rubber torsos on jointed bodies, I tend to just use a small piece of cloudy scotch tape as a mini ‘lint roller’. Can I do the same for the tbleague , or is there a better option?

You can do that, or an actual mini lint roller, but remember to apply protective powder to them afterwards. While I generally keep my seamless bodies unclothed (lest there are stains or semi-permanent imprints on them -- though they do tend to bounce back), I also keep them in self-sealed bags (like Ziploc or Hefty) and stored away in boxes. So they don't have much of a chance to get dusty. But of course all that is different if you want/need to keep them on display.


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skywalkersaga

skywalkersaga
GubernatorFan wrote:You can do that, or an actual mini lint roller, but remember to apply protective powder to them afterwards.

Noted! (but where does one get a mini lint roller?? Shocked  )

GubernatorFan wrote:While I generally keep my seamless bodies unclothed (lest there are stains or semi-permanent imprints on them -- though they do tend to bounce back), I also keep them in self-sealed bags (like Ziploc or Hefty) and stored away in boxes. So they don't have much of a chance to get dusty. But of course all that is different if you want/need to keep them on display.

Thank you for the tips -- that definitely sounds like a great way to keep them as pristine as possible. I tend to store any bodies (even just jointed ones) that I'm not 'using' in a very similar manner (in their original packaging and/or bubble wrap, in a plastic storage container).

And you're right...that method only really works for me with spare bodies or parts, or if I'm not finished with a figure yet. Once I complete something, I prefer to keep it out and on display, in part because I want to look at it Razz , but also because my projects often involve delicate clothing or hairstyles that I don't necessarily want to remove, and which I'd be concerned about 'crushing' if I just wrapped it all back up again.  When I want variations on the same character, I tend to just make entirely different figures for different outfits (and just swap out the headsculpt at most, though sometimes I even just have multiples of the same headsculpt for each), so I generally don't intend to remove the garments all that much, other than to improve or tinker with them in some way. (I realize that in the case of a tbleague body, this will make it in danger of being stained, but for now I'm willing to take that risk.) That said, if I end up with any 'extra' seamless bodies (which no doubt will happen at some point, lol), I will definitely keep them safely stored away rather than out in the open.  

Eventually, I plan to have my finished figures on display on a shelf or in a glass case (detolf or otherwise), but due to my recent house move, I unfortunately do not yet have a permanent setup. Back at the old place, I  had been keeping almost my entire collection set up as if 'on display', but entirely out of sight on shelves inside a dust-free storage cupboard. That was honestly my ideal set-up in some ways, as I had the best of both worlds... my figures were there for me to view whenever I wanted, but safe from sunlight, dust, and my hyperactive dogs. Razz

For the time being, I'm lucky in that I *do* at least have a (small) room where I can store my collection, and which I keep closed-off most of the time. In the meantime, all my in-progress figures I either have laid flat on my craft table in said room (covered), or propped up on their figure stands (likewise draped with protective coverings). But of course this is not fool-proof and is simply a makeshift, temporary solution, hence why I was curious about dealing with lint and dust until I'm able to furnish my display area. : )


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Has anyone tried pain pigment? I'm thinking about blending flesh tone pigment over a stain from black nylons.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Grease Gazzo wrote:Has anyone tried pain pigment? I'm thinking about blending flesh tone pigment over a stain from black nylons.

Considering the difficulties in painting silicone or rubbery skin, this is not likely to be the first thing one thinks of. Also, I would imagine there would be the added complication of finding the right color match, and then making sure it is not transparent. The most successful way to paint these bodies is oil pastel (see the Painting Seamless Bodies thread), and that might take care of the second concern, but it makes color matching fairly difficult unless you happen to get lucky or unless you repaint the whole body.


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