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My Lego models are covered in dust and I can't find a great technique to clean them correctly. I'm able to clean the bigger parts but there is always some remaining.
I'd like to be able to clean them of dust without breaking them apart.
Is there a good solution for this?
My method:
A mild bleach solution with a toothbrush or a toss into the washer with some clothing while in a bag works for me. I have also tried washing them with the water hose, this high powered water works as a pretty effective cleaner. But you should always soak them before washing as it increases the effectiveness of the wash, as most dirt is now loose.
Additional Info
Best way to clean LEGO brick is to leave them in in lukewarm soapwater for an hour before scrubing them one by one with a soft brush in... After that rinse them and dry them with a cold-air-hair-dryer or a cloth (to avoid scale-stains).
I usually just put them in soapy water and scrubbed them with an old toothbrush (old ones are better because the bristles will be softer and more splayed) when I was younger. But then again, when I was younger I lived in Africa, so the dirt was probably worse. :P However, I have noticed some scratches on some of them, so the above methods might be preferable.
The diswasher, washing machine in a meshbag method is safe for LEGO. Just put it on gentle cycle, and the water should not be too hot. Make sure however that you first separate out elements with sitckers, electric motors, and I also recommend to keep out clear parts like windshields as micro-scratches are a lot more visible on those. You can find more details here: http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/cleaning-dirty-lego/
I've washed them in a colander in the sink before with some mild soap. The old style technic bricks are really hard to clean once dust gets into the little holes in the stud. Another nice advantage of the new style Technic beams. :classic:
I've also heard of people putting their parts in a tube sock and knotting the open end and placing them in the washing machine with oxy clean, but I don't know if that is good for the edges of the parts. It would almost be like putting things in a rock tumbler to smooth them out.
Wash them. The easiest method is probably to put them in a bucket in the sink, then run the water over them for a minute. Take the bucket out, and dump them on a towel, and let them dry.
Boom - no more dust!
Simply soak your models in a sink of 104ºF/40ºC water with a bit of detergent. You can put in a little bit of mild bleach if you want to disinfect them. You may want to gently scrub them with a paintbrush.
Once you've left them for a bit, rinse them off with clean water and leave them to air dry.
Advice taken from lego.com.
I think that vacuum cleaner will also help there.
You can attach a small nozzle with the grid or some else catcher (since we don't want to feed the vacuum with lego) to the hose of your cleaner and clean your model.
An example of such cleaner can be seen there.
