A friend/coworker is cleaning out his garage and he gave me a huge box of Lego today. I started going through it and it's an incredible quantity of stuff; Lego, Technic, Bionicle - probably 50,000 pieces. Mostly Lego but also some MegaBlocks and other stuff (which I'm separating out). Some of the Lego stuff is pretty old and it's all pretty dirty. Can anyone give me some idea of how to clean it? Thanks in advance for any suggestions/instructions.

Found a related thread and merged.

Here is another related thread:

 

http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/2600-bring-your-lego-pieces-back-from-the-dead/?hl=cleaning

Found a related thread and merged.

 

Thanks. I literally searched for "cleaning used Lego" and nothing came up.

LowestFormOfWit did a nice blog on a good restoration method here:

http://community.brickpicker.com/blog/14/entry-203-retr0bright-de-yellowing-or-otherwise-renewing-some-life-to-old-dirty-bricks

As for dust, I use a microfiber towel. Works wonders. Washing them is good but I hate waiting for the bricks to drip dry or drying them by hand.

I would never put Lego in my washing machine, the noise alone would probably drive me nuts. And all that scraping against metal can't possibly be good for the brick edges and corners.

Thanks. I literally searched for "cleaning used Lego" and nothing came up.

I searched the word "dryer" lol

Thanks for the merge and help. Interesting threads! I picked up some Craigslist stuff yesterday, and will now see if this brightening method works on pink bricks.

I had a particularly dirty used set a while ago that I cleaned in the washing machine.  Put it inside a couple of special "washing bags" I found that were made from a fine mesh type material.  You can probably use an old pillow case just as well.  Then allowed to dry for a day spread out on a few towels.

Since I saw this as a pretty important topic (for personal or resale purposes), I took the liberty of pinning the thread for everyone to easily find. Although I'm not sure what would be the best category to stick it under? Hmm....

I lay the freshly washed LEGO on a dishtowel and have a little 4" fan blowing across it to help them dry quicker as no one wants moldy LEGO

 

Have this model in white and I found it at my local target.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Small-4-Personal-Metal-Fan-Table-Desk-Top-Room-Essentials-USB-New-in-Box-/111123681956

i bought a 10144 Sancrawler (with a 6212 X-Wing thrown in) on the cheap. Both are disgusting. Cat hair, dust, and something tan that looks to be old caked on "toaster leavins". Surprisingly, the minifigs are are clean and excellent shape

What is the fast way to wash all the non-sticker elements at once (after they are separated)?
- Dishwasher?
- Clothes washer w/ cold water and a nice spin cycle?

Then...

-What is recommended to make sure all the elements stay together. basically, they stay "contained" to not break the washer. Any recommendation for sturdy nap sack, mesh net, etc... if a washer device is used.

-Fastest method to dry the elements.

Eschdaddy literally just posted an article on this. What timing! It's titled The Art of Cleaning LEGOs, and I recommend reading it.

There is a good blog article about this very thing that popped up a few days ago.  Generally soap and water work just fine, but often you want to use vinegar to get greasy things off and I use a little bleach when I am cleaning things.  Hand-washing is usually recommended over the dishwasher or clothes washer just so little elements don't get lost.

There is a topic about "Tips on cleaning used Lego" as well.

thanks.  i didn't know about the articles and just read them.   didn't know there was an invention for spinning salad.

 

i'm trying to stay away from "manual labor" since we're talking nearly 1500 elements.  don't need to be perfect...just cat, dust, and toaster leavins free.  gotta find cheap labor or heavy duty mesh bags for the clothes washer. 

I hope you got those cheap. 

http://community.brickpicker.com/blog/45/entry-420-the-art-of-cleaning-legos/

I hope you got those cheap. 

Agreed. Seeing Lego like this makes my stomach queazy.

 

I personally use mesh begs with very small holes to wash the dust off some of my sets. Then I rebuild, but that is the extent of it. Something like this almost looks as if it should be soaked in some sort of solution for a very long time. That and perhaps a scrub brush. I would try filling the sink, adding some soap and letting the elements sit for literally a couple hours. Loosen everything. Then it should come off much easier. Best of luck! 

Something like this almost looks as if it should be soaked in some sort of solution for a very long time. That and perhaps a scrub brush. I would try filling the sink, adding some soap and letting the elements sit for literally a couple hours. Loosen everything. Then it should come off much easier. Best of luck! 

 

Agree.  I would even leave it in soapy water overnight and then use something like a toothbrush if needed.

This is the first time I bought used LEGO and even though they do not look that dirty, I would still like to clean them up before introducing them to the rest of my bricks.  I read the blog article and the other thread on how to clean used LEGO but I still have a few questions about cleaning:

 

1. What would soaking in warm soapy water do to stickers already applied to bricks ? Would soaking loosen the stickers and make them look worn out ?

 

2. What is the most efficient way to dry small pieces like 1x1 tile and the Technic pegs ?

 

3. What is the most efficient way to dry intricate molds like the dragon head from 9446 or the monster truck tires ?  These pieces have many corners that would retain water

 

4. For partially assembled sets, would you recommend breaking them to individual bricks for cleaning ?  

 

5. How would you clean a cloth sail ?

 

6. Would you recommend lint roller to remove strands of pet hair before soaking in soapy water ?

I would not put any bricks with stickers on in water. I believe then use water based glues to hold the stickers on so you could ruin them. I would dry clean those bricks with a brush. Or you could use a damp cloth to wipe the bits around the sticker.

 

Moving air, warm or cool helps with the drying of anything. You could point a fan or fan heater on low to create a gentle breeze that will help the water to evaporate. 

 

I would dis-assemble everything completely.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

What works good is fill the sink warm water and use baby clothes laundry liquid soak and use soft sponge to wipe the stubborn dirt, once drained sake excess water off. Lay to dry all spread out and after a day or two use a hair dryer on cool to finish the drying process. That w

Has worked every time for me.

the suggestions, posts,  and articles are great.  i just wish there was a faster way to wash larger sets (600+ elements).

Can't believe how dirty those were! From the pictures it looked like they only had the typical dust..

Can't believe how dirty those were! From the pictures it looked like they only had the typical dust..

 

maybe they were used in some science experience or independent docu movie.  e.g. buy fast food and film the 'decomposition' in petri dishes made of Lego elements

maybe they were used in some science experience or independent docu movie.  e.g. buy fast food and film the 'decomposition' in petri dishes made of Lego elements

That experiement would take long time to complete if not abandoned already.  One of my co-worker hid a MacDonalds hamburger inside the cabinet of another co-worker as a practical joke.  TWO years later when we moved floor, he found a hidden dried up patty and buns with no bad smell whatsoever.