Because I don’t hide my LEGO hobby, or my passion for it, I have been fortunate enough to have several collections donated to me.  Sometimes, the collections were cared for better than others.  Some times, I find myself washing LEGO in the bathtub!

If the LEGO has an odor at all, or has any sticky pieces, I finding myself washing the LEGO pieces before mingling them with my collection.  I don’t spend a lot of time washing LEGO.  I keep the process very simple.

9 Simple Steps to Washing LEGO

1. Fill the tub with warm water.  You don’t want it too hot.  I’ve actually seem some pieces deform from the heat.
2. As the tub is filling, squirt in some liquid dish soap, and swirl it around.  Get it nice and bubbly!
3. Don’t just dump your LEGO into the soapy water.  Take this opportunity to sort through it, and throw away any non-LEGO bits like KNEX, Mega Bloks, army men, marbles, etc.
4. Let the LEGO soak so aw while.  I like to agitate the water from time to time by gently swirling it around with my hands.
5. After your satisfied your new pieces are clean, use a strainer to scoop up the LEGO, and rinse them under the tap.
6. Drying them is critical.  if you don’t let them dry properly, they’ll smell of mildew, and you don’t want that.  Spread out a towel on the floor, shake the strainer until the water stops dripping, and dump the LEGO on the towel.
7. Spread them out evenly.  Don’t let them clump, or the water tends to get trapped, and make them stinky.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all your LEGO is laid out.  Sometimes to need to drain some of the water to get all the pieces.  Be careful not to let any pieces go down the drain!
9. Once everything is laid out on the towel, I like to move them around from time to time.  I try to get every side to touch the towel.  If your towel is getting too damp, transfer the pieces to a fresh, dry towel.

Take your time with this process.  Washing LEGO is more of an art than a science.  Rush the job, and you may need to do it again.

Other things to consider are:

• Don’t wash parts with stickers this way.  They could dissolve.
• Don’t wash transparent pieces this way as they may scratch.
• Be careful with minifigures.  You don’t want to scratch their printing.

Washing dirty LEGO is a good idea, and it doesn’t need to be a daunting task.  Just make sure to clean up after yourself, and before anyone needs the shower in the morning!

Do you have any tips for washing LEGO?

Brick

I am an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) and an active member of the Michigan LEGO User Group (MichLUG). I have loved LEGO for as long as I can remember. I am currently working on the following models:
– UCS Millenium Falcon
– Emmett’s Apartment Building
– Gringott’s Bank