REFERENCE Dusting Lego displays and layouts

[dalekcann]

I have two brushes: 1 is a light fluffy brush (probably for makeup) that I use to wipe 'fresher' dust from models. It works best for tiles. The other brush is a much stiffer one that I used to use for painting; this is really good for getting around all the studs on exposed plates.

The best method, though, is to was the bricks if you know you are going to keep the model out on display for a long while. Dust builds up at the joins of plates and bricks which cannot be brushed away, and from experience I know if you leave it for a few years you will never get rid of it!

[just2good]

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm going to try the tooth brush and paint brush ideas in the coming days. Hopefully they work.

[Hrw-Amen]

I have a very fine fluffy duster which is just on a little six inch handle. I think a large normal duster would be too big and likely to break things. Thankfully most of the smaller things are in glass cases so don't really need dusting.

[BrickPicker]

www.artifexcreations.com has a cool LEGO duster.

[fluffybunny]

I have an ostrich feather duster that works very well. I go over my city layout once every month or so when I notice it getting bad and seems fine. At first I wasnt doing any dusting and it was setup for about 6 months the roof on one of my houses which was black was turning to gray because of all of the dust and the ostrich feather duster worked great. I think my gf got it at bed bath and beyond.

[LEGO Historian]

As was stated already... the longer you wait to dust... the harder it is to get it clean again. Regular dusting will save you headaches in the long run.

And anytime you use water on a MOC surface... do make sure you use an oscillating fan afterwards to dry up any water that may have seeped into the areas between LEGO parts...

[SNIPE]

I simply store my parts in individual drawers, before I used to have two big boxes which collected much and dust, when I tipped the lego out to use it it used to set of my allergies.

As for models I don't really buy lego models to play with but when I had my lego ferraris assembled they used to get dusty, I used to use a bruck fitting on the end of a hoover, it was ok but was not brilliant, some canned air will work better but takes time, try tipping them upside down. you could take it out into the garden when it is fairly windy and point it to where the wind is blowing. or maybe store the models in a sealed bag or box.

[Brickus]

For cleaning my sets I bought a handheld Dyson vacuum cleaner, and use it approximately every month. The only downside is that the charge only lasts 6 minutes, but it's enough to do what I need it to do.

[Sparhawke]

For cleaning my sets I bought a handheld Dyson vacuum cleaner, and use it approximately every month. The only downside is that the charge only lasts 6 minutes, but it's enough to do what I need it to do.

Doesnt the vaccum cleaner suck up the pieces as well though?

[Lego Ghost]

I have two brushes: 1 is a light fluffy brush (probably for makeup) that I use to wipe 'fresher' dust from models. It works best for tiles. The other brush is a much stiffer one that I used to use for painting; this is really good for getting around all the studs on exposed plates.

The best method, though, is to was the bricks if you know you are going to keep the model out on display for a long while. Dust builds up at the joins of plates and bricks which cannot be brushed away, and from experience I know if you leave it for a few years you will never get rid of it!

Thank you for the make up brush suggestion. Works very well. I used a new one, didnt want to risk on old one getting my mothers mascara on my minifigs :)

[LEGO Historian]

I've got MOCs so old... that even the dust is collecting dust....

[rriggs]

Canned air is your best friend for fighting dust.

I'll second that one!

I keep the dust away by keeping my parts in sealed boxes. Built models get air dusted every so often but I have also found that just keeping the door to my LEGO room closed reduces dust hugely too.

Cheers

Rog

[Fugazi]

Merging similar threads.

[Brickus]

Doesnt the vaccum cleaner suck up the pieces as well though?

Only if I'm not careful, I only use it for put together sets, not on minifigs or unstable connections, mostly for my UCS and other large sets. The brush at the end is long enough to sweep over the grooves without disconnecting the bricks.

[AwesomeStar]

I recommend paintbrushes. I use a medium sized paintbrush and a very small one to get the dust out - sweep the whole thing with the larger one, then go in and out of the studs and tricky places with the small paintbrush to finish off. Takes a while but it's pretty much a necessity if you're going to be photographing or displaying old sets or even just when building a MOC over a long period of time.

~A.S.

[Lyichir]

One time I remember dusting a model using a standard vacuum cleaner with pantyhose over the end so that no parts would get sucked up. I don't remember what set or MOC I was dusting, though, or for that matter how well this method worked.

[splatman]

Before dusting, take the model (or anything else in the house that needs dusting, that's not nailed down) outside, along with your dusting tools, and dust away! No dust resettling on your things. Keep wind direction in mind. Good old fashioned lung-driven compressed air will probably do the trick.

[SheepEater]

Whenever I see the adjective "creaky" it reminds me of this baby

And this one

[Vee]

I have a few small Legos that have been built years ago and are on display since then. I see that they have gathered dust, not that kind of dust that you can remove easily with Dust-off but a dust that is stuck to the pieces. I'd say that the only good way to clean them would be by washing them with water and soap! Anyway, I have never done that so I am guessing.

But then I am about to assemble, in the next months, big Legos, the modular buildings, and my plan is to leave them on display for the time being. So my questions are: is there any trick on how to keep them clean? How do you clean your Legos that can't be cleaned with compressed air? Can I use water and soap in an assembled Lego? Is it wise, is it not? Should I always disassemble them completely to clean the pieces individually and then build them again? That would be Herculean..

[Faefrost]

For large things on display Canned air. A light dust brush. For the really dusty ones you describe warm water soap and a soft toothbrush.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Faefrost

[TheLegoDr]

I've tried compressed air and it didn't work for my very well. This was on a set that had only been on display for about a month, so it wasn't thick old dust. I was surprised it didn't come off as well.

I'd think it would be wise to disassemble it before using soap/water. Although, maybe a soft terry cloth or microfiber cleaning cloth would work well without scratching the bricks? I'm just thinking relation to eyeglass cleaning, we always recommend spraying first then using the microfiber cloth to prevent scratches. I'm sure plastic lenses vs plastic bricks could be similar.

[dr_spock]

Use a stiffer brush if the canned air and the soft dust brush are not removing the stubborn dust.

[DrJB]

Forget the brush ... Remove electrical components if any, then run under hot-water spray in kitchen sink. Works wonders, and its kinda like a 'touch-less' car wash ... where the bristles do not touch the lego, and hence no scratches (no matter how small). Then, if you want to disassemble them, I'd put all parts in a tub with a dishwasher detergent ... that literally eats-up the dirt.

Note: typically stickers won't survive H2O+Soap.

[Vee]

...Note: typically stickers won't survive H2O+Soap.

Well said. I forgot about eventual stickers.

Do you know if a complex build will dry well if kept assembled? You know, water gets inside everywhere and I am afraid it may be trapped someplace and, although it will eventually dry, it may take a long time. I don't know if this would be a problem (maybe leaking water on top of your display table that may happen to be on top of something that you don't want water in it at any circumstances...).

[Paul B Technic]

I have some old Technic sets from the 1980's and 1990's which I need to clean up, I will keep an eye on this thread for ideas.