How to clean these figurines?

The surface of these cuties is matte and they have dirty smudges here and there. I tried cleaning them in the past but was only partly successful. It's been quite a while and I don't remember what I used... it was probably dishwashing liquid.

Any suggestions for an effective way to get rid of the smudges? Is there a nontoxic, not-too-smelly cleaner that might work?



Thanks!

 

LOVE THEM ... SOoooo Cute ... Joy.

 

I wonder what they were holding? Insanely cute, @Pat P

Is it greasy buildup? sometimes removing can end up contrasting with the areas that have oxidized... if that makes sense?

 

saliva?

 

The first thing I try with this type of surface is Dawn water and a toothbrush. I have an old Oral B with these tough black bristles on the front of the brush which do a good job of getting in the "pores" where the dirt sticks.

Also I've tried a toothbrush with toothpaste on it and that works pretty well.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I use toothpaste on the white part of Wedgwood pieces. So be careful of the "whitening". Maybe toothpaste isn't a good idea.

 

Given their clothing, it looks like they are playing and the dirty faces seems to go with the fun of playing.

 

never thought of that!

Could be!

How about toothpaste with water and just fingers - so you don't scrub too hard?

I'm thinking of things I've ruined - but, hey! they were clean when I got through with them!

 

I vote with Ola's comment above: "Given their clothing, it looks like they are playing and the dirty faces seems to go with the fun of playing."

When I was a small child (3 or 4 years old) my mother gave me a bath each day just before daddy got home from work. She said she "had to" or Daddy would never know he had a "little girl" instead of a "ragamuffin" waiting for him to come home.

 

LOL @ little kiddos with dirty faces from playing... I could title the listing "Little Boy and Girl Figurines Playing in the Dirt"!

Okay, so I can try saliva (supposed to work for paintings, so why not?), toothpaste with a toothbrush, and a brush with dishwashing liquid. I'll try everything on the bottom first, just in case.

 

Are they piano baby size? I'd stay away from brushes with stiff bristles for fear of scratching the paint. Spit is a good enzymatic cleaner. Maybe if you were spitting mad you could collect enough to do the job. I use all the methods mentioned when cleaning cameos. Most often I soak in water with a bit of dish washing liquid and after the grime loosens up go at it with a child's toothbrush. Sometimes I'll start with a piece by rubbing baking soda toothpaste in with a fingertip, then brushing. If after rinsing it needs more attention, I may repeat an application of toothpaste, or move on to the soapy water soak. I always advise against any toothpaste that claims to be a whitening formula. If you've cleaned them before, at least you know the paint is not water soluble, yes?

 

Aren't they cute?

I don't know if there's any grease... it looks like grayish smudgy areas. They were in my mother's apartment in NYC, and I think soot is a possibility, especially since they have a matte surface.

 

This dimple-kneed girl is mine:

 

They're about 4-1/2" tall. Is that piano baby size?

LOL @ needing to be spitting mad!

Baking soda sounds like a good idea. I forget if I soaked them previously, will try it.

The paint is not water soluble. It appears to be baked in rather than painted on.

 

Given the clothes, they probably are Piano Babies - but I thought Piano Babies were larger and usually on their belly or half lying down, like yours @Bronwen

 

Aw, she's sweet.

 

Interesting that the girl's hands in Bronwen's are also reaching out. Is that typical of piano babies?

What era are they generally from?

 

Think they can be in any posture natural to a baby or toddler that allows them to be stable. No doubt the originals were big & heavy enough to anchor a piano shawl, but these days any figurine of the type seems to be given the name.

 

More that a lot of attention is given to their cute little hands. These 2 are not mine, but poses are 2 common ones:

 

It's a certainty.

 

Here's the real deal!