Techniques to Remove Paint and Ink Marks From Plastic Figures and Toys
Removing ink and paint marks from your action figures isn’t easy, rubbing isn’t recommended, because it can cause damage to the plastic surface, also using cleaners such as acetone, can cause permanent damage. This is why we use a variety of techniques to get rid of marks, depending on the type of ink or paint that has been used.
Before we start it is worth pointing out that not all marks can be removed, especially those that are bleeding through the plastic. The reason this happens is because over the years the composites that are used to make the plastic (especially the softer parts) breaks down over time and the dark marks (or blue spots) are a result of that.
I have over the years tried many different techniques for removing these type of marks without success, if the marks are really bad and you want to restore the figure then you will need to replace the part, or in the case of a head you could try re-painting it.
Removing Permanent Marker Ink
Removing permanent marker ink from plastic is not easy because the ink from these are designed to be just that, permanent, and more often than not the ink penetrates the surface of the plastic making it pretty hard to clean off. However, most other types of ink and the majority of paints can be removed with a little bit of elbow grease and some carefully applied techniques.
Here are some of the techniques that we have used to clean up paint and non permanent marker inks on our own figures
Whatever technique you try just remember that patience is your best tool, some marks can be very stubborn and will take a number of attempts to remove…
Dry Erase Marker Technique
One of the best and simplest techniques to remove ink is to use a dry erase marker. These are designed to allow the ink to be removed from different surfaces. The colour doesn’t really matter and it’s completely safe to use on smooth plastic surfaces.
Draw over the stain with your dry erase marker, then leave it for a few minutes, take a soft cloth and rub it over the covered stain. The solvents should then remove the ink from the plastic surface.
We have found that in some cases not all of the ink is fully removed, so rather than use the dry erase marker again, you should try using a glass cleaner. Glass cleaners are quite effective in removing ink stains, especially those that have already been weakened by the ink on the plastic.
Although this method is top of our list it doesn’t work as well on textured surfaces, so you will have to try one of our other techniques.
Magic Eraser Technique
Dip a small piece of a plain magic eraser into some rubbing alcohol, then using small circular motions rub the stain until it is completely gone. This requires a bit of patience and will take around five to ten minutes of rubbing before you see the results.
Acetone, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol Techniques
The chemicals that are found in ink can usually be dissolved by using any of these chemical agents as they are all pretty good at removing stains, but you need to take care when using acetone on plastics as it can damage the surface.
Rubbing alcohol is by far the safest substance that you can use. However, you will probably need to use it a few times before you are able to get the stains out properly.
If you need to clean a curved surface try using hand sanitiser, because unlike rubbing alcohol hand sanitiser is slightly more viscous and doesn’t drip around the edges, so it will sit on the surface much better.
Acetone is arguably the most effective and the most powerful of all the substances here. Acetone-based cleaners are usually able to get stains out of plastic easily, but there is a risk that the plastic might lose its colour, or end up distorted, there is also the chance that softer plastics will melt, and it is certainly not advisable to use it on painted surfaces.
Baking Soda and Toothpaste Technique
As a last resort you could always try a baking soda and toothpaste mix. You will need one part baking soda and one part white toothpaste. Mix the two together into a thick paste, then spread the paste onto the stain and leave it for a few minutes. Use a scrubbing sponge to clean up the stain then rinse with warm water. Remember, that this is an abrasive technique and could cause extensive damage to the surface.
Removing Paint
Most paint stains can be removed by using one of the above techniques, but my favourite is a cotton bud and nail varnish remover, the acetone in the nail varnish remover will dissolve most paints and if used sparingly shouldn’t affect the plastic surface.
I hope you have found these tips helpful and remember that some of these figures are coming up to sixty years old and do require a bit of TLC from time to time to keep them looking their best….
