Cleaning 70 Pounds of Bulk LEGO - 4000 Pieces at a Time
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- I'm opting for a more hands-on approach where I can inspect pieces throughout the cleaning process. I've heard about the washing machine method but I'm not inclined to hunt down a washer with temperature control and optional spin cycle, so I'll just do it the old fashioned way.
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Hey guys, I finally finished the sorting and counting process and put a few visuals together to recap the breakdown.
You can watch a short 6 minute video here: th-cam.com/video/ZA0KUUnLMQk/w-d-xo.html
You can watch the full-length 25 minute video here: th-cam.com/video/bxr0DnGzko8/w-d-xo.html
I first sort to remove junk and LEGO I don’t want washed then put the LEGO into zippered pillow cases and into washing machine. Use gentle cycle and cool water temperature. I spread it out into towels on a spare bed with a fan blowing over the parts to dry, similar to your drying method. Can roll up the parts in the towel and shake to move it to dry faster. Has worked great and I’ve done this with about 200+ lbs of bulk LEGO. ✌🏻
Nice
I use pillow cases then put them in a tub or bucket then wash myself
And i use the case of the pillow to hang them this way it dries really fast and i dont have to spread them out thin!
One more tip: if you have a lot of (partly) build Lego, just pre-wash that with a soft brush.
Often you can be lucky and the sets were built once and never taken apart!
I still prefer to fully disassemble everything for a few reasons;
1) I won't be sorting my bulk lots by set, everything will be going into my sorted collection at the part level. The sooner I can break partial sets down and start grouping like parts the better for me.
2) sometimes LEGO parts are connected tightly enough to prevent water entry between the bricks, but in my experience it is more common that when I try to wash assembled sections, water will get trapped inside the joints and take much longer to dry out than if the parts were isolated.
3) as a collector that wants to count all the parts I purchased in a bulk lot, total disassembly before the wash stage is crucial to get an accurate piece count while also avoiding wasting time washing the non-LEGO detritus present in most bulk lots. This will not apply to most buyers.
Early on I actually did try to wash assembled sections and repeatedly ran into these issues, so now I just break it all up before the wash stage.
@@BrickSystemBros You are right, I forgot to mention tht I usually do take them apart after the pre-wash for a quick rinse. The time saved is soaking, stirring and rinsing soap. And you keep the parts together if you want to keep it as a set ;)
From one Iowan to another, I thank you for this lol. Just finished sorting all of my childhood Lego, it DEFINITELY needs a wash
LEGO cleans up pretty good, just takes a little tlc is all
You're cleaning process won't remove the yellow discolouring from white pieces. For that you need a solution of weak hydrogen peroxide (about 7%) and during immersion prolonged exposure to strong ultraviolet light (UVA/ UVB) sunlight is ideal; so not really an option for us in Britain (lol)
That's correct, I've done a batch of white and light grey a few years ago on a sunny day here in Iowa, it worked quite well. For this particular video I wanted to focus on batch cleaning where most of the parts are good to go after a soak and rinse. I usually pull the discolored pieces before the final sorting and build up a stash until there are enough for another run with the peroxide.
I like to dry mine by getting a bunch of TV antennas and put them on the top of my car roof with each of them in a “V” and then suspend each brick with string and duct tape… then go 100mph on the freeway.
Yeah, that's known as the "Laundry Day" method and was developed by legendary brick cleaner Hosey McCandles in the 1980s. He experimented with fishing line and rubber bands before arriving at the duct tape solution and would go on to win the 1988 Bulk Cleaning tournament in Connecticut. His method has largely been replaced with the modern Salad Spinner technique, but I feel we lost a certain charm when drying bricks stopped being a road sport.
When I cleaned the 15+ years of dust off my 2 Santa Fe Engines and 5 Cars (which are easily some of my most prized Legos) I ended up individually cleaning each brick with glass cleaner and q-tips. Obviously this method of cleaning took a very long time, but for me it was worth it since I was able to thoroughly clean each piece without the risk of causing any damage. When it comes to Lego pieces that aren't as valuable I'll definitely give the method you presented in this video a try though, I certainly don't want to be individually cleaning every Lego I own with q-tips🤣
Those retired train sets would definitely get that kind of treatment here too, I bet they look good as new after a clean. Personally I draw the line at putting bricks in a washing machine. Just seems like a fast way to make clear pieces scratched beyond repair and surface wear on the rest. For this particular batch I am cleaning all used parts, so whatever mixing I do by hand during this process doesn't make things any worse than they already are.
If you drill a few holes in the bottom of one bin, the dirty water can drain through as you are rinsing. Will be a lot faster to process.
The problem is that bricks work like containers that can hold and protect the water inside for a really long time. If I knock bricks on a dry paper towel that sits on a hard surface, I still get too many wet spots even after days of drying the lego bricks with various methods. Doing this "knock drying" brick by brick is loud, needs a bunch of paper towels and is very time consuming.
All too true. I've ended up going through and positioning all such "deep bricks" to drain the water out as they dry, I made a screen door frame specifically for drying bricks this way. Add a fan running underneath and I was able to get large lots completely dry within hours. Definitely the way to go
Hallo, I cleaned Lego in the summer on the Frontporch. Like you the perfect activity during Covid, "laying low" I call it. Old Lego from before 2000. I also did small batches. I use around bowl and colanders and sieves to remove plus to let the water drip. Less suds in rinse water. After rinsing the fine mesh platic sieve was shooken ( is that a word ? :) ). Then I placed them on a towl, rolled it loosely and shook again. After that I spread them on another dry towl. I think I spend about 6 weeks on + off on the cleaning. I enjoyed it and now they are in my new retimement home. WARNING, do not do this inside, LOL. Believe me it will take mutch more time, hours, in doing this. I am sure you will continue tweaking your cleaning. Keep on trucking, Thank yoy Carola
Yes, drying outside is ideal but here in Iowa we are getting single-digit temps this time of year, so all activity is indoors. Like you say it is a nice project to do a little at a time, some here and some there. Too much work takes the fun out :)
Protip use a Salad spinner to help speed drying along
How about putting bricks in a pillow case and then max 40 C° in the washing machine?
I've heard of that method, never tried it myself. Maybe one day if I get into bulk buying/selling for bricklink I'll take that approach
Very late, but what about the lego string?
Hi thanks, string can be washed if you like, but mine wasn't very dirty. Even LEGO parts with metal will be OK as long as you get them dry right away, I just like to be careful when doing large batches like this.
What do you do if there is a sticker piece in the giant lot of Lego?
Good question. I usually keep it separate from the rest before the washing process. If it is not visibly dirty, then I don't try to clean it and put it in the collection. If it is dirty, the stickers are usually ok in a little bit of water if I have to wash it. Sometimes it is a sticker that I want to take off, then I peel off the sticker and use a surface cleaner to clean off the residue.
Use qtips and a wet rag
i’d imagine this removes stickers or at least damages them right ?
Actually most of the current stickers hold up pretty well if you don't scrub too hard. There is a certain range of years where stickers shrivel more than others, maybe parts from 2010 and older or so. And then if you go back even further the stickers were more of a paper material and those do not like water at all. I've encountered that with sets from the late 70s and before, maybe into the 80s a little. Just a rinse will not hurt most stickers if they are applied well, in my experience.
@@BrickSystemBros oh okay interesting, good to know. thanks !
What kind of soap can I use?
Most standard household soaps are fine, but I like to use handsoap over dishsoap.
@@BrickSystemBros yes I used that soap and worked great
Is this also effective for removing stickers?
Depends on the age of the sticker, older ones that are already peeling will most likely be ready to detach after a good soak. Newer stickers have better adhesion and long-term durability, so the water doesn't always loosen them up.
Would this work for 50 lb of Lego
Can be adapted to any amount, just depends on the kind of tubs you have to work with and how much room to spread out
The old fashioned way doesn't work well. It isn't going to clean the nooks and crannies of the bricks and will take a week to dry. You will also have soap spots doing it by hand like that.
Washing machine isn't foolproof. It can put micro-scratches on the pieces from the agitation, but it is what it is. (They are used bricks, not new) Spin cycle doesn't hurt the bricks at all and will leave them dry in a few hours if you leave them outside on a mesh or towels.
All depends how much time you want to spend on individual bricks and rinsing off soap. I don't mind getting busy with a toothbrush when I see a spot that needs it and haven't had any trouble with soap spots on my lots.
That being said, I get the appeal of the washer. I will probably try it someday when I don't have to go to a laundromat.
huge drying tip... use a salad spinner!
I had one, it was too cheap and it broke right away
Michael Robinson.
12min vid to explain how to use soap :D
What can I say, I tend to ramble
Yet, it's so satisfying to watch!
TLDR: (life hack save 12 minutes of your life): wash it, rinse it, dry it. How about tumble dry in a pillow case? Lego cleaning... DONE
70 pounds? That’s it?
Jk. That’s a LOT of Legos! Thanks for your video!!
Aye, thanks SirBaconBoi! Those are rookie numbers, gotta get those numbers up!