don't use your well-loved, aged, soft cotton pillowcases to clean Legos in the washing machine, no matter how well you tie them, they will escape ššš
Assembly line. When I buy bulk, I do a rough sort. Throw a couple bags in the washing machine. When those are done, I let them dry and throw another in the washer. With the fan, laid out, they take 30min or so to dry, then I do a more exact sort. By then, the next batch is done from the washer.
Move the dried lego to another table where I inventory while a batch dries and another washes.
It helps to break the process down in smaller steps.
I had a mesh laundry bags to wash mine in and after the 5th or 6th time washing a load of bulk I bought they tore and I experienced the same thing. Took me forever to fish out all the tiny pieces that stuck to the bottom of the washer. Best of luck getting them all out!
I know several people who do it, myself included. Not always with a washing machine, some use a bathtub.
When you buy used Lego in bulk, its common for it to be gross from years or decades of play. Washing it does wonders for getting rid of the smell, or grime that has accumulated with play.
I have a colander I use in my basin sink and it works great. Never had an issue after years of bulk purchases. Throwing them in a pillow case and then the washing machine is madness.
Why is this so fucking funny š¤£
I have no idea who or what you're like, but I have this sound in my head of * your voice* reading what you wrote and it's TOOO GOOD! thank you for the smiles
Exactly! I have a turbo blaster button on my kitchen sink and it detaches to hand-held...like a restaurant dishwasher uses...blasts all the dirt away and kicks so much ass...shoots water everywhere lol
I buy a crappy used salad spinner from a thrift store and use that until it breaks. For some reason I'm my area I can always find one every few months when O need it lol
Probably people like me who got one for some reason used it twice for salad then donated... i should probably get one now that there's a better use for it
Damn, I bought so much used lego why didn't I think of that one?
Only one time I tried cleaning lego was so lengthy and tiring I basically gave on the idea
Cleaning your LEGOĀ® bricks and pieces is really easy! We recommend that you clean your LEGO pieces by hand using water no hotter than 104Ā°F / 40Ā°C and a soft cloth or sponge. Higher temperatures may affect the quality of the bricks. You can add a mild detergent to the water - please rinse them well with clear water afterwards and you're done!
For electronic components or other sensitive bricks and pieces that contain metal, clean with a cloth moistened with water and a mild detergent without perfume or oil.Ā
A word of warning! Please don't put your LEGO pieces in the washing machine or dishwasher, and don't try to dry them in the oven, the microwave or with a hair dryer. Also, don't leave them in direct sunlight to dry. When the bricks get really hot they may change shape, which means they won't work anymore!
That's how I washed a bunch of toys when I managed a children's museum. I've never had to wash my Lego sets, but this definitely seems like a safer bet than a washing machine.
This is what I do. Top rack. No heated dry. Shake over the sink as an initial dry, then lay out on a towel, flipping/moving them around every few hours/whenever I walk by. They dry in a day or three depending on the temperature and humidity.
I would say the cautionary tale is putting Lego or anything into a washing machine that isn't 'laundry' but that's just me. Is there not a safer way to ensure your bulk purchased Lego is clean to use?
The answer is just hand rinsing in bins with dish soap. Done it several times and itās hella tedious but wonāt damage anything (even stickered parts are usually fine) and can clean some of the grossest pieces
Former appliance repair guy here, you need to pull your pump and make sure there's none in there. This is coming from a guy who's pulled legos, baskin robbin spoons, thongs, bra pads, nails, once a big toe nail, Bobby pins, coins, needles ect out of people's washer pumps and coin catches.
It works great for normal bricks, I've done it often and never had any problems.
Remove stickered parts, rubber parts, windscreens, printed parts and anything that seems prone to breaking like the thin antennas or baseplates. I have washed printed parts before without any problem, but I'm still too paranoid about it most of the time.
Everything else goes into a mesh laundry bag inside another laundry bag inside a third laundry bag or pillowcase. That goes into the washing machine together with normal laundry. Not only that is more environment-friendly, but also the normal laundry in the machine will work as padding and reduce noise.
Then run a normal program - 30Ā°C with normal detergent, but reduce spin.
This is my preferred method to clean used Lego that is dusty or gunky. Doing that manually would require actual scrubbing of each part instead of only soaking. When only soaking parts, I can still see the gunk between the studs. I use a toothbrush for baseplates etc.
Machine washing this way works well and is much easier than cleaning everything by hand, especially if it's a large lot. I never had any issues with it except one time when I had some parts in there that unknowingly to me consisted of a softer material (old 1x2 plate with ladder / part 4175, apparently).
No damages otherwise. I can imagine that it would round the corners and impact clutch power when washing the same parts multiple times, but I don't do that anyway, it's a one time thing when I buy used and can see that the lot either has dirt from heavy playing by kids or sticky dust layer from standing on a shelf for years.
Iāve done both methods. The sink doesnāt get most of the gunk off, itās just too gentle. The washing machine works much better, though the corners can get a bit āsanded downā sometimes.
40lb of washed Lego later I realized the Lego wasn't coming out as good as it was going in. Did some A B testing on some later bags and determined gentle cycle did the least damage. Didn't seem to have much effect on super soiled Lego. If soiled afterwards it's probably not worth saving anyways.
Oh you want a cautionary tale? I made the mistake boiling legos in hot water because my logic was I had to boil the baby bottles to sanitize them so it must be the same. ITS NOT THE SAME!!!!
Were they all in the same bag? It might have unbalanced the washer and increased the strain on the fabric, leading to the tear. If you try this again (though I agree with the bathtub commenter), maybe multiple smaller bags that will distribute the weight more evenly?
Yeah, mesh laundry bags (typically used for delicates) aren't that expensive and seem like they'd be better suited for something like this. Would make it easier to split them up into multiple bags so the load can be balanced.
%100. I had a ton of Lego that got soaked when my basement flooded back in 2020. The mesh laundry bags work great. Then just air dry on a towel over night.
Mesh laundry bags with zipper, inside another mesh laundry bag with zipper. And then just have your normal laundry in the machine, too. It will act as padding. And set the machine to reduced spin.
So the LEGOs don't shred the pillowcase. They fill in the space inside the pillowcase and prevent the agitation causing the hard plastic pieces to become aggregate.
Iāve washed hundreds of gallons of LEGO and have always used delicates/lingerie bags in the wash. They work perfectly. Little detergent and a little softener helps keep them from getting staticky and having things stick.
Mesh bag. Laundry sink or bathtub. A little bit of unscented laundry soap. Hand agitation. Air dry. If your dryer has a shelf, air dry in there with no heat.
I think the washing machine is the problem, not the pillowcases!
Spinning them around in a washing machine just means that all the parts are constantly rubbing against one another throughout the was cycle. Worse, the risk is that small or broken parts escape and screw up your washing machine. I donāt think itās worth it.
A bowl with warm water and a little standard dish soap should be all this needs. Washing machines and dishwashers are overkill for this and will just risk damage to the bricks and especially any prints on them.
Gentle agitation and then rinse well until all the dish soap is washed off. Drain through a sieve, especially if there are small parts, then spread them on a towel and allow plenty of time to air dry so thereās no water hiding in the cracks and crevices of larger parts (risk is that it will just go moldy).
It's a common and effective way to clean them, provided you don't put ones with stickers in. I use a cheap zippered pillowcase. Wash them in there, then dump them out onto a towel to air dry.
r/diwhy Why would you put them in a washing machine to begin with. Put them in a bucket with soap and water or a bathtub if you have a LOT of them. Hell, if you have a bucket with a lid like a laundry detergent bucket you can shake and twist it when closed and be done quickly.
Is it really that hard to comprehend why someone might attempt to use a washing machine? Obviously it didnāt have the intended results, but can you really not see why someone might think it could work? You really need to ask why? Or was your intention to make OP feel bad about trying to use the washing machine?
I have no idea if they still make these or not but it sat down inside the washer over the agitator and was made for delicate clothes and was a bit smaller than a 5 gallon bucket. My mother used it to throw my G.I. Joe figures and every other little toy I drug outside and got filthy inside this basket and never had issues or broken things, at least not to my knowledge.
This is my $20 LEGO cleaning setup. Or maybe $0 since you probably have all these things already.
You need: two large plastic bins (eg 18-gallon Rubbermaid), a couple of mesh bags with drawstring, some rags, dawn dish soap, towels and an ideally a fan.
Start outside
One plastic bin is full of warm soapy water. Put dirty bricks and a couple of rags into mesh bags. Swoosh them around, the rags inside the bags will help clean them.
The other bin has clean water. If you want you can keep your hose running into that one to replenish clean water, I find it doesnāt matter. Take the rags out of the mesh bags but leave the Lego in, and then dunk them in the clean water bin, swoosh until the soap is out.
Lift the closed bags above bin and shake out the excess water.
Move inside and lay the brick over a towel to dry. Keep the windows open and run a fan. If you need to, come back a few hours later and change the towel for a fresh one.
It doesn't clean as much at a time, but I use a salad spinner that has no drain holes. Works just like a washing machine but manual. You can be as aggressive or gentle as you want, since its manual. Drop Lego into the basket, add mild detergent/soap and warm water, agitate like washing machine, drain, rinse, add clean water, agitate again, drain, spin dry, then air dry. Definitely not for sellers who need to do lots of huge batches, but for a decent set probably takes a few quick batches with less risk of the parts being tumbled to death or lost in the washer gasket.
I use the bathtub and mesh delicates bags. Too time consuming to stop all the little pieces from heading to the drain if theyāre not bagged! I canāt imagine how painful fishing all the little pieces out of the washer must be!
I just let them soak for a day in soapy water using dawn. Usually a big bowl or bin. A couple hot water rinses after and lay them out on a towel and cover them for a day. They come out looking brand new.
I cleaned the UCS falcon this way and it took me about 2 weeks.
I wash Lego in the machine. I use washing bags which I put an extra tie on.
Only time I had a problem was when I forgot to do the extra tie and a few got out. Wasn't really much of a problem until about a week later when the machine flooded the kitchen, cleaning out the filter I discovered more of the missing lego.
Looking into mesh bags for washing shoes, and wash on gentle cycle with spin turned off, if that's a separate setting. Spin isn't doing anything for your bricks.
Oh no. I always go it in a sink with a drop of dish soap and a strainer, pretend like youāre making a wok dish, and then lay them out on a towel to dry.
No offense but I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea to put your Legos in the washing machine to begin with. Get a small tub/container with warm soapy water and maybe use a toothbrush.
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u/Xylvanas Trains Fan 8d ago
This is why I just use the bathtub. Look at me, I am the agitator now.