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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want to complain about the design of rubber ducks?

26 replies

UngratefulMoo · 09/03/2015 18:40

Novelty rubber ducks are a big market these days, but AIBU unreasonable to be annoyed that most of them are really badly designed? DD loves ducks so we have quite a few but only one of them actually floats upright. We just bought her a new policeman rubber duck and he immediately falls over head first in the water. Surely it can't be that hard to design a properly balanced rubber duck?

Where does one complain about matters such as this? It seems to be an industry-wide issue.

OP posts:
8atman · 09/03/2015 18:41

And water gets in the hole-valve thing and eventually squirts mildew out. Yuck.

whathavewedonenow99 · 09/03/2015 18:42

I was just thinking exactly the same thing the other day while I was in the bath with my upsidedown green Harrods duck. Not impressed!

BertieBotts · 09/03/2015 18:43

I agree, they could make the bases thicker. Though I think the novelty ones are to blame because they put too many things on the head and it overbalances it.

I suspect they are not really supposed to be used in a bath but just to be displayed in some kind of ironic fashion.

Abzs · 09/03/2015 18:43

One of our four floats upright. It's a paint your own one from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Martin Mere. It has a weight in the bottom.

Noyournotallowedthat1 · 09/03/2015 18:45

I brought a set from the entertainer and they float upright BUT have holes so the heads inside our mouldy now Sad apart from mum she doesn't have a hole in her bottom so she is ok!

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 09/03/2015 18:46

Yanbu. It's annoying.

Original poster
UngratefulMoo · 09/03/2015 18:47

8atman - exactly. I'm having to bin another couple tonight - the squeaky ones are now filled with green shit. DD will be so disappointed.

And BertieBotts, you may be quite right. Unfortunately DD is only 18m and doesn't yet understand irony. As far as I know.

OP posts:
CallMeExhausted · 09/03/2015 18:51

I take my hot glue gun and fill the hole in the bottom as soon as they come home, and then add some extra melted glue to the base to weigh it down. Then, they always stay upright and don't get disgusting inside.

My DD has a rubber duck obsession, and everyone knows it - they are always being given to her. She also loves to have them in the bath, but until I figured this little trick out, I was always hesitant to let her.

They can get SO disgusting inside...

Original poster
UngratefulMoo · 09/03/2015 18:56

CallMeExhausted, that is a good tip. Unfortunately I don't own a glue gun. Do you think leftover Weetabix would work?

OP posts:
Mrsderekshepard · 09/03/2015 18:57

Get a glue gun and fill the hole so water can't get in?

Mrsderekshepard · 09/03/2015 19:06

Sorry exhausted you'd already said re the glue gun

expatinscotland · 09/03/2015 19:10

Epoxy glue in the hole.

pinkbear82 · 09/03/2015 19:19

I now want to get the glue gun out and collect up every single duck around a million, I swear and fill their holes.

However, after the day it's been today I could well end up having a duck stuck somewhere it shouldn't be and more holes made than filled.

FoxyVeganJane · 09/03/2015 19:25

Boon bath ducks. Expensive but amazing.

NoCryingInEngineering · 09/03/2015 19:43

Its actually surprisingly difficult to design a hollow rubber duck that floats right without balasting the base. The metacentric height is wrong because of the lack of feet and they are too unstable.

DS has that stacking duck family, the 2 little ducks only float right way up when 90% full of water

TheSkiingGardener · 09/03/2015 20:09

I believe UHU'ing your duck's hole works as well.

Chunkymonkey79 · 09/03/2015 20:11

My (gross) DS sucked bath water out of his ducks...

I had to get rid due to mildew problem Confused

expatinscotland · 09/03/2015 20:51

I balast the base, too, with epoxy glue, after my retired engineer father pointed out why the duck didn't float upright so well. Wink

So if you don't have a glue gun, some cheapo epoxy from any DIY store works well, too.

Also good for sealing messages in a bottle.

Original poster
UngratefulMoo · 09/03/2015 21:00

This is amazing. I genuinely didn't expect actual useful rubber duck advice. You are all legends.

OP posts:
bumbleymummy · 09/03/2015 21:02

YY to the mildew thing! Loving the glue gun advice. Will keep that in mind for future ducks… :)

Pandora452 · 09/03/2015 22:25

Milton rinsed in and out the hole will get rid of the mildew

BertieBotts · 09/03/2015 23:04

You can get rid of the mould by soaking them in a dilute bleach solution, also suck some bleach up into them and shake and leave them upside down for 5 mins, then do a lot more sucking up and squirting with the bleachy mixture! That should do it. Then once they're dry you can seal them, or not.

Oh yes or Milton. Anything bacteria killing.

editthis · 09/03/2015 23:04

I am staggered by the resourcefulness and commitment shown by those of you SEALING and WEIGHTING your children's rubber ducks with GLUE GUNS! I am officially a Terrible Mother.

FuckItBucket · 09/03/2015 23:06

I had a duck with a dick.

fourcorneredcircle · 09/03/2015 23:06

I just put them on the radiator to dry fully - that's a lot of faffing with glue guns!!