How to claen & store charity shop lego

[Anonymousse]

So I got a great haul of charity shop lego, but it's really quite dirty - old grime/dust/biro marks...

I considered putting it in the dishwasher but the small pices will fill up with water and it will just be too fiddly so what do you reckon? Maybe put it in a bleach solution?

Also I would like a sort of compartmentalised (is that a word?!) box to store the different pieces in (so a compartment for windows, one for roof tiles etc), any ideas or links please?

sew it into a pillowcase and put it in the wash with bio powder?

Washing machine would probably be better. I'd put the small bits inside a bag, then put it into the machine.

Don't waste your time sorting it, really. It's just not worth it.

Mil does the pillow case in the washing machine trick too

My mum has definitely put Lego in the washing machine - in a pillow case. It was pretty noisy but did the trick!

Agree. Don't bother sorting. It is a massive job and it won't stay that way for long!!

Oooo I'd never thought of the washing machine! I only have non-bio, will that be OK or should I get bio? I never know the difference.

The thing it it's already sorted, and I can't bear to mix it up!

Soak in Milton?

I have Milton. Will try that now

I did this the other week.

I put all the fiddly bits in a string bag in the dishwasher and all the sheets stacked in the bottom of the dishwasher in the plate rack.

Then I tipped it all out onto a towel, put it back in the string bag and popped it in the airing cupboard.

It came out lovely.

I didn't separate any of it

Don't let it stay wet or you will get mould

If it has already been sorted then put it in shoeboxes let the kids at it and then see how it gets tidied up. If it goes back in the right box you should then consider spending money on a fancy sorting system!!!

OK I'll give dishwasher a try with a batch of it, thanks!

Still unsure as to if/why it needs to be bio powder if I go for the washing machine idea?

The milton has got it a bit clean so far but not super clean. Would bleach be a bad idea?

Don't bleach!

Washing machine with non bio would be ok

Give it a go!!

NOT IN THE DISHWASHER! PUT IT INTO THE WASHING MACHINE!

OK OK I get it! I'll wash it, thank you. Still unsure as to why bleach would be bad??

< can't believe my Friday nights are spent cleaning lego >

Turns out you can get dedicate lego storage boxes on ebay!

WHY NOT IN THE DISHWASHER LADYSYBILDE??? It worked fine for us.

Bleach will damage the colours.

You won't wash all the bits properly if it's inside a bag, in the dishwasher. Much better for them to move in the water.

It needs to swoosh about, hence washing machine is better than dishwasher.

I say bio powder coz it removes organic dirt like lumpy bits (urgh). The enzymes consume it IYSWIM.

Lego-obsessive websites recommend drying after it's gone through washing machine by putting a big towel over a table, spreading it out thinly and pointing a cool fan at it to dry it off ASAP.
Muji do good boxes for sorting but local pound shop version probably perfectly acceptable

You can dry it on a cool tumble dry, we've done this with Duplo by mistake about 12 thousand times due to DS's squirrel like tendencies. Its usually fine as long as its not over 40C.

i'd just put it in a colander and rinse in the sink, you lot putting it in a washing machine sounds mad

You will be committing yourself to a life of sheer madness if you try to insist that lego stays sorted, please don't do it to yourself!

I agree the washing machine is the way to go, I'd use whatever powder/liquid you've got.

my MIL dishwashered some old lego and some of it distorted and had to be thrown away. I think the drying cycle was too hot for it :(

have done dishwasher successfully for big box of 2nd hand duplo