Safe Cleaning Tips

I have this no coo, hard torso, hard limbs Hoth Snowtrooper with what appears to be battery corrosion stains. The figure is in generally nice condition. Does anyone have any safe tips for cleaning it up?
I have tried washing it with mild detergeant (washing up liquid) with no success. I have thought about using a 'magic eraser'. Any suggestions will be welcomed as I would like to conserve it for my collection.
However I am not prepared to use bleaching agents such as Hydrogen Peroxide.

Not sure how it would work on plastic but I know baking soda and / or vinegar work to remove battery corrosion on other stuff

Maybe you could try it on a small spot somewhere on the figure ...

Thanks James. Like you, I was aware that vinegar works on electrical terminals, but I'm also not sure about how it would affect vintage plastics.
Depending on what replies I get I will try a 'test area', as I guess I have nothing to lose.

If it is battery acid, it's likely permanently marked the plastic.
Vinegar shouldn't hurt it, but try a watered down version first.

Thanks Clint, if I go with the vinegar (white vinegar) option I'll certainly try a dilluted solution first. Being a hard plastic, I'm hoping the stain hasn't penetrated as it would do on a soft plastic, but I guess we'll see.

Magic Eraser might make it look matte lol be careful with those things. I used one on a '89 Gameboy, it did the trick, but if you hold it just right in the light you can see it harmed the texture. (unless there is a semi permanent layer of oil that it removed on those spots

i honestly dont think battery acic comes out on plastic . i had a similar figure with battery damage . i tried everything . nothing worked . i hope yours does come clean . mine was a bit worse than that

Thanks for the heads up Chris & Bill.

Ive been thinking about the figure i had Steve . I feel like it had acid burns in it so yours
May be salvageable

Magic erasers work with micro abrasion. So, yes, it essentially can remove small bits of the surface you are attempting to clean. It will more than likely scratch any surface that is not already matte or textured.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] thank you for confirming what Chris said about the abrasive qualities of magic erasers.

I'm currently trying dilluted white vinegar on the fugures left leg and it has already removed some of the residue. I'll keep you updated with my progress.

This is going to sound extreme, but you have little to lose if you can't get the stains out.

Try CLR (calcium, lime, rust) remover. I have used it in plastic battery storage compartments to get rid of battery acid residue when batteries have been left too long and leaked. I used a cotton swab to gently wipe it clean when I can't remove the compartment, and actually submerged an Elmo compartment that was removable for my daughter before rinsing it under plenty of water. The battery acid foamed like crazy, but in every case, it came out looking brand new, and I have managed to get all those toys working again after being non-responsive before the cleaning. Amazingly, as corrosive as it is, it hasn't seemed to harm any plastic I have used it on to date.

Good luck Steve.

Ian

Thanks Ian, if nothing else works and I can get CLR or the equivelant in the UK I'll give it a try as an academic exercise.

No problem, glad to help.

I looked around, and it appears the equivalent in the UK is a product called Zep Commercial Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover. Here's a link where it's £6.99 a bottle online.

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Hope it helps!

Ian

Thanks Ian, that is much appreciated.