My rubber duckies are a wonderful part of my life that bring me humor and joy every day.  However, as Wing Leader of the Pond's flock of duckies, I have some regular duties to perform for them.

The biggest one is cleaning them.  I routinely dust and clean a few of them every week, of course, but once or twice a year comes the Grand Cleaning, where each and every duckie gets a bath at the same time.  Today was the day.  However, Pond Central's bathtub hasn't been used as a bathtub the whole time I've lived here (I prefer showers), so I can't just put them there.

If any of you, my readers, have a rubber duckie or two (or ten) that need to be cleaned, here's the way I've come up with over the years.

You will need the following items: one large pot or bowl, one pot or bowl of whatever size you have handy, two or three towels, liquid soap, a kitchen sink, and a very soft-bristled toothbrush.

Place one of the towels to the side of the sink.

In the kitchen sink...
Step 1) Fill a large bowl or pot with warm, soapy water.  I use baby shampoo, so the duckies won't cry.
Step 2) Fill another bowl or pot with clean warm water. 
Step 3) Keep the faucet running with warm-to-very warm water.  Make sure it runs into the clean water bowl, to keep that water circulating and clean.
Step 4) Immerse dusty ducky in soapy water. 
Step 5) Remove the now-soapy duckie from the soapy water, dunk duck in clean water.
Step 6) Extract rinsed duckie from the now-slightly-soapy clean water and re-rinse under the running faucet water.
Step 7) Using fluffy towel, pat the damp duckie dry.
Step Eight) Place less-damp duckie on the other fluffy towel to finish drying.  Give duckie a magazine or a good book to read while it dries.

Do NOT use a hair dryer.  One, the heat will soften the vinyl/rubber of the duckies, which is bad.  And two, ducks don't have hair, they have feathers.

For duckies that have well-defined wings or costumes, such as the Halloween Duckies, use the toothbrush to clean between the feathers.

In the case of the Flock, repeat this process 230 times.  It usually takes me between three and four hours to perform the Grand Cleaning, your times may vary.

And a wonderful time is had by all.

Posted by: Wonderduck at 09:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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