Posted by Sharon (142.177.144.26) on September 01, 2002 at 22:24:20:
Hi
I wanted to share this with everyone because it is so amazing! I recently purchased an Ernie rubber duck that had ink marks scribbled all over it. I tried several of the recommended remedies including hairspray (made him sticky but didn't remove the ink) pumice stone (don't try this -- scratches the vinyl) and bleach (he came out very clean but didn't fade the ink)
I checked out a doll restoration site and they suggested Oxy-10 (or Oxy-5 in Canada) pimple /acne cream. Use the vanishing type that comes in a little tube. You slather this all over the duck and leave it on for anywhere from 1-3 weeks. It dries into a white powdery form. When I washed the duck after ten days, there was not a trace of the ink, and there was no damage to the duck. It was like a miracle! I couldn't believe it myself!
The only thing they cautioned against was putting the duck in a sunny location as this can fade the vinyl. The chemical in the cream stays active in the vinyl even after you wash off the surface.
Hope this helpful hint will be useful to duck lovers out there!