Can you wash a mannequin?

When people browse our clothes mannequins for sale, they often forget that these items can quickly become grubby. Retail visitors can brush up against or leave fingerprints on them, quickly discolouring them. Even window mannequins can get dusty, staining lighter mannequins. 

But few retail owners ever think about washing mannequins until they notice how dirty they have become; of course, if you’ve suddenly realised that your white mannequin isn’t as white as it used to be, read on for our cleaning tips. 

Caring for your mannequin for sale UK

Prevention is always better than cure, and although each clothing model comes well protected with its coatings when you buy a mannequin, you also buy everything else you’ll need to keep it clean.  

When cleaning a mannequin, you’ll need: 

• Distilled water 

• A clean washcloth 

• Baking soda 

• A toothbrush 

• Filtered apple cider vinegar. 

How to clean a mannequin

First of all, make sure your mannequin is completely naked, so you don’t damage any clothing or accessories and you have full access to every part of it.  

You can then start by dipping your clean washcloth in the distilled water. It is important to use distilled water rather than tap or ordinary bottled water, as these drinking varieties may contain chemicals that will damage your mannequin. 

Then, wring out the washcloth so it is damp and gently run it over your mannequin in smooth, circular motions. Do this regularly, and you may find it is enough to keep it clean for a long time. 

If you have bought some of our clothes mannequins for sale and left them to collect dirt for a while, or you have a more stubborn stain, you may need more than a damp cloth. 

In this case, take your baking soda and create a paste with the distilled water. Use equal parts of each ingredient to get a good consistency, and then use the toothbrush to work the paste into the stains. You’ll only need a small amount to wash mannequins quickly. 

This should be enough to make your mannequin as good as new, but you can use vinegar if you aren’t happy with the result. Make sure you use apple cider vinegar that has been well-filtered. It is highly acidic, so you won’t want to leave it on your mannequin for too long. Once you have applied the vinegar to the stain, wipe it off with your damp washcloth. 

If you need more help, we’ve found a great video that explains how to clean a mannequin. Watch it here.

Top tips for cleaning a mannequin

The methods above are the safest way to keep your mannequins in tip-top condition. But there are a few other things to remember: 

• Handle your mannequin carefully – watch out for the smaller, more delicate parts, which are easily broken, and move it carefully when taking it from one end of your store to another. A broken mannequin is much more hassle to fix than a dirty one! 

• To avoid excess dirt, place mannequins out of the way of high-traffic areas and direct sunlight. 

• Make sure your hands and surroundings are clean to avoid making the problem worse rather than better. 

• Before cleaning, use a feather duster or dustcloth to pick up any loose dust or debris. 

The best clothes mannequins for sale in the UK

We are the mannequin experts at Valentino’s Displays, and we have a huge range of clothes mannequins for sale, from realistic ones to abstract models in various colours. So, please contact us if you want to buy a mannequin or need help maintaining the one you’ve already bought from us. We’d be delighted to help. 

And for more retail inspiration, discover all our blog articles. We’ve been in the retail industry longer than we care to remember, so we are well-placed to offer advice and help in your retail efforts. 

For more information on Can you wash a mannequin? talk to Valentinos Displays