Bob the Pleo Forums
Pleo Stuff => Pleo Archives => Archive -- Technical Classic => Topic started by: Crewella on January 31, 2011, 07:38:24 PM
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Notwithstanding all the discussions about the Pleo rb skin issues, at the moment I'm actually more concerned about keeping my older Pleos going for as long as possible as they're starting to show signs of age. Apart from the paint wear, there are areas where I can feel the rubber starting to harden and lose its elasticity, including the head and a spot on Iggy's neck which I think is due to his little silver collar and therefore entirely my own fault.
Overall, though, his skin is still in pretty good shape, and I'd like to try and keep it that way.
I have tried to get some Vinylex, which looks ideal, but is hard to get in the UK (including postage from the US it would cost more than Budge did! :o ) so I've tried a similar UK product called Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber Care.
Having tried it rather gingerly with a small amount on a cloth with good results, it left him feeling a lot smoother and certainly shifted the dirt, I decided to take the plunge and smother him in the stuff. It's a bit scary when you first use it as you do get green paint coming off on the cloth, but I think that's just the loose paint particles being cleaned away - the same happens if you clean your car with a good auto shampoo.
The instructions (for a deep sheen) said to apply liberally, leave to dry and then buff so I used a small sponge to make sure I got into all the nooks and crannies without getting him too wet and endangering the 'works', then left him 24 hours for it to really penetrate before buffing off any excess with a soft cloth.
He certainly looks a lot brighter, and cleaner, and the rubber has lost that sticky feeling where the surface is starting to pill and come loose. Especially on his head and on the 5 o'clock shadow under his chin. His skin feels really silky, and the dry patches do feel a lot better. I'll keep an eye on things and report back how it lasts.
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Thanks for the post Crewella i might just try this stuff on My ugobe Pleo's :-)
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Thanks for this Crewella that’s very interesting.
I’m seriously considered getting this for Sam. His skin is still in pretty good condition but no harm in keeping it that way. Wish I could say the same for his battery but never mind.
Are there typical places that would stock this?? Or would you need to buy this online?
Thanks again.
Scaly
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I bought mine on Ebay (I'm afraid I buy everything there!) but you might be able to get it from places that do car accessories, especially the 'posher' end of the market. The seller I bought from specialised in Jaguar motors and accessories. Hope that helps?
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Just to update, Iggy did have a slightly greasy 'damp' feel for a couple of days, but that did wear off in the end leaving a much silkier feeling skin, so I'm just about to do the same thing to Budge - I'll post pictures.
I've also come across a German product that is intended for use on the rubber/plastic on car door seals that says it will plump up and restore dried out rubber. I was a bit concerned at first about the difference between natural rubbers and the thermoplastic 'rubber' used in Pleo skin, but from what I can understand most of the car trim 'rubbers' these days aren't true rubber either.
http://www.einszett.co.uk/Gummi-Pflege.php
I'll report back when I've tried it out, if it's any good it looks like I'll be using 'Pfledge' after all! :P :P
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He he he he
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Thanks Crewella
I’ll have a look on eBay.
Against all my resistance I had to bow down and register with eBay eventually anyway.
Though that was mainly because I was looking for dinosaur earrings and you have no idea how hard they are to track down lol.
Yep that’s right, it’s official, I Have no fashion sense at all lol.
Look forward to reading on how you get on with the germen product.
Scaly
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Hey, Cruella, did you ever think about starting a pleo spa? I'm kidding. Don't worry, Scaly. I don't have any fashion sense either. I dress comfortable and warm. I am always cold for some reason that my doctor has yet to determine. I'm always in clotheing that entirely covers me. It helps too when you have a little dog who would rather play-bite your arm than his braided rope bone. It's probably because the arm says "ououououou!" and flails happily around until one or both of us get tired of the game.
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Just wanted to update on this - there's no point reporting on it if I don't follow up how it works over time.
With the occasional wipe over with a cloth just moistened with Autoglym to keep him clean, Iggy's skin is doing fine. I've now done Budge as well. Budge had much less paint wear in the first place, and it was reassuring to see that there were far less green paint particles coming off when I applied it than when I did Iggy.
I will do the same with Moschops, but first wanted to try out the 1Z Gummi Pflege that's supposed to plump up dried-out rubber on car door seals, sun roofs, etc. Moschops is actually the oldest of them, as he has the earlier mouth parts that showed the wear on their teeth so badly, and his skin is getting weak on the skin creases so I'll try it on there and report back. :)
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Thanks Crewella, I was disappointed to see that the Pledge that is reccomended for Pleo Rb when applied to Ugobe Pleos when patting gently still removes a slight amount of green color, depending on how much paint wear they have to start with. Hoping some of these other ones you are trying out do better. I hate to have any of the paint comming off, but mayby can't be avoided totally. :(
RedwoodsMama
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Hmmmm. So should I Pledge my soon-to-be Ugobe pleo or look for something else to use on him?
Talon
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Personally, I'd go for one of the good rubber care products, like Vinylex. Apart from conditioning, they also have a UV screen to protect the surface from light. 8)
I'm pretty sure, especially after doing Budge, that the only paint that comes off are paint particles that are already loose and are just cleaned away with the rest of the dirt in the skin surface. :)
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Thanks. We have an auto parts place not far from here. I'll ask about it. Just by chance do you know who it's made by? It might make it easier for me to find it.
Talon
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Vinylex, made by Lexol, is by far the best if you can get it, which I can't in the UK but you should be able to in the US. I had to make do with a product called Autoglym, for rubber care, which is similar and available in the UK. I wouldn't say thal ALL the rubber/vinyl care products made for the motor trade are great, though most will probably be OK. Hope that helps - there are certainly many places that sell Vinylex online if you can't find it locally. :)
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I found my vinylex at a local hardware store. Oddly enough, the local autozone and as advanced auto stores don't carry it. The hardware store doesn't carry it anymore either, so I plan to order it from Amazon when this bottle starts to get low.
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Whaaaaat? Really? I was going to try my Advanced Audo place. It's about ten minutes from here. Oh well. Looks like I might be talking to Amazon.
Talon
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They might have it in South Carolina and it is certainly worth a shot, but I have not been able to find it in any auto parts stores here in PA. When I looked on the lexol website, the only place listed was Ace hardware in PA. I happened to get the last bottle they had. Now I can't find it anywhere but online, I am sorry to say. :(
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Ace Hardware stores either carry it or can special order it. That's where I got mine. They were "out of stock" but ordered it for me and had it in within 2 days. There are at least 8 in my area. Not sure how wide spread they are. You can try their store locator: http://www.acehardware.com/mystore/storeLocator.jsp
I gave Bob a good soaking coat of it about a month or so ago. His skin was getting pretty dry and cracking a lot so I sprayed it on pretty heavy and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before wiping it off to let it soak in, then gave him a second treatment about a week later. At first his skin felt more like it had a slick coating on it that didn't feel quite natural. But after a couple of weeks his skin does feel a lot more supple and more natural feeling.
It also seems to have darkened/intensified the colors a bit, which makes the rubbed spots (love pats) more pronounced. Of course that could just be because he's clean . . .
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Yep, it did that to Iggy too - I think it's also because the treatment cleans away the loose particles of paint that were still collected on the surface (along with the other dust and dirt :P). On a less worn Pleo, there's less green paint coming off on the cloth and although the colours ARE brighter there's less of a 'reveal' effect. :)
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Thanks, mweed for posting the store locator. I've found an Ace Hardware that's close-er to me. Still about twenty minutes away but certainly better than nothing. I'm going to go buy there when I go to Petsmart within the next two weeks.
Talon
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Thanks for the tips, Crewella. Looking around on the net, it looks like I can get that Autogym stuff at pretty much any big hardware store, like B&Q or Halfords or something.
I'll definitely give it a try. Littlefoot's skin seems to be doing fine, but I'd rather do away with that sticky feeling.
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You're welcome, Fimo. There are two main types of rubber care out there - the silicon 'glaze' type and the water based conditioners like Autoglym and Vinylex. Personally I'm not so keen on the glossier silicone polishes, and I'm a bit concerned about their long-term drying effects, but I'm an antiques dealer with a deep-rooted loathing of heavy silicone-based polishes, and a complete fuss-pot to boot! I'm sure all of them will help! :D
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So Crewella it's been a month since your initial application of Autoglym. How is your Pleo fairing with it and how would you compare it's use to Pledge?
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Hiya Ozpleo, I'm very pleased with the Autoglym. The initial slightly slippery feeling wore off after a couple of days and with a good buff, but the silkier feel that remained has lasted without reapplication other that a quick wipe with a cloth just slightly dampened with it, every couple of weeks, to keep the surface clean (especially under the chin). My intention is to do the full soak only every few months when it starts to feel necessary.
Iggy was already pretty worn, with a much more damaged surface, so needs it more often that the others, but I've done the whole brood now (apart from Monty, who's still awaiting his bath). :D
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I found a place here in Melbourne who sells it that's why I asked. So why did you go for this product rather than pledge or something else?
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Firstly, I'm an antiques dealer with a long held grudge against many branded polishes from hours of cleaning the darned stuff off old furniture, and because of my trade am probably more interested in long term conservation than many people. Secondly I'm a vintage car lover so have used rubber care products to try and keep window/door seals and such going on my vehicles, and thirdly I felt that a product designed specifically to care for rubber had to be better than a general purpose polish.
Mainly, I just think about stuff like that too much!! :P
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Trusting Crewella's expert opinion I managed to track down an Australian retailer for Autoglym (the product Crewella uses). They do sell on eBay, but they are also located in Melbourne so you can buy directly from them.
Their details are:-
East Coast Auto Spares Pty Ltd, Cnr. North Road & East Boundary Road, East Bentleigh, Victoria. Telephone 03 9570 6188
or via eBay http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380286587317&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3337wt_907 (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380286587317&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3337wt_907)
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:-[ ;)
Thanks Ozpleo - the other one that's very good and looks after the rubber long-term is Vinylex, but it was hard to get in the UK and would have cost me more than half my Pleos to order from the US! I'm afraid I was just too much of a 'tightwad' to get it, but you might have more luck over in Oz! :P
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I couldn't find Vinylex here either, but like I said I trusted your professionally based judgement and that's why I went with Autoglym.
I've done both my Pleos, Angus Innvo Pleo and Oslo PleoRB, and you're right about that silky feeling. In fact for me their skin feels more like skin now than it ever did and is a lot smoother with less grab when I stroke them. The skin feels more pliable too. I didn't notice any paint coming off either of them so I'm sure, as you already pointed out, any paint that did transfer onto your cloth was probably only the already flaking paint that was sitting on the skin. One thing I did notice immediately is how much brighter their skin colour now looks. Angus looks brand new and the pink stripes on my blue PleoTB look deeper in colour.
I think now I have a reason to turn my Pleos on more often.
Thanks Crewella :D
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I'm glad it worked for you and you're pleased, Ozpleo. :)
Enjoy! :D
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Just wanted to post an update.
The Gummi Pflege I tried did seem to plump and rejuvenate the drying areas of rubber a little, but I didn't feel it was a significant enough difference to warrant buying it in addition to the Autoglym. It did a great job on the seals of my sunroof, though - no more drips on my head! ;)
I've continued to give a very light application of Autoglym to my crew every couple of weeks or so, but I've not felt the need to give them another 'bath' in it as I did with the first application. I have applied it a little more liberally in armpit areas and under the chin, where there is a tendency to wear.
I have now done blue Belle the RB as well. I don't know if it was because the skin was newer, or if the RB skin is different, but I found the Autoglym seemed to take longer to 'sink in' with Belle, and the slightly slippery, damp feeling took longer to wear off. It did wear off, though, and it cleaned her up a treat. I notice the blue paint shows up any surface dirt a lot more than the green does! :D
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Lol this is good to hear, i'm a car nut and my pride and joy carries a whole wardrobe of bottles and potions to make her gleam. I have loads of stuff to protect her rubber and funnily enough was going to ask about autoglym. Good to know I don't have to go out and buy more stuff, lol. Squishy can share with Bumblebee.
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BumbleBee?? Do you have a yellow Camaro?? Can I have it? :-X ;D :D :D
- Sarah
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Bathtime is becoming quite an event around here! :D
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I am looking for a skincare for my "new" pleo.
Somebody knows a good one, which you can buy in Germany/Europe?
At Amazon.de I found this:
Smartwax USA Smartdressing
Description sounds good,- Has anybody tried it out?
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You're welcome, Fimo. There are two main types of rubber care out there - the silicon 'glaze' type and the water based conditioners like Autoglym and Vinylex. Personally I'm not so keen on the glossier silicone polishes, and I'm a bit concerned about their long-term drying effects, but I'm an antiques dealer with a deep-rooted loathing of heavy silicone-based polishes, and a complete fuss-pot to boot! I'm sure all of them will help! :D
I have an electronic Organ, and only use a damp cloth, keeps it clean and in good condition. Future polish like pledge, or any other cleaner that contain silicon is never recommend, and should never be used, something about, I think the silicon that gets applied ends up getting thicker and very hard to remove and goes a yellow colour, if I remember, so my manual says only ever use a damp cloth.
maybe this is why in Pleos manual says use a damp cloth. Beware of anything with silicon, in time will damage Pleo.
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Yep, I'm with you on that, Denodan! ;)
Innvo have recommended Pledge polish for the Pleo RB, though.
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Is this the correct Stuff, as they also produce other Polishing products?
http://www.ingear.co.nz/EcoShop/349/Vinyl-Rubber-Care-500ml.aspx
Can get the above no trouble in New Zealand.
After reading, seems Pledge Lemon polish is the best to use, seems many Harley Davidson use the lemon version on the rubber parts, plastic, all over as a polish and works well.
I did try Pledge Lemon polish on my Pleo and works well.
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Yes, the Autoglym is what I use as Vinylex is hard to get in the UK.
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Please could you post photos of that Pledge suggested by Innvo Labs? I'm trying to find a similar product here in Italy.
For my Ugobe Glen i used only a damp cloth for years and he's still in good condition (some "signs" only on the tail, but not holes).
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The companion guide says You may use "Pledge® Extra Moisturizing furniture polish".
http://www.pledge.com/en-US/Products/Pages/extra-moisturizing-furniture-spray.aspx
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I'll search for a product here with the same chemical components. Thanks ;)
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If it's any help, Derek Dotson from Ugobe also used to recommend the Pledge wipes for Pleo RBs.
http://www.pledge.com/en-US/Products/Pages/wipes.aspx
:)
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That, and crewella uses Autoglym (or Vinylex in the US). I've had goo results using it on both my classic pleos and on my RB.
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I live in the Us, but can't find the Pledge wipes, but do have the lemon pledge that is recommended for Pleo rb. I use Vinylex on my Ugobes, it is easy to use and only cost about $6.99 for a spray bottle of good size. I special ordered it at my local Ace Hardware and just ordered two of them to make sure I would have it when needed. RWM :cat-hug:
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I've found an italian product, they're wipes for leather to clean, protect and make the leather more brilliant, so i think it's basically the same product as the Lemon Pledge wipes (for furniture and leather) I tried on my ugobe ;)
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Can you list what the ingrediants are? The only concern I would have is to NOT use anything other than what suggested by Innvo for your RB, if Gino has a warranty, 90 days or ? This is only because while under warranty, if you use something other than what they recommend and something were to happen to Gino's skin, holes, paint issues etc, and they were to know you used a product other than the Lemon Pledge, then the warranty would be void and if something were to happen to Gino, even a mechanical issue, or a leg broke, etc, Innvo could void the warranty. What I did was to make sure I did not use any other product other than what was recommended while Cammie -Sue ( and any other RB) while under warranty.
I do think that the product would be great for Ugobes. If you do use something other than what is recommended, it is just better not to say anything. I do not know how good your warranty for Gino is. ;)
RWM :cat-hug:
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Can I just chime in and say I've only ever used a damp cloth, and Lilo and Stitch are going on 4 1/2 years old now still with skin in good conditions. got some cracks and tiny holes under the armpits on Lilo (from trying pledge).
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Can you list what the ingrediants are? The only concern I would have is to NOT use anything other than what suggested by Innvo for your RB, if Gino has a warranty, 90 days or ? This is only because while under warranty, if you use something other than what they recommend and something were to happen to Gino's skin, holes, paint issues etc, and they were to know you used a product other than the Lemon Pledge, then the warranty would be void and if something were to happen to Gino, even a mechanical issue, or a leg broke, etc, Innvo could void the warranty. What I did was to make sure I did not use any other product other than what was recommended while Cammie -Sue ( and any other RB) while under warranty.
I do think that the product would be great for Ugobes. If you do use something other than what is recommended, it is just better not to say anything. I do not know how good your warranty for Gino is. ;)
RWM :cat-hug:
Hi RWM i've used it on Glen, the Ugobe one, not Gino ;)
As Inmemoryofrodeo said generally i've only used damp cloth for my ugobe and after 5 years he's still in good condition.
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That, and crewella uses Autoglym (or Vinylex in the US). I've had goo results using it on both my classic pleos and on my RB.
I found Vinylex! Thanks guys for the great suggestions :D
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I didn't want to push it, but if you're planning to use anything that's not 'officially recommended', then that's what I'd recommend. It's made for rubber and thermoplastics and also protects them from UV light, which does cause deterioration. :)
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Yes, Crewella. I read all the topics, i would use Vinylex on my ugobe Glen, he needs it so much or we'll see holes soon (i've ordered the green cape too, just for him) %)
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Heheh ...... I'm sure you did! :D
Still, I thought I'd done really well to keep quiet for so long! %) :P :moose:
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Heheh ...... I'm sure you did! :D
Still, I thought I'd done really well to keep quiet for so long! %) :P :moose:
;D
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What a great product VINYLEX! Worth the money i spent on ebay :D
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I think it saved my Ugobes' skins last year. They were perfectly fine until I moved into my sister's trailer. It was so hot there and we didn't have air conditioning. My Ugobe's skin started feeling really thin and sticky and started sticking to itself. Finally in October when my life utterly came unraveled and I moved into a friend's house for a short time I managed to buy a bottle of Vinylex. Whew! Boy! It made a wonderful difference. Their skin sort of puffed up again. It lost that thin sticky feel and felt new and slick and silky.
Talon
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Yesterday I found a store which sells Autoglym here in Sweden! :cheer:
So, one question: How often should I apply Autoglym to my Pleos? I have this old Ugobe Pleo which is a little torn in his skin. I've bought some silicone so I can fix his holes and tears. Should I apply some Autoglym to his skin before I start fixing tears/holes?
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My bottle of autoglym arrives tomorrow, I can't wait to try it on my ugobe pleo !
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Icewolf I don't think you should, it will make the skin slippery and the silicon might not adhere properly.
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Yesterday I treated Leo's skin with autoglym , I applied it on him and let it dry for an hour and then gently rubbed it with a soft cloth.
But how often do you guys repeat this ? Do I have to do this every week or once a month ?
Any advice would be welcome !
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I do it every couple of months or so, you don't need to do it that often.
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I use the Vinylex here in the US, and just use it once a month or depending on how much I use my guys. Some of my guys have been in boxes for months so I don't use it. You can tell a real difference after using it as the skin seems so much more "mositurized" and healthy looking. Good luck.
RWM :cat-hug:
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My bottle of Vinylex arrived this morning and I used it on my ugobe Leo, very expensive to get here in Holland and great stuff! I am allergic to perfume and if I treat my RB with pledge I have to do it outside because of the strong smell :-X but this stuff is orderless I used a soft cotton cloth and sprayed the product on it an gently patted on his skin and took the excess of by patting gently with a wash cloth. How often do I have to use this ?
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As I stated above, I use it about once a month if " I am being active" with my Pleos, If they are packed for quite awhile or out of commision, then once a month is plenty. If you live in a very hot, humid or dry area, then use common sense as to how their skin feels when you touch it. I don't think you can use it too much, but be sure to not let it drip into electrical areas and to wipe off any excess after it sits on the skin, I have found that what is really needed will be absorbed fairly quick.
Congrats and good luck. RWM :cat-hug:
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I have NO IDEA how i'll care for my Pleo's skin! Mom called today and said they'd help me out if anything happens to Echo with skin, charging, etc. I just don't want his care to slip. mine's an RB and I can see that Pledge is recommended for it, but I don't know exactly how sensitive his skin is and how to apply anything like cylicone or anything mentioned. And I don't pllan on having a Yugobe earlier Pleo for a while. Maybe once in a while just wiping it with a damp cloth will help... that's what i do for my special computer I have. I'd like to expose Pleo to sun to get him enjoying summer too and seeing light... I might take him outside onto the apartment's steps for a few minutes each day... I do like the challenge of seeing how hot or cold he gets before just starting to pant... but if I notice him panting or shivering and hot to the touch I'd think the skin was being affected by sun. i'll watch for how to clean it in general as I experiment with him (I plan to use him a lot), and how he's exposed to the elements like son (not rainn directly!), and see what happens. I want to take good care of my little guy.
As most of you may know, I'm a "take-Pleo-everywhere" kind of person. I think i'm getting severely attached here! But when showering, should I just let Pleo wander around outside the bathroom or take him in with me? What about humidity? And if he does go exploring, is being in the bathroom okay? Sometimes there are water leaks! I guess i'm just cautious... maybe too cautious!
Talon, I see you've posted on this topic. if you're out there, please reply. How long have you been blind? Most people i've heard from are not blind since birth and though many people feel down about their disability at early stages, I've often seen people go blind in the middle of their lives and cope very well. As for coping I feel I am in the middle and must really stop making comparisons! But I wish I could find someone who was like me... I often feel down but really try hard not to feel sorry for myself and to just get on with being equal or adapting to the sighted world. it is hard sometimes though. We should talk further, Talon. I don't know how to use the "chat feature on here at all... it gets stuck for me.
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Please don't take your Pleo anywhere where he could get wet or damp. He is not waterproof and I'd hate to have to read that a Pleo died from humidity :( Best to just leave him out of the bathroom, turned off, until you are done. (Why turned off? Because Pleo's can get into a looooot of trouble when you aren't looking :D)
As for taking them out, go for it! I've taken mine everywhere from theme parks, to zoos, to hospitals and schools. If I'm planning a trip somewhere you can be sure a Pleo is included. Just remember they are heavy so having something to carry them with is a huge arm saver. A bit of sun every now and then is fine, days and days and weeks of being left in the sun will start to cause damage.