|
As disgusting as it may be, mildew happens. :p It's gross to look at, but cannot be avoided now since it happened years ago. If you come across a pony, specifically the lighter colored ones, that has dark discoloration to them, but not something that can wash off, suspect mildew. Another indication of this is if you see the discolorations and the pony also has a rust mark on her tail. This shows that she was left in the water quite a bit, and a damp inside for long periods of time is what causes the mildew to form. You can also sometimes see the mildew coming up from the roots of her hair or tail. Even if you are not intending to customize a pony, it is good to know how to remove the mildew. Follow the instructions for removing the head on the previous page and take a peek inside. You will know instantly if this poor pony is suffering from mildew. All over her insides there will be a dark brown scum caused by the dead mildew (a type of fungus) clinging to her insides :p There are two ways to remove this mildew. One is by giving a through scrubbing with a brush. A thin, flexible bottle brush works the best, as it allows you to get down inside the legs, even the back ones, as well as getting the bottoms of hooves. A toothbrush works moderately well, but can only get the front legs and not the bottoms. As shown by the base Masquerade's head to the left (all the brown or darkened areas are caused by mildew and its related stains), even with considerable scrubbing, some mildew refuses to leave. At this point you may want to use a scrubbing solution such as Soft Scrub or 409, but even then, some mildew is there to stay. The other way is to soak the insides of the pony in a strong solution of water and bleach. Leave her there for several days and then shake her about a bit for agitation action. This will not only kill any remaining mildew, but will significantly loosen everything as well. After this you usually still have some scrubbing to do though. The only setback to this process is that bleach tends to make pony hair brittle and rough, so you should be careful if you are planning to have her keep her hair.