Suggestions on how to clean these up

[mac78]

PLEASE EXCUSE THE DUST.......These tall ships were given to me by my mom. They have been sitting in a box collecting lots of dust. They are dirty and need a major cleaning up.

Any suggestions as to how/what I can use to clean them. Hubby thinks the sails are supposed to be the dingy color they are, I thought they were just dirty. I have no idea how old. I want to add them to my family room which I am working on cottage/costal.

Thanks for any advice.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w155/mdburch/DSC03745a.jpg

[ChapterTwo]

These are great looking!

Hmmmmm...My suggestion would be to take the ships outside and use a hair dryer (set on cold) to blow the loose dust off. Then I'd take a dry Q-tip and run it gently along one of the parts that looks dirty, to see if anything comes off.

I think, if they were mine, I'd be afraid to use water or any liquid on the sails, because you run the risk of spotting them and making them look worse. At the present time, your husband thought they were meant to be that way, and I get that feeling too, so I think I'd go with that! In past instances when I've tried to clean something "iffy", I always wind up regretting doing anything at all. You know the "look" the sails have now, but you don't know what you might wind up with.

Good luck with it!

- Cautious Chapter Two ;)
P.S. - Do you think a Mr. Clean Eraser might help??

[Breezy]

The blow dryer is a great idea. You might try a good old fashioned feather duster or very gently cleaning them with a soft cloth.
I think Mr Eraser has to be wet (damp) when it's used. Hope this helps.