Help me! How do I clean this?

Miss-Moneypenny_7

My inlaws have kindly lent us their cake topper for our wedding in September.

The problem is it has been sat in a cupboard for many years and is a little dingy, I really want to be able to use it for sentimental reasons but I am worried about how to clean it without damaging it.

It is a ornament (two teddies) which I was thinking possibly cleaning with an old toothbrush and some bicarb (unless anyone can suggest something else). It's the attached veil I am more worried about, it is a little glued on section of net fabric which has gone a dingy colour over the years, I can't remove it to clean it - does anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks

charlies-aunt

if its washable, I'd give it a gentle swooshing round in soapy water and leave to dry in a sunny spot - the fabric veil will probably look a bit droopy - to make it crisp and stiff - make dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in a teaspoon of hot water and paint it on to the veil and use something to support it in the desired position until it drys
Hope this helps

lizzyb1812

I think the answer to this depends on what the teddies are made of. Traditional toppers used to be made of plaster which you could not wash. Are these made of plaster? If they are ceramic could you soak them in a weak bleach solution?

If they are plaster could you water down some white emulsion and gently paint the veil? The watered down paint would have to be thin enough not to clog the holes in the net so it would probably help if you experimented on a bit of lace/net curtain.

Or paint on watered down bleach? Again I would experiment with some scrap material first.

Could you have a cream coloured icing on your cake to disguise the lack of whiteness of the veil?

Just thinking aloud really - not sure if any of this is helpful.

You could perhaps not use the topper on your own cake but have a small cake just for the topper as a sort of tribute cake?

Lizzy