Caring for your plushcon or autoplush 101 - Bathing
Hello and welcome to this care guide by the Cybertronian Board of Interspecies Cooperation or CBIC. In this section, we will cover cleanliness and bathing, for both cybetronians living on earth and for humans caring for their cybetronian guests.
Basics:
Plushcons and Autoplushies are not so different in this regard. They both need to maintain hygiene for their health. On cybertron, this is done via buffing and polishing, oil baths or solvent showers. On earth, things are a little different: Humans prefer to wash with simple soap and water.
First of all, it is never advisable to completely submerge or saturate your cybertronian in water. Human water is a rustative agent for most cyberlife, with the exclusion of specialised alt modes. For this reason it is best that you do not allow your cybertronian to use human shower facilities, human bathtubs or washing machines unless they have undergone a preventative rust treatment.
Washing
Dirt happens, we get it. Should your plushcon or autoplush become grubby we recommend firstly that you attempt a spot cleaning with hand soap and a soft cloth. Wash with the grain of their metal for maximum comfort . For bad staining you could try a light stain remover, washing the affected area only and rising swiftly after the alloted time. The plush frame of cybertronians most resembles acrylic fabric so please take this into consideration when choosing a stain remover.
For severe dirt, a sink bath may be necessary. Some cybertronians have a mild fear of washing: They are precious about their finish or hold valid concerns about rust. It is recommended you acclimatise them to the sink before washing starts. Please ignore their attempts at blackmail or bribery. Any requests to be take through a car wash instead of the sink should be disregarded.
Cybertronians should be washed cool if possible as hot water could result in burns, deformation of their plastic internals or shrinkage of their plushmetal. Be sure to squeeze out any excess moisture before moving into the next step. Dont worry, this does not hurt your plushcon.
Drying
A wet cybertronian is an unhappy cybertronian. Learning the best way to keep them warm and dry is the easiest way to endear yourself to your new house guests.
The easiest way to dry your cybertronian after a wash is to let them air dry in a sunny spot. Be sure to protect their optics and make them comfortable, as depending on your local solar strength, this could take a few hours. They may require a drink of coolant or prompting turn over to ensure even drying. Do not leave them unattended for too long as sun exposure over time can desaturate their paint.
The second option is faster but requires more input on your part. Human hair dryers provide a quicker, more controlled heating blast that can be used for precision drying to particularly damp spots. Please note however, that most cybertronians do not enjoy the noise. Drying via this method should be kept as brief as possible and should only be done on an cool setting as higher heat runs the risk of melting plushmetal.
Finally ,for very wet cybertronians, we recommend using a radiator, but this should only be used as a last resort. As you can see, it is not very comfortable for the plush invovlved. several precautions should be taken before employing this method.
Firstly lay a thin layer of cloth between the radiator and your plush. This will prevent burns or melting. Secondly do not leave your plush on one side for more than 30 minutes at a time. You must turn them, much like a rotisserie chicken. Lastly, please allow your companion to return to room temperature before offering any consoling snuggles. We understand this is a traumatic event for both parties but it is a necessary precaution to avoid burns to both human and cybertronian.
And that covers bathing 101. We at the CBIC strive to create a complete guide for the understanding of all readers. If you have any questions or feel we have missed anything, please contact us
Further reading
