How to Clean Plus-Plus Pieces: A Simple Care Guide

Quick answer

Wash Plus-Plus pieces by hand in a bowl of warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, swish them for about a minute, rinse well, and air-dry completely on a towel before storing. Skip the dishwasher, hot water, and harsh cleaners, since heat and strong chemicals are the fastest way to dull or damage the pieces.

Plus-Plus pieces end up everywhere: under couch cushions, in coat pockets, in the bottom of a backpack, and occasionally in a mouth. That is normal for a toy that gets built, rebuilt, and carried around. Cleaning them is quick once you know which methods are safe and which ones quietly ruin the finish.

This guide walks through a simple hand-washing routine, answers the dishwasher question honestly, and covers drying and storage so your pieces stay ready for the next build. It works the same whether you are cleaning a 70-piece tube or a full bulk bag.

Before you start: what you need

You do not need special supplies. A clean bowl or sink basin, warm water that feels comfortable on your hands, a drop of mild dish soap, a soft cloth or small soft brush, and a clean towel are enough. A mesh laundry bag or a fine colander helps if you are washing a lot of pieces at once, because it keeps small pieces from sliding down the drain.

Avoid hot water, bleach, alcohol, acetone, and abrasive scrubbers. Plus-Plus pieces are small plastic shapes with a matte finish, and heat plus harsh chemicals is the combination most likely to leave them dull, sticky, or warped.

• Check pockets, couch cushions, and toy bins first so you are not washing crumbs and lint along with the pieces.
• If a piece has been in a mouth, wash it separately with soap and water and rinse thoroughly before it goes back in the bin.

How to hand-wash Plus-Plus pieces

Fill a bowl with warm water and add one small drop of mild dish soap. Drop the pieces in and swish them around with your hand for about a minute. For dried-on sticky residue, like juice or candy, let them soak for two to three minutes, then rub the spot gently with your fingers or a soft brush. Do not scrub hard; the goal is to lift the residue, not to scour the surface.

Drain the soapy water and rinse the pieces under running warm water until no suds remain. Soap left behind can feel tacky once it dries, which makes pieces harder to snap together. If you are washing many pieces, a colander or mesh bag makes rinsing and draining much faster.

• One drop of soap is plenty. More soap means more rinsing and a higher chance of leftover residue.
• Warm, not hot. If the water is uncomfortable for your hands, it is too hot for the pieces.

Is Plus-Plus dishwasher safe?

Treat the dishwasher as a no. The high heat of a drying cycle and the heat of the wash water are the main risks, and the strong detergents used in dishwashers are harder on plastic than a drop of hand soap. Even on a gentle cycle, small pieces can shift, lodge in the filter, or come out with a changed surface. Hand washing takes a couple of minutes and avoids the whole problem.

The same logic applies to boiling water, microwaving, and leaving pieces in a hot car to dry. If you want a faster method than a bowl, a mesh bag under warm running water works well and keeps every piece accounted for.

If you are cleaning a large set, like a bulk bag of a single color, you can wash it in batches. Sort by color first if you want to avoid mixing, then wash, rinse, and dry each batch separately.

• Never put Plus-Plus pieces in the dishwasher, even in a mesh bag.
• Do not use a washing machine, dryer, or heated drying rack.

Drying and storing your pieces

Spread the rinsed pieces in a single layer on a clean towel and let them air-dry completely. A few hours is usually enough, but pieces with deep crevices or a tight stack can hold water longer. If you store them damp, you can end up with a musty smell or cloudy spots, so give them time.

Once dry, return the pieces to their original tube, box, or bag, or into a clear bin if you keep a mixed collection. Keeping sets separated by type makes rebuilding easier, especially for guided builds like a travel trailer or an astronaut where you want the right colors in one place.

• Pat pieces dry with a towel if you are in a hurry, then let them sit for another hour before sealing them in a container.
• Store away from direct sun and heat, which can affect plastic over time.

Your Plus-Plus cleaning routine, step by step

1. 1. Sort and check: Empty the pieces into a bowl or colander and remove any that are still in a build, plus any lint, crumbs, or non-Plus-Plus items. Common mistake: skipping this and washing a stray LEGO or a hair tie along with the set. Checkpoint: all pieces are loose and accounted for before water is added.
2. 2. Wash in warm soapy water: Add one drop of mild dish soap to warm water, swish for about a minute, and gently rub any sticky spots. Common mistake: using hot water or a strong cleaner, which can dull the finish. Checkpoint: water feels comfortable on your hands, not hot.
3. 3. Rinse thoroughly: Drain the soapy water and rinse under warm running water until no suds remain, using a colander or mesh bag if you have many pieces. Common mistake: stopping too early, which leaves a tacky film that makes pieces harder to connect. Checkpoint: rinse water runs clear and pieces do not feel slippery.
4. 4. Air-dry completely: Spread pieces in a single layer on a clean towel and let them air-dry for a few hours. Common mistake: sealing them in a tube or bin while still damp, which can cause a musty smell. Checkpoint: no visible moisture in crevices before storage.
5. 5. Store by set: Return dry pieces to their original tube, box, or bag, or a clear bin, and keep sets separated. Common mistake: dumping everything into one bin, which makes the next guided build harder. Next step: rebuild the original model or try a new creation with the clean pieces.

Sets that are easy to keep clean

• Tube - Astronaut: The 70 pc Astronaut Tube includes instructions to build a space explorer, then reuse the same colorful pieces for rockets, space stations, and other 2D and 3D creations. A single tube keeps one project's pieces together, so washing and drying a small batch is quick and you are less likely to lose parts down the drain.
• 150 pc Bag - Turquoise: Plus-Plus is available in bulk bags of 150 pieces in a single color, intended for expanding a collection. A single-color bulk bag is the easiest thing to wash in one bowl, because you do not have to sort colors afterward.
• Box - Grape Gorilla: The 70 pc Grape Gorilla Box includes instructions to build a gorilla and reuse the pieces for other animals and creations, and the compact box is designed to travel. A compact box is handy for cleaning on the go: empty the pieces into a bowl, wash, dry, and the box is ready to repack.

Cleaning Plus-Plus is a five-minute job: warm water, a drop of soap, a good rinse, and a full air-dry. Keep the dishwasher out of the routine, store pieces dry and sorted, and your set will stay ready for the next build.