Most non-cloth items can be thoroughly washed before being consigned, and
they should be. It doesn’t take long to clean out salt and pepper shakers. A
buyer is much more likely to pick up a little set of shakers knowing that he or
she won’t have to go home and clean crystallized salt out of the shaker holes.
Hand wash or put all cleanable items through the dishwasher. More delicate
items may be best served by washing by hand, but most goods can be run through
the dishwasher with better results. Plastic children’s toys usually look brand
new if put through a cycle in the dishwasher. One exception though would be
that items with stickers can be devalued. If a toy truck has racing stripes and
license plate stickers, the heat in the dishwasher can damage or make the
stickers fall off. Look items over carefully before going the dishwasher route,
but do know using the dishwasher (even for items not usually cleaned that way)
can be a really quick and effective way to return that just-bought look.
Bigger Ticket Items
Many baby items are consigned, since little ones do not stay little for very
long. This means that shops see a lot of bigger ticket pieces like cribs, car
seats, strollers, and larger toys. Most of these have had rather minimal use,
but many look rather grubby.
To clean the bigger items (that won’t fit in the dishwasher), the bathtub or
even an outdoor session may be called for. Grab a cleaning solution and a scrub
brush and add some elbow grease. Again, scent can come into play. Solutions
with pine or lemon linger even after the cleaning and suggest a good buy when
compared to items that might be close but not as sensually appealing.
In most cases, big items can be broken down. A screwdriver is usually all it
takes to disassemble many things for detailed attention. A stroller may bring
in $5 with a light cleaning and $50 or up if scrubbed inch by inch. Remove and
launder cloth pieces, and individually wash various parts to eliminate any dirt
in cracks and crevices. Most dirt is not really hard to get off. It’s just hard
to get to. Taking an item apart, cleaning, and then reassembling is the key to
having the most salable big ticket pieces.