[geeks] Washing lots of Lego

[William Enestvedt]

How do I clean a LOT of Lego?

   I got hold of an 8-gal. storage tub full of Lego via the local
Craig's List: it will be the greatest Christmas gift I ever give my
kids. :7) But it's been in a garage and needs to be washed -- what's the
best way to clean the bricks, people, rocket segments, train wheels,
wind-up-bodies, doors, and other bits? Bonus points if it isn't too
loud: we have four kids sleeping in a tiny house!

   I am thinking of filling a big bucket or basin (set in the tub) with
hot soapy water and swishing the stuff back and forth, letting the gunk
float to the surface and then down the drain. But I have a *lot* of
pieces to wash, so this might take a while. I saw a suggestion somewhere
to put the pieces in a mesh bag and send it through the washer, but I
only have one bag, and that seems awfully wasteful of water & power &
time.

   I have a tub in the basement because the previous owner had a home
business washing dogs. It's mounted two or three feet off the floor,
too, next to the washer & dryer, so this is probably where I'll do my
work.

   Is any soap better or worse than, say, dish soap (e.g., Palmolive or
Joy)? Any hints for doing this without being louder than a cement mixer?

   Thanks in advance.

- Will
P.S. OK, only slightly more than half  of the tub is Lego and the rest
is assorted broken junk and Lego knock-offs. Still, that's a *lot* of
fun!
P.P.S. Sorting through this stuff is like exploring the history of Lego:
I have large chunky wheels, smooth, sleek wheels, and space wheels; I
have guys with barrels for heads and guys with incredibly complicated
space suits; I found small blue shutters, larger units with windows
*and* shutters, and weird pivoting transparent space doors; and I have
older, simple red and green bricks, on up to clear yellow, red, blue,
and white pieces. And then it all stops in the late 80s or early 90s,
probably when the kid got to be about 15 -- so no castles, no movie
tie-in pieces, none of the too-specialized, imagination-muzzling stuff
they sell now. AWESOME!!
P.P.P.S. The only downside to this has been realizing what's missing: I
have two ship's keels, but no hull pieces. I have the wheels, trucks,
and couplings for a train, but no clear idea of what other parts of the
train cars are missing. *sigh* _So_ tantalizing...

--
Will Enestvedt
Providence, RI