Why I decided to clean my old Mickey Mouse watch
I was digging through my junk drawer last weekend, found this vintage Mickey Mouse wristwatch from the 80s my grandma gave me, all dusty and grimy. It wasn’t working right, the face looked fogged up, and I thought, man, I gotta try cleaning this thing. No fancy gear or nothing, just using stuff around the house. Figured it’d be a fun little project to kill some time.
Getting my cleaning tools ready
First, I gathered what I had: a small soft toothbrush, some cotton swabs, mild dish soap, warm water, a microfiber cloth, and a little bowl. No special watch cleaning kits, I didn’t want to spend cash. Dug through the kitchen cabinet for the soap, grabbed the toothbrush from the bathroom—it was all quick and dirty. Made sure not to use anything rough that could scratch the plastic or metal parts, you know? Just kept it simple.
The actual cleaning step-by-step
Started by wiping the outside with a damp cloth to get off the big dust chunks. Then, I took the toothbrush, dipped it in warm soapy water, and gently scrubbed around the band and back cover. Real careful like, cause I didn’t want water seeping inside. Next, I used the cotton swabs for the tricky spots near Mickey’s face, working slow to avoid messing up the paint. Spotted some stubborn gunk on the clasp, so I dabbed more soap and rubbed it off with my finger—felt gross, but it worked! Kept checking as I went to make sure I wasn’t overdoing it.
- Took the watch off gently so I could handle it better.
- Cleaned the band section by section, rinsing the brush often.
- Focus on Mickey’s face with light strokes, no pressure.
- Rinsed everything under lukewarm water, patting it dry fast.
Finishing touches and the final look
After rinsing, I dried it all with the microfiber cloth, rubbing real soft to avoid streaks. Checked the edges with the cotton swabs again—saw some missed spots, went over ’em quick. Let it air-dry for an hour on a towel to be safe, though I was itching to wear it already. Once it was all dry, I wound it up and, bam, started ticking again! Now it looks shiny and fresh, way better than before. Feels like I brought a piece of my childhood back to life, no big cost or hassle. Just took it easy, followed my gut, and boom—good as new.
