Accidents do happen. Dropping your deck of cards into your drink no longer means you have to buy a completely new deck. If you find that you have a sticky card or a coffee stain from a long night of 57 card hearts playing, then you will be happy to note that you can clean these right off.
Proper cleaning begins with the use of cold water only! You should be able to clean your plastic playing cards without the use of any soap. Please try this first. Begin by gently rubbing both sides of a few plastic cards with a non-abrasive soft clean cloth. When you are sure the plastic playing cards have been sufficiently cleaned, give them a quick rinse in a clean bucket of cold water, then you may proceed to drying them with a soft, clean, dry cloth (do not use paper towels for this step). The final step is to spread out the plastic playing cards on a bath towel in a well-ventilated shaded area until completely air dry. Remember to turn the plastic cards over to allow the other side to dry. Most of the time this method of ‘water only’ cleaning will be sufficient to return your cards to top condition.
If you find your plastic playing cards require more cleaning, you can repeat the above procedure using a small amount of mild (non acidic/non alkaline) soap like Dove. After cleaning with soap, be sure to completely rinse the soap residue off with clean water.
Plastic is highly durable and can take a lot of pain and beating, but the one thing that does not mix well with plastic is heat. You should avoid placing your deck of plastic cards into the dishwasher (or washing machine). Heat can cause warping to the cards and effect the print on the cards.
Even hot sun or warm playing areas are best avoided to get the most out of your cards. Playing in cool areas will reap the optimal card performance.
Do not fret if you find you have a damaged card. This doesn’t have to mean the end of the deck and can often be corrected by a simple card replacement.
It is recommended that you store your cards in a cool dark area. Too much light can effect the print on the cards over time. Too much heat can effect the shape of the cards as well. For optimal card longevity, cool dark areas will help the cards to keep their quality for the longest period of time.
Plastic decks of cards are not likely to bend, however they can certainly break with improper care. Please treat the cards with respect and they will certainly treat you with some great victories! It’s just a game, no need to throw the cards out the window if you didn’t win the round.
You bought the cards to play with, so use them! The more your cards stay clean and fresh, the more you will continue to want to play!