i know this has probably been asked a gazillion times so i'm sorry if i am being redundant. 
i just ordered a set of cake dummies to practice on and i searched through a bunch of posts here to see how everyone adheres the fondant to the styrofoam.
most of what i read suggested to wet the styrofoam and stick the fondant right on it. sounds easy enough.
my question is, what will happen if i remove this fondant and want to use the dummy again? does it deteriorate underneath the water and fondant mixture? or, will it just remain sticky and unharmed, ready to be used again?
i just want to make sure i get the most use out of them. i would like to reuse them to try out different designs.
any advice is appreciated 
I have never used cake dummies before, but from what I've read from the wonderful people on this site, it seems that a lot of them wrap the dummies in plastic wrap and then cover that in buttercream. Then you can just apply fondant over the BC.
When you're done, you can just peel it all off and you're cake dummy is still clean and can be re-used.
Hope this helps,
Plastic wrap is your best bet at preserving the dummy.
I have used the dummies alot. In class we lightly painted the dummy with piping gel. When painting the sides, leave about a half inch unpainted at the bottom. That way when you are smoothing, the excess gel will shift down covering that area. Otherwise it could oooze out and you would wind up with a mess. When you are read to reuse, just peel it off.
For buttercream, I just smear it on. I remove it later with a spatula and warm water. The styrofoam is never damaged.
One tip, adhere your dummy to the board with double sided tape, then adhere the dummy board to your table or else you will be chasing it all over the place when trying to frost.
Good luck!!!
I wrapped mine in plastic wrap first, be careful not to pull too tight or you could dent the sides. Frosted with BC then fondant. Then it was east to just lift the plastic from the bottom and peel off the fondant.
I have made many dummy cakes and all I ever do is smooth the dummy and mist it with water before applying the fondant. When it's time to do another design, I soak the fondant off in a plastic bin filled with water. I let the dummy dry out for an extended period of time--about 3 days will do it--and decorate again.
I use hot glue to stick the dummy to the cake board and to each other. It does indent the styro a bit, but that is only an issue for dummies that will be top layers at some point. If it's a problem, I make a paste of fondant and "spackle" dents or holes.
All of this keeps the dummy cake lightweight, sturdy, and essentially uninteresting to mold and critters.
Rae
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%