Tips of Cleaning dolls, Doll Hair and Doll repair

1. Pantene shampoo is what I use to wash my doll’s hair. You can also use a mild dish washing detergent such as Ivory. Wash as you would your own hair only do not get any water or soap in doll’s eyes.
2. Downy Dunk for synthetic doll hair or wigs: Pour Downy or other fabric softener into a bowl. Lay doll down on her back and place hair inside the fabric softener. Leave it over night. I wrap the doll body in a towel to keep it dry before soaking. In the morning or whenever you get a chance, take the doll out of the fabric softener and use a cup, hold doll’s head over the sink and pour the water over the hair. Be very careful not to get any water in the eyes. The water will ruin most eyes. When all the fabric softener is rinsed out then towel dry. Use a doll brush and brush the hair. Either let the hair air dry or roll it into rollers and let it sit until hair is dry.
3. Boil Perm: Use perm rollers and papers to permanently curl a doll’s hair or wig. Use papers on the ends just like on human hair and roll up in the perm rollers. Wrap the doll body up in a towel. Hold the doll’s head over the sink and pour the water over the hair only. Do NOT get it into the doll eyes. Immediately pour cold water over the rollers. Then let the doll sit and it may take 2 days for the hair to dry. But let it air dry before removing the rollers.
4. Armour All for dull wigs. Spray armour all or other products for car vinyl on doll hair. Wrap the body and face in a towel. Do not let any of the spray get on the doll’s vinyl. It will make the vinyl shiny. If the doll has a wig then remove the wig and do this process. Brush it through the hair and let dry. The hair will shine like new.
5. Oxy 10 acne cream for removal of ink and other spots from vinyl. It is available at any drug store in the acne meds department. I use the cream. Put it on the spot or spots. Set outside in the sun. Be sure to cover up all other parts of the doll before setting it out in the sun with a towel. It may take up to a week for removal. Repeat if needed.
6. Non acetone nail polish remover will remove some spots. Test this and oxy 10 before using on a part of the doll that does not show.
7. Soft scrub without bleach is great for cleaning the dolls. I put some on a wash cloth and wash the dolls vinyl. I rinse out wash cloth and rinse with clean cloth. Towel dry and you have a nice clean doll.
8. Oxy clean is perfect for cleaning doll clothes. It will take stains out and the yellowing out of vintage fabric. I have used it on many vintage doll outfits and it takes the yellow out and makes them look brand new again. I put a half scoop into a bowl of water. Stir it up and then let my clothes soak in it. I check on it every half hour. If the stain or yellow is out then I rinse with clear cold tap water. Hang it to dry or lay it on a towel to dry.
9. Goop glue is great for gluing doll heads back on dolls. The My twinn doll heads often come unglued from their neck connectors. Goop glue and gripper plyers will hold the head on until the glue dries.
10. Use tacky glue to glue wigs back on dolls. You can also use double sided tape if you want to remove the wig periodically to change to a new wig on the doll.