Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Cleaning doll vinyl the easy way!

Hi everyone!
So I finally got around to making another post. This one won't be about my personal collection; it will be about how to clean your doll's vinyl - a really easy method!

It is a good idea to clean your doll's vinyl once in awhile just to keep her looking like new.
Things you'll need -
* Baking Soda
*Warm water
*Towel
*Washcloth or paper towel
* 2 bowls
Precautions - please read before proceeding!!
1. If your doll has a soft torso (AG, Gotz, etc.) - Never, ever get the cloth wet. The wet spot will most likely leave a mark that you will not be able to remove!
2. Don't get any water or baking soda in the doll's eyes.  If the eyes are painted on, don't clean them - they might be cleaned OFF - which is not good at all.
3. Don't get the doll too wet - it's just a pain to get her clean and make sure there's no residue left, etc.
How to:
1. Put your doll's hair up into a ponytail, if it is long enough to do so.  This will keep her hair from getting wet.
2. Dump a bit of baking soda into a bowl of warm water.  It doesn't necessarily matter how much - if your doll is pretty clean, just a little bit will do, where if she has marks on her vinyl, you will need to use a bit more.
3. Stir the baking soda/water solution to get it mixed a bit.
4. Take your washcloth or paper towel and dip it into your bowl of baking soda/water.  Squeeze any excess out until you just have a damp cloth.
5. Wipe your doll's vinyl down with your damp cloth.  If you come across any marks, etc., get a little bit of dry baking soda and dab onto the vinyl (be sure the area is wet enough that the baking soda will make a paste).  You can leave the paste on until you are done cleaning the rest of the doll's vinyl.
6. Once you are done wiping her vinyl down, take another bowl and fill it with plain warm water; either rinse the washcloth or get another paper towel, and then proceed to wipe the doll down with this.  This should take the baking soda residue off of her, but if her vinyl feels chalky afterward, this means you did not get it all off and you'll need to wipe her off again with the plain water.
7. Now to go about cleaning her face.  You will have to be EXTREMELY careful about her eyes, so you might cover them with your hand whilst cleaning her; otherwise, just clean as you would the rest of her limbs, but avoid her cheeks and lips if they are colored.  This could fade the color if you do clean them!
8. Once everything has been cleaned and rinsed, you can dry her off.  She'll be good to go!

Hope this helps to keep your doll looking great for years to come!!  (=

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