Vintage Doll Repair
  • Why Doll Repair?
  • Alphabetical Index of Dolls
  • Dolls by Manufacturer
    • Advance Doll and Toy Company >
      • Tama
      • Walking Wanda
      • Walking Winnie
    • American Character Dolls >
      • Little Miss Echo
      • Petite Sally
      • Sweet Sue
      • Teenie Weenie Tiny Tears
    • Carlson Dolls
    • Celluloid Dolls >
      • Celluloid Doll 1 - Made in Japan
      • Celluloid Doll 2 - Schildkrot Reproduction
    • Deluxe Reading/Topper Toys >
      • Baby Boo
      • Baby Luv'N Care
      • Busy Baby - Baby Party
      • Busy-Baby Ride-a-Bike (aka Bikey, battery operated version)
      • Busy-Baby Ride-a-Bike (aka Bikey, non-battery operated version)
      • Li'l Miss Fussy
      • Nancy Nurse
      • Smarty Pants
      • Suzy Smart
    • Effanbee Dolls >
      • Dy-Dee
      • Melodie 1
      • Melodie 2
      • Noma
    • Hollywood Doll Mfg. Co. >
      • Queen For A Day
    • Horsman Dolls >
      • Cindy
      • Peggy Pen-Pal
    • Ideal Dolls >
      • Baby Giggles
      • Bizzie Lizzie
      • Giggles
      • Magic Lips
      • Patti Prays
      • Play'N Jane
      • Saucy Walker
      • Timmy Tumbles
      • Tubsy
    • Irwin Dolls >
      • Irwin Non-Inflam
      • Irwin Walker
    • Madame Alexander Dolls >
      • Chatterbox
      • Ireland
    • Mattel Dolls >
      • Baby First Step
      • Charmin' Chatty
      • Dancerina
      • Hi Dottie
      • Randi Reader
      • Tippee-Toes
    • Mego >
      • Baby Sez So
    • Minifon (unknown - made in Italy)
    • Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls, Inc. >
      • Colonial Dame
    • Remco Dolls >
      • Remco Company Background
      • Baby Grow-A-Tooth
      • Baby Know It All
      • Dune Buggy Baby
      • Jumpsy (1 and 2)
      • Mimi
      • Tumbling Tomboy
    • Schilling Dolls
    • Sun Rubber Company >
      • So-Wee
    • Uneeda >
      • Saranade
    • Unmarked Dolls >
      • 50's Walking Doll with Teeth
      • Ballerina with detached feet
      • Unidentified Stuffed Rubber
      • Unmarked 24" - "Stumpy"
      • Unmarked Oilcloth
      • Unmarked Wood & Bisque
    • Valentine Dolls
  • Interesting Accessories
  • Hard Plastic Disease (HPD)
  • Useful Tools
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Hair Care
  • Clothing
  • Doll Houses
    • Littles Dollhouse
  • Storage and Display Tips
  • Stories
    • Cars and Trucks
    • Creature and Whitey
    • Construction Toys
    • Foxy Grandpa
    • Grandma's House
    • Gumby and Pokey
    • Liddle Kiddles
    • Miscellaneous Toys
    • Playhouses
    • Puppets
    • Sock Monkeys
    • Toy Guns
    • Toy Trains
    • Trolls
    • Western Toys
  • Tips for Buying/Selling Dolls
  • Other Vintage Toys
    • Dial Master Telephone
    • Tricky Doodle Duck
    • Tricky Peter Penguin
  • References and Resources

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning is necessary on almost any doll purchased online or at flea markets and yard sales.   Cleaning can remove dust, stains, battery corrosion, finger oils, and sometimes odors from the home of the previous owner or odors caused by the deterioration of the doll's materials.  If you know what you are doing it can enhance the salability of a doll.  If you don't know what you are doing you can easily damage painted surfaces, decals, or even the material the doll is made from.  If you don't feel knowledgeable about what chemicals to use, or the process for using them, then it is better to hire a professional or leave the problem of cleaning to the purchaser.  There are separate pages covering "Hair Care" and one on "Useful Tools" if you are considering do-it-yourself repairs.  Many of the doll cleaning essentials can be found at Dollspart Supply.
Picture
My sister has a tote filled with her most commonly used cleaning supplies. She has other products she employs depending on the condition of the doll being cleaned or repaired. I took the items out of her tote and photographed them individually so I could describe their uses.
Picture
Target sells bundles of cotton washcloths at really reasonable prices. So reasonable that they can be treated as disposable if you are washing off greases, oils, and other "dirt" (or cleaning solutions) that you might not want to introduce into your washing machine.
Picture
Disposable gloves can protect you from cleaning chemicals and also protect dolls that might have finishes or materials that are susceptible to damage from finger oils.
Picture
These are great for cleaning around eyes, eyelids, ears, and noses.
Picture
Magic erasers can be useful for cleaning up accessories like cribs and cradles. Using them on dolls is probably not a good idea as they can remove delicate paints and finishes as well as the ink or pencil mark you were going after.
Picture
Air blowers from healthcare or photographic suppliers are better for eliminating dust from orifices and electrical/mechanical pieces without splattering your doll with saliva.
Picture
This type of stain remover works on doll clothes as well as human clothes.
Picture
Carol's Miracle Doll Cleaner seems to be the ideal cleaning agent - it removes most dirt and stray marks with minimal risk to hard plastic or vinyl body parts. Care should be used around painted on features, like lips and eyebrows.
Picture
I've used Remove-Zit on several vinyl dolls that had ink or dye stains. Follow the directions and you should get good results.
Picture
These are better than cotton swabs. They are soft and have tips that are well shaped for cleaning around facial features, dimples, skin creases, and getting between fingers and toes.
Picture
Dolls generally do not need to have their teeth brushed. Soft bristle brushes can be used behind ears but are often more useful for gently cleaning the dirty mechanical bits like motors and gears.
Picture
Dish soap can be good for cleaning plastic accessories like cribs and can be used to clean gears that might have old grease on them.
Picture
Tougher clothing stains may require a bleach pen but proceed with caution - older fabrics might be damaged by bleach. Keep bleach products away from the doll itself.
Still need:
  • D-Stinker
  • lint brush/roller
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.