Let's Rescue Some

Dolls!

Created on: February 20, 2000 Last Updated: January 24, 2004

Restoring dolls can be the best part of collecting. It's great to watch a doll go from grubby to fabulous in a matter of hours! Below you will find tips to help you restore your little one to her former glory, even if she has hair cuts or stains. Please email me pictures if you use these methods as I would love to see the results! =D "Before/After" pictures are my favorite! Light Cleaning: Heavy Cleaning: Hair Cleaning: Forehead/Chin Wrinkle Fixes: * Gentle Wash * Drying Tips * Sink/Tub Soaking Method * Washing Machine Method * Washing * Re-Parting * Styling * Complete Facelift Method * Tug N' Sew Method * Hair Dryer Method Some Ways to clean My Child Dolls: Cleaning the body: For Light Cleaning: (good for nose or fingers/toes) Items needed: Dishwashing Soap (Joy, Dawn, etc..), Mildew Remover (maybe), & Soft Toothbrush Process: Use a cup of water and some soft, silky soap (One that foames easily). Rub soap in the dirty spot (not too roughly though.. just softly) until you think the area is clean. You can use a soft bristled tooth brush for any scrubbing. Then rinse spot with warm water and dab dry with a white (no prints or they could stain skin) paper towel or soft towel. Just let her finish by air drying, preferably in a warm spot for faster drying. Possible Mildew Problem? If the spot is more of a "dark spot underneath the skin", this could be mold or mildew caused by humid climates (such as parts of Australia). Using some "Exit Mold" or other mildew cleaners these spots can be cleaned. Mildew/Mold cleaners usually contain bleach so do not leave on the doll's skin for more than 10 seconds at a time. Process: Just put some soap on the spot followed by a small spray of the mildew cleaner (directly on the spot), rub the spot with your finger for 10 seconds and the rinse throughly. If the spot appears to still be there, repeat this process until its gone. Then wash the spot again with soap, rinse throughly, pat dry and let her finish air drying. Back to Menu For Soiled Dolls: Sink/Tub Soaking Items needed: Fabric detergent (like Tide), Fabric Softener(Downy Wrinkle Free Softener), Hair ties, & Tooth brush Additional Preparation: Be sure to restrain the hair (to prevent tangling in the wash). To do this I recommend securing the hair with hair ties/rubber bands, etc. I usually braid longer hair, even with ringlet haired dolls. This will also help prevent you from losing her hair parting and bangs/fringe parting if she still has them. (see photo below) Process: Fill a sink with warm water and pour detergent into it. Then place naked doll into it (you can place several if you prefer). I let the doll soak up all the soapy water then hold her up as I squeeze and release her limbs and body to provide a cleaning action. I will also pull her up and then dip the doll back into the water. This way I am not rubbing her skin but allowing the soap water do the scrubbing for me (it's gentler wash that way). If you like, you can place something like Oxi-Clean/Napi-san into the water for additional cleaning power and let the doll(s) soak over night. Once she is ready to come out, drain the sink and refill with water again but this time pour in the Fabric Softener. Place the doll in the sink and move her around in it for a few minutes. Then rinse the doll completely by squeezing her limbs and body to reveal any soap still in her. Now you can either let her air dry (in a warm, non humid area is preferrable) for the day (see 'Final Tips') or work on her hair (see 'Hair Cleaning Methods' below). Back to Menu Washing Machine: (*My preferred method) Items needed: Fabric detergent (like Tide), Fabric Softener(Downy Wrinkle Free Softener), Pillow case, hair ties, & ankle stocking/sock Additional Preparation: 1.) Be sure to restrain the hair (to prevent tangling in the wash). To do this I recommend securing the hair with hair ties/rubber bands, etc. I usually braid longer hair, even with ringlet haired dolls. This will also help prevent you from losing her hair parting and bangs/fringe parting if she still has them. See photo -> 2.) Also place a stocking or tight fitting sock over the doll's head to help protect her face from any bumping against the washing machings walls. Then place doll inside a pillow case and either tie or knot the end. See photo -> Process: Place doll(s) (I recommend washing 3 at a time) into the washing machine with towels (to help cushion their bodies). Put detergent in and put the fabric softener into the timed release tray. Then set your washer to medium load, warm wash/cold rinse, on regular/normal cycle (*note - you can also put her clothes in there with her/him. It's like shooting two birds with one stone *smile*). Press start and just wait. The nice thing is that the washing machine is able to spin out most of the water so 'air dry' time is cut down considerably. Now just take her out and proceed to wash her hair(see below for tips) and everything will turn out great!! Warning: A word of caution is that some people have said that their doll got eye cracks (these aren't usually noticeable unless you look very closely - your doll may already have them from age/stress) and/or loose/wobbly necks when doing this method. (I have over 80 dolls I've done this with and never had a problem so while I support this option, I just want you to be aware of possible risk). So if this scares you, try washing 1 doll on gentle cycle or hand wash first and then check out the results. They are your dolls and so its your choice. =) Back to Menu Drying Tips: After her body is clean, be sure to wash and style her hair (see below for tips). You should let her air dry (in a warm area is preferable - maybe close, but not too close, to a heater), sitting on top of a towel to soak up any extra water draining from her body. She should be dry by the next day. While the doll is drying, softly brush skin with the flow of the fabric. This will give her a shiny 'just out of box' look. It really helps in the restoration process. Back to Menu Hair Cleaning Method Washing the Hair: Items needed: Fabric Softener(Downy Wrinkle Free Softener - preferred) or Hair Conditioner (Something greasy, as in made for deep conditioning), Sink, hair ties, Hair Comb/Brush & most importantly PATIENCE! Process: * Be careful to keep their hair part and bangs in tact and separate Place doll's hair in sink and pour fabric softener all over their hair and work it through. Let her sit for a few minutes (5 - 10, you decide). Then separate loose hair into sections and starting at hair tips & moving towards hair roots, comb each section with a comb gently, the comb should slide through her hair easily. (if it isn't, apply more fabric softener). For tougher tangles try letting her hair soak in the fabric softener for a few hours then comb it. Or if the comb is too slow for you, try using a hair brush. The object is to make the hair silky so it will virtually untangle itself.. and even the worst tangles and I mean the WORST can be removed this way with out losing much, if any, hair. Don't feel too bad if some hair strands comes out, especially with really tangled dolls as in some cases the hair was already pulled out (by child's play), but just knotted into the hair and released when you untangled it. Just keep putting in fabric softener and separating hair (with fingers and comb) and rinsing with cool water occasionally and putting more softener until all of her hair is tangle free. Then rinse completely. This works well on curly haired dolls and they don't lose their curl (and the cool thing is that the softener helps them keep their curls and adds shine!) After you're done.. squeeze as much water as you can out of her hair and then use a towel to squeeze some more out.. You don't want it fully dry though because for the best styling, you need the hair wet (just not dripping wet). YOU ARE DONE WASHING! NOW LETS STYLE IT! Back to Menu Now for the hair style: (For some example pics see US Dolls *** International Dolls ) Just Finding a Hair Part or Restoring Bangs For the hair parting, look for 2, sometimes 3, parrallel lines || of closely placed hair plugs then, going hair plug by hair plug, cross them together XXXXX Keep crossing hairs until there are no longer parrallel lines of hair plugs. This means you are done! Yay! Look below for specific hair part pattern you should be looking for/creating. For bang/fringe parts, separate, from the forehead on, the first 3 (check the 4th too as some dolls use the 4th row too) rows of hair plugs from the rest of the hair and tie the rest of the hair up (I recommend doing the bangs first then the hair parting). The bangs are mixed in these rows. The first row is mostly bangs with occasional long hairs. The second is mostly long hair, with the occasional hair plug of bangs. The 3rd is usually bangs and the 4th can be really close to the 3rd row and is usually just long hair. Basically, just pull the bangs forward and pull the long hair back toward ponytails. It's in the same type of crossing pattern XXXX as the hair parts, only easier. ;) With either partings you will need two things, a hair comb and a cup of water or spray bottle filled with water to keep the hair moist as this helps you keep the hair plugs together and neat. :) (Especially makes things easier on the ol' eyes when you find yourself doing this for a couple of hours.) L - Parting( for Top knot or double top knot) If the hair is short and curly or where it barely touches the neck (and she isn't a boy) look for a part on the right side of her head(face her away from you and it's your right). The part is in an L, sometimes almost J, shape. Gather the hair on top of her head (the part that parts over her head) and put it up in a tiny bow. Once again scrunch hair for added curliness or put curlers in her hair. Then let her dry. Ponytail/Puppytail If it's long just style it the way it was intended (with most long haired my childs the hair is meant to be in two ponytails - either that hang next to her ears like puppy dog ears or are higher up in regular ponytails where the hair is even at the tips when it's put in the ponytails) And they only have bangs from ear to ear. After putting them into ponytails grab each ponytail and with your hand or brush make the hair curve under or over (however you like) and then let her dry. This works for the REALLY long haired dolls and ringlet pontail/piggytail girls too (see second photo ->). Piggytail If the hair is sort of long and really curly.. look for a split in the middle.. this means she should have two pigtails on top of her head and bangs ALL around her head. When you put them in pigtails scruntch the hair to make them even curlier or put curlers in her hair pigtails. Then set her out to dry. Midlength V - Part If the hair just a bit longer than shoulder length and slightly wavy to tad curly. Look for a split in the middle that only goes from forehead to crown. She will have short hair mixed with her middle parting which you must weave with her long hair, keeping the short hair on top so that you can pull them forward to complete her bangs. (This is where the name V-Part comes from. Her bangs make a V shape from a top view of her head) She will have normal bangs almost ear to ear, you just drape the longer bangs from the middle part over the regular bangs. Then you tie the long hair that has been parted with two bows. Ringlets - Midpart / Sidpart If the hair is really long (to her knees or even ankles) and curly she is a rinlget girl. I like to use sponge curlers or a 3/8" curling iron. Side Part She should have a half-parting on the side that goes to her crown and no bangs/fringe. Once you've created the parting (XXXXX) you can place her curls into rollers in a vertical |||| pattern and let her hair dry. Once the hair is dry, remove the curlers, wrapping the curl around your finger as you do. If there is a lot of frizz to her hair, instead of curlers use a 3/8" curling iron to smooth the frizz and recurl the hair. Mid-Part She should have a half-parting in the middle that goes to her crown and bangs/fringe in the front that goes from about temple to temple (shown in photos below). Once you've created the parting (XXXXX) you can place her curls into rollers in a vertical |||| pattern and let her hair dry. Once the hair is dry, remove the curlers, wrapping the curl around your finger or a fat pen/marker as you do. If there is a lot of frizz to her hair, instead of curlers use a 3/8" curling iron to smooth the frizz and recurl the hair. If it's a boy with straight hair. He may have a side part or middle part. Use something to keep his hair down once you have redone the parting with a cap or stocking, since their hair likes to stand up. *smile* Then just let him dry. :) If it's a boy and he has curly hair. Lucky you! There is no hair parting to mess with. Just scrunch the hair up to his head.. hold a few seconds and let go.. do this a few times until his hair is too your liking. If it still isn't as curly as you would like, try using curlers... roll his hair up and wrap a bag around his head so the curlers don't fall out and let his hair dry that way so that it keeps the curls (you can do this to the girls, too!) Let them set until the hair is dry and then remove. Back to Menu Ways to fix the wrinkles on their faces: The Complete Facelift Method: The only way I've heard is by cutting right up at the top of the forehead (where the hairline starts) then pulling the cloth(skin) up (like a facelift *smile*). After you've cut the fabric some people like to put glue (something that won't desolve in water) underneath and then smooth the fabric on the face until it is wrinkle free and cut any excess fabric (shouldn't really be any.. it's just loose, not really stretched but if there is, trim it) then glue the edge back down or sew the hairline together if you can. Back to Menu The Tug 'n Sew Method (Almost like Complete Facelift method only no cutting) Pull the fabric either up to the forehead, sideways to the ears, or down to the neck. Then sew behind the ears, at the hairline(on the forehead), or at the neckline with a kind of khaki colored thread or clear thread (this seems to be what mattel used on the dolls originally for the back of the limbs). Back to Menu The Hairdryer Method This is a nice fix for dolls with slight wrinkles. You run the doll's face under really hot water and then use a hair dryer to dry the face. This apparently shrinks the fabric causing the face to tighten and thus causing wrinkles to disappear. Back to Menu These are the only ways I've heard it done. I bought one doll with the complete facelift method already done. She's pretty but personally I wouldn't do this to my dolls. I have not attempted the sewing method seeing as I don't trust my sewing skills. *smile* I am looking for another way beside the facelift method but if the wrinkles really bother you.. this is the only way I know of. If you know of a way that doesn't ruin the dolls please email me and tell me. That's about it for now.... My Child Homepage*** Regular MCs*** International MCs*** Vinyl MCs*** MC Pets*** MC Outfits Accesories, Playsets, etc.*** My MC Collection*** Creative Concepts for MCs*** Ways to Fix MCs*** MC Links*** MC Webring Where Would You Like To Go?? -Home- Just click on the pic: ©2004 Marisa Ramon -> Email Me!! DISCLIAMER: I do not claim any rights to My Child, My Children, My Loving Child or My Pets characters. All toys, characters and their respected names are trademarks of ™ MATTEL & © MATTEL. This page is not associated with Kenner™ , LJN™ ,Mattel™ , Bagdasrian™ , Hallmark, American Greetings™ or any other company/toy company. This page is strictly for fun and information. This is a fan site. Not intended to infringe any © copyright laws. If I am please email me so I can correct myself. My opinions are exactly that: MINE! I'm not speaking for Nodecaf.net, they just host this site. Some of the pictures on here were made by me. They took a long time to make, so if you would like to use my pictures please attach a link to my homepage. Thanks