Doll cleaning

[Sewlittletime]

Sarabell's question on re-rooting doll hair got me thinking about cleaning dolls. Anyone have a clue? My favorite childhood doll has a hard plastic torso (it's shiny and easy to clean....nevermind that the poor thing has split at her side seams and is held together with medical tape!). But how do you clean the softer plastics?? Dirt just seems to stick to that stuff, and that's what her head and limbs are made of. Heck, if I'm going to bother with giving her new hair, she should at least look like she hasn't been playing with mud pies!

[Getcrafty.com!]

[lizzymahoney]

A lot of the old plastics post bakelite and melamine do not hold up for generations. They off-gas, and can start to run or change color as well as getting sticky. The 1950-60 Tupperware in museum displays have deteriorated beyond anything anticipated when they were first made.

The latex in my early '60's babydoll head has that awful stickiness with the appearance of dirt smudges all the time. I'd like to find a way to clean and then seal her face. Her body is a bit harder and not sticky at all. The 1950's era doll that I inherited from an older cousin is very rigid in body and limbs, but the face is of a latex type that is still holding up. She cleans up well.

At least their faces aren't melting.

[Sewlittletime]

Thanks Lizzy! That makes perfect sense about the latex. I had forgotten about that. I'll have to dig the doll out and see what it feels like. Probably sticky! Ewww! Maybe a call to a local doll hospital would get some helpful info on what to do about the cleaning/sealing issue? I know we've got a doll hospital within an hour or 2 of my city.