Helpful Household Cleaning Products For Dolls And Accessories

Many collectors love to find a vintage doll in "as found" condition.  For these collectors, part of the thrill of the hunt involves finding a neglected beauty, giving her a little TLC, and returning her to her former glory.  If you enjoy gently cleaning vintage dolls and accessories, here is a list of ordinary household cleaners that I've found helpful.

• The vacuum -- If a doll or bear arrives dusty or musty, a good first step is to try to gently vacuum off dust with a vacuum attachment.  Proceed with caution, you don't want the vacuum to grab or tear any fragile fabrics.
  
• Baking Soda --  Baking soda is helpful to eliminate musty odors and as a mild abrasive.  For musty or smelly items, try putting about 1/2 of a box of baking soda in a plastic bag with the item.  Seal the bag and let the item sit overnight.  Remove the item and shake off any baking soda.  Again, be careful if your item is clothed to avoid damaging fragile fabrics.  You can also try baking soda on a sponge to remove stickiness on a vintage vinyl or plastic doll.
  
• White vinegar -- Vinegar is a great gentle all purpose cleaner, especially for mildew.  Have you ever purchased a vintage doll with creepy white eyes?  That is probably mildew.  Try dipping a cotton swap or a child's paint brush in white vinegar and removing the white surface.  Be careful around the lashes, those are easy to dislodge.
  
• A toothbrush -- An old toothbrush is handy for cleaning inside mouths, ears and nostrils of vintage vinyl and plastic dolls.  Make sure you don't press to hard to use excessive water on the brush to avoid damaging any old painted surfaces.
  
• Ivory soap -- Sometime vintage dolls come in dirty, stained or musty clothes.  Collectors differ as to whether it is good to wash vintage doll clothes, but if the outfit is really unsightly a gentle wash may be your best option.  For most items, I recommend hand washing in warm water with a lather of ivory soap.  You may have to change the water several times.  If the item is pure white and cotton, you may want to test a couple of drops of bleach in the water.  Proceed with caution!  Bleach can ruin colors and synthetics.  Once the item looks cleaner, put in on the lawn to dry in the sun.  The combination of the chlorophyll from the grass and the sun can really whiten.

With any of these techniques, less is more.  If your item is particularly rare, valuable or fragile, consult an expert or a doll hospital before trying this at home.  On the other hand, if you purchase a few fixers cheaply for this purpose, you will have plenty of material with which to experiment.   Good luck and happy hunting.