I bought a rubber (?) vintage (about 1950-1970) doll from a thrift store and she's covered in dirt. How do I clean her properly?
Her hair also needs a decent wash.
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Use a mild detergent. You could also use baking soda for tough spots. Use a few drops of hair conditioner to soften the hair and make it easier to comb after you wash it.
Before you do anything it is critical to know what the doll is made of. Rubber, vinyl, composition, porcelain, paper mache, bisque or something else.
Water can, for example, destroy paper mache or composition dolls and detergents and too much water can stain bisque.
Rubber feels squishy, vinyl feels like rubber, but it is not usually squishy. Composition can feel rough and smooth at the same time and have a hollow sound if you tap it lightly. Paper mache has often has a sandy/gritty feel to it (like paper), bisque is cool to the touch, but rough and porcelain is cool to the touch and smooth.
Rubber, vinyl, and porcelain are USUALLY safe to clean with a damp, white cotton (NO COLOR AND NO MAN MADE FIBERS) rag and very little of a very mild detergent, like Dreft, Dawn Simple, or Ivory. Bisque, composition, and paper mache are very tricky and I would suggest if it is really bad, seeking professional help to clean to not risk damaging the doll.
There are lots of good YouTube videos on how to clean various dolls. I do suggest caution and always test any cleaning on the inside of of a leg or under the arm before using it on the entire doll.
Cleaning hair is a whole different story and if you need guidance with that, post back. It is really critical to know what the hair is made of or it also be easily destroyed.
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