social

Old Doll's Rubber Legs Are Sticky?

I have a doll from the 1950's who's rubber legs have become a little sticky. Is there a way to correct this problem?

By Tricia from Alexandria, VA

Advertisement

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 

Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 270 Feedbacks
October 11, 20100 found this helpful
Best Answer

This is the break down of the rubber used in making the doll. It is not plastic, I presume, but the old fashioned rubber baby doll. You can smell the rubber and if you have a latex allergy, this should be sealed in a bag. Scary what we got when we were little! The cleaning is not something to be done with a chemical. Try using regular baby power with corn starch in it. Rub into the doll to help absorb the stickiness.

 
Anonymous
November 15, 20150 found this helpful
Best Answer

Clean the Doll with a Mild Soap and dust with body Powder

 
April 26, 20170 found this helpful
Best Answer

I was told by someone at a doll hospital to use Dawn dish soap. It will get sticky again, so wash it again. Rubbing is needed.

 
April 13, 20180 found this helpful
Best Answer

My Chatty Cathy's face was getting sticky so I went to the store and purchased a bottle of 91% rubbing alcohol. I applied some alcohol to a paper towel rubbed the paper towel on her face and the sticky was gone.

Advertisement

This is not a permanent solution. You will have to do this maybe once a year or as needed

 
August 14, 20180 found this helpful
Best Answer

Vinyl dolls in the process of breaking down will leak plasticizer.. Respondents are correct.....doll is no longer a toy....treasured likely but not a toy. Clean with 911....do NOT use cornstarch as it will encourage growth of microbes and fungi. Do not store in closed cabinets with other dolls. Let the poor thing breathe and not infect other dolls. Be prepared to clean regularly. There are other reasons vintage dolls are not proper toys for children as they begin to break down and it comes down to things like lead and cadmium.

Advertisement

See article for reference.whywww.neha.org/.../JEH-JanFeb2015-Vintage-Toys.pdf
You do not want children who yet put their hands in their mouth or kiss their babies to be handling these treasures. Wait till they are older....Such is why vintage and antique dolls must be marketed as for adult collectors. Put them in a bonny bonnet and kiss the bonnet. lynn

 
October 2, 20100 found this helpful

Call your local Tupperware dealer. At one party years ago they gave helpful hints to maintain their products, one was for sticky residue left from using oils in their containers. They should be very helpful on your doll crisis. Good luck.

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 126 Feedbacks
October 3, 20100 found this helpful

Try Goo-Gone. Can be purchased at Wal-Mart.

 
Anonymous
November 30, 20150 found this helpful

Tried goo-gone this evening...did not work at all!!

 
January 6, 20180 found this helpful

Wont goo gone remove the eyes etc

 
October 3, 20100 found this helpful

You can try Goo Gone. It is great for removing the glue from labels on jars.

 
October 4, 20100 found this helpful

My mother has a doll with a similar problem. The issue (at least in her case) isn't that something sticky has gotten ON the doll, but rather because the doll's legs are made of real not synthetic rubber or plastic. They are melting. So I'd like to know (and maybe this goes to the original posters question as well), how/where do you keep a doll like this so that the legs don't keep melting?

Advertisement

My mother's doll was being stored in the basement in a fairly dry climate. I would have thought it was keeping cool enough, but apparently not.

 
Anonymous
October 31, 20120 found this helpful

Sticky Doll Disease is a problem from the dolls breaking down. The doll can be releasing toxins like arsenic and asbestos. The doll may also be releasing something that mimics Estrogen in the human body. It is recommended that dolls that are getting sticky and especially melting be thrown away for health reasons. The dolls will eventually break down to nothing in time whether it's in your lifetime or a progenerative is another matter.

 
Anonymous
November 10, 20170 found this helpful

My doll is not sticky or melting.She is just dirty! Its a Thumbalina Doll!!

 
May 16, 20190 found this helpful

my baby dolls (newer ones) are dirty from handling.. I have tried everything ro. remove the dirt (behind ears, on tip nose, on
legs, arms, fingers and toes.

 
April 2, 20230 found this helpful

still no solution to cleaning baby

 
 
Anonymous
December 19, 20150 found this helpful

go to twinpines.com and purchase 911 cleaner. Grief, this article is a testimony to over reaction. Plasticizer is likely breaking down. Doll is no longer a kids toy. Tough to get old.

 
July 1, 20170 found this helpful

Just read about this in a museum. The doll is releasing arsenic and asbestos and can affect any other old dolls nearby. They had their doll in a sealed glass box.

 
July 12, 20170 found this helpful

I got my Toodles 1950's doll out for my granddaughter. Just her head is sticky. The rest of her body is fine.i still love my doll.

Advertisement

The person who said to through away the arsenic doll needs to watch Toy Story 2.

 
August 29, 20170 found this helpful

I also have a Toodles doll who's face is just starting to get sticky.
There is no way I will throw her away. Have you found a way to help her out?

 

Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
August 29, 20170 found this helpful

This is from disintegration due to age. Wash sticky part with mild soap and apply talcum powder.

 
November 8, 20180 found this helpful

Does dip with a little talc powder or starch powder. Prevents the sticky feeling dries it up nice

 
January 2, 20180 found this helpful

Older dolls contain a chemical agent called PVC poly vinal chloride. As the doll ages, this leaches out of the plastic, making it sticky. Old Barbies, and other old dolls.

Advertisement

This stuff can be dangerous to young children and possibly adults.look it up on the web. Sticky doll disease.

 
July 7, 20192 found this helpful

Use rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball, get as one corn starch to sprinkle on her after the stickiness in gone. It is the rubber in the doll breaking down.

 
February 22, 20230 found this helpful

I found my doll from the 1940's had turned extremely sticky on arms and legs (she has a cloth body and composite head). The alcohol and cornstarch worked very well.

 
May 24, 20230 found this helpful

This method worked INSTANTLY on my mother's vintage articulated Gund Teddi Bear with a rubber nose!!! It was very sticky, and it cleaned up really nicely; didnt even need the talcum powder! Beautiful!!

 
 

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
Categories
Home and Garden Cleaning ToysSeptember 29, 2010
Pages
More
🎂
Birthday Ideas!
💘
Valentine's Ideas!
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-01-26 14:55:29 in 4 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32128953.tip.html