Dollieh Sanctuary

Here's something I've been wondering for a while:

I see several sites recommending Vaseline or butter for removing stains from vinyl doll parts (like Barbie heads), but I keep hearing how bad grease and oil is for dolls - does anyone know how safe this is? What are the risks - long-term degradation of the vinyl? I'm no good at chemistry...

Two examples:
http://adollysworld.com/doll_cleaning_tips.html
http://mysindy.com/forum/index.php?topic=1024.0

I've tried the vaseline method on an old Barbie head that was badly stained from blue hair dye. Basically I covered the face in vaseline and left in the sun for a few weeks, reapplying now and then. I didn't have the patience to stick it out, but it did lighten the stains considerably.

I am currently reading Nicholas J. Hill's book, The Definitive Book on the Care and Preservation of Vinyl Dolls and Action Figures. Hill is a chemist who has painstakingly researched the composition of the vinyl and plastic of dolls and action figures because his wife loved to restore them. There are many passages in his book which speak to the pros and cons of a multitude of "home cleaning remedies" and what they actually do to the components of plastics and vinyls. Depending on the type of stain and the "cleaning materials" used, many do more harm than good. For example, the butter method may remove the top layer but could be just feeding a mold stain. Using his knowledge of chemical engineering, Hill has developed a number of products sold at Twin Pines of Maine (http://www.twinpines.com/) that address a lot of different cleaning issues, Remove-Zit and Formula 9-1-1 in particular. These products remedy a number of staining issues and do the least amount of harm to the resins, plasticizers, and other chemical components that make up plastic and vinyl.
For the long term health of your dolls, leave the butter in the fridge and the petroleum jelly in the bathroom and use the right stuff for the job. You wouldn't use laundry detergent to wash your hair would you?

K2! wrote:I am currently reading Nicholas J. Hill's book, The Definitive Book on the Care and Preservation of Vinyl Dolls and Action Figures. Hill is a chemist who has painstakingly researched the composition of the vinyl and plastic of dolls and action figures because his wife loved to restore them. There are many passages in his book which speak to the pros and cons of a multitude of "home cleaning remedies" and what they actually do to the components of plastics and vinyls. Depending on the type of stain and the "cleaning materials" used, many do more harm than good. For example, the butter method may remove the top layer but could be just feeding a mold stain. Using his knowledge of chemical engineering, Hill has developed a number of products sold at Twin Pines of Maine (http://www.twinpines.com/) that address a lot of different cleaning issues, Remove-Zit and Formula 9-1-1 in particular. These products remedy a number of staining issues and do the least amount of harm to the resins, plasticizers, and other chemical components that make up plastic and vinyl.
For the long term health of your dolls, leave the butter in the fridge and the petroleum jelly in the bathroom and use the right stuff for the job. You wouldn't use laundry detergent to wash your hair would you?

So the reason I haven't heard much about the side effects is nobody here would even think of trying it? Yeah, I guess avoiding shortcuts is the best for your peace of mind... I'm trying to avoid intl. shipping costs too, though. I can see butter being bad for mold in the long run, but vaseline doesn't sound so bad compared to hydrogen peroxide, which Remove-Zit (and various household remedies) contains.

There is this stuff called remove-zit from twin pines that is made for vinly also you well need there 9-1-1 stuff as well. I'v tryed this stuff on my obitsu's and it works like a dream. This is the only stuff that l would use for treating stains etc.

Janeway wrote:There is this stuff called remove-zit from twin pines that is made for vinly also you well need there 9-1-1 stuff as well. I'v tryed this stuff on my obitsu's and it works like a dream. This is the only stuff that l would use for treating stains etc.

Yeah, I think I'll probably go with that instead. It might be worth it to not have to worry about possible long-term side effects.

Long term consequences of things other than Removezit and Formula 911 include the vinyl turning yellow. Stick to the good stuff - it's worth the money!