Machine washing doll bodies?

[TaffyCheerful]

Originally posted by djsnjones:
--I seem to remember that you've said that getting the head off was easy, right?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, untie the string and remove the head. Tie the string into a loose bow or such that you can easily untie, put the body into a "delicate washables" bag and toss it into the washer. I am not certain if the bodies are "pre-shrunk" so I would not wash them in hot water...

djsnjones continued:
--If you machine wash it with the head off, how do you keep the stuffing from all coming out?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can always put more it. It is fiberfil, the same kind of cotton-like stuffing you find in big plastic bags at fabric and quilt stores... It is polyester, so it won't be harmed by the water.

djsnjones continued:
--Does washing this way make the stuffing get all lumpy?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If it gets lumpy, pull it out and replace it with fresh fiberfil. If you want the doll to have exactly the same size body afterwards, measure first and then replace the fiberfil, stuffing until the measurements are the same. AG itself has a record of inconsistency on stuffing their dolls. Some are a bit pudgy, some are a little emaciated. Some AG styles will not fit on the pudgy ones....

djsnjones continued:
--What is the best way of drying it afterwards?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Air dry. I would be very uneasy about putting the vinyl arms and legs into a dryer.

djsnjones continued:
--Are there any tips about getting the head back on, once it's dry? Is it hard to get it on tight enough?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is the easiest part. The one mistake that a lot of people make is tying the string too tight with the result that the doll's head cannot be turned.

Let us know how it turns out, please.

Taffy

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I'm warming up to the idea of machine washing the bodies of the dolls that I'm restoring, especially since my machine has a super gentle cycle. I've read that some of you have done this, I think, right? I have some questions...

--I seem to remember that you've said that getting the head off was easy, right?

--If you machine wash it with the head off, how do you keep the stuffing from all coming out?

--Does washing this way make the stuffing get all lumpy?

--What is the best way of drying it afterwards?

--How long should drying take?

--Are there any tips about getting the head back on, once it's dry? Is it hard to get it on tight enough?
Joy

[mom_to_an_americangirl]

I have done it more than once. I usually use dreft. I have also restuffed a doll who was from a smoker?s home and I could not get the smell out. I put my dolls in pillowcases and tie the case closed. When air drying I hang em by their legs so the water goes out the neck hole. I have gotten serious nicotine stains out of the bodies and got rid of terrible odors by using the machine. There is a product available in the baby aisle of Toys r us and walmart called ?totally toddler? spray stain remover which is an enzyme and has gotten off ink, paint and mystery stains from both my babies clothes and my ag bodies.
Cheers-
Lorie

[sewbig]

I was washing my dolls' hair. The bodies get wet either through splashes, or from the hair hitting the bodies when shaking them dry. My dolls got water marks on them also. The light beige (not white) bodies dried without a mark (using a blow dryer immediately and protecting the hair from the heat). But Josefina's body, which is of the darker fabric, stained badly. I immediately hand washed her in Woolite, and the water spots came out immediately.

The only problem is...

that was yesterday! The non-absorbent poly fiberfill traps the water, and the cotton body is still wet, not damp, WET!

I squeezed her out as best I could yesterday. I have her suspended upside down in my doll stand.

At this rate, it will be a WEEK before she is dry.

I will say, I "waxed" most of my dolls' hair using the Downey method referred to in previous posts. It made a great improvement on the ones with moderately dry hair. On the very dry hair (my 1986 Kirsten) it was only a slight improvement. I did wax all of my dolls, though, hoping it might be a preventative measure, like putting a coat of wax on your car.

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It may be that machine washing can get the water out better, because of the spin cycle.

For drying just the hair, I recommend laying a thick, bath towel on a table and just laying the doll on it, with the hair extending straight up away from her head. I don't have a picture of this yet, but it would be like the picture of the third position for steaming. Then I would suggest just letting it air-dry overnight.

For the Kirsten, you might want to try doing a soak in straight Downey (I think you told me you used a half-n-half soak?), and then an all-plastic steamer. I was surprised at how much of a difference the steaming did make with mine.

Best wishes,
Joy