Guest Author - Susan Kramer

We all want our dolls to look in peak condition for the longest time possible, but still be cuddled and played with. This means we must take good care of our dolls just as we would any other fine possession we own.

First check a small section of all the fabrics in the doll to see if the dye used bleeds in water. Particularly, check the yarn in hair and the embroidery of the facial features. If these do bleed you'll need to clean your doll in a such a way that these parts stay dry.

This may mean cleaning the washable parts of your doll by hand in a bowl of clear shampoo and water. I recommend squishing your doll parts in the water repeatedly like letting a sponge fill with water and then squeezing out.

When you do squeeze out the water let your doll air dry on a towel, or put in a pillowcase and tumble in the clothes dryer at low heat or air.

If your cloth doll is stuffed with kapok or something other than polyester fiber fill or nylon stockings you may have the problem of lumps of filling forming like stones inside your doll body.

To confirm what the filling of your doll is if there is no label to tell you, use a seam ripper and open a seam just enough to check the contents.

One option is to remove the stuffing that does not seem washable and launder the doll body covering. Then after the doll is completely dry, carefully re-stuff the doll and firmly stitch the seam closed. At least the outside of the doll will look clean again.

I recommend shampoo because it is both concentrated to remove hair oils and at the same time mild enough for your scalp, so it will be mild on your doll bodies. Hand dish detergent is another option that is okay to wash cloth doll bodies in, though I recommend the hair shampoo as first choice - that is what I use on my own fine washable clothes.

But, under no circumstances put your doll in the dishwasher machine - the chemicals used are just for dishes, glasses, pots, pans and similar items. Dolls are not dishwasher safe!

Article by Susan Kramer