Milkshake a la Mode

Yay!! It’s lunch time! Om nom nom! While you’re eating your sandwich, the tomato falls out. Uh oh! You pick it up, open your sandwich and throw it back in. Tomato is saved! With half chewed food in your mouth mmmm, you lick the mayo and tomato juice from your fingers. You move on to your banana, feeling the stickiness of the banana peel on your fingers as you peel it without much thought. You wipe your hands lightly with the napkin. That was a good lunch! You’re done and pick up your doll to continue playing…

Blargh! Sound familiar? Were you thinking the same thing when I was writing this- Nasty fingers? No?? What? You were thinking of getting something to eat? XD Well whether you’re aware of it or not, your hands carry a lot of grease and grime and oils from regular daily activities. When you touch your dolls with unwashed hands you transfer that right onto your doll. Over time, it can build up leaving a dingy grey cast to their skin. Gross! Or that nasty grey-brown colored crust buildup at the flash seams of the body. Gag! But worse, leave it on long enough and it can assist the deterioration of some of the softer plastics. Yikes!

Be aware of what you do before you handle your dolls. We move from one thing to another so quickly that we are not aware of exactly what it is we are doing. For example, I have my dolls by my computer. I make an active effort to keep the area clean but let’s face it, computer keys are well, they’re not always so clean. I always use the computer then reach over and mess with one of my dolls. Yep. All that brown keyboard nastiness is going right on my doll. Eww.

Get into the habit of washing your hands before you touch your dolls. Ideally, washing with warm water and soap is the best! If you can’t access the sink, keep a container of wet wipes where you play the most. Simply wipe then play. Doesn’t take but 10 seconds but those 10 seconds can help keep your doll looking like the day you bought her.

I can hear it now, “But but, wet wipes are so expensive and I play with my dolls so much, I’ll go through, like, a box a daaaaay!” Whatever. You can buy a generic brand, it doesn’t have to be Huggies, Clorox or whatever. The main idea here is to get that grimy film off your hands and on to another surface that is not your dolls. If you really don’t want to spend the money, then invest in a 50cent travel spray bottle, fill it with soapy water and a wash cloth. Keep them by the play area. Spray the rag, wipe your fingers. It doesn’t cost and, while probably the least effective out of the options, it is still proactively trying to keep your hands clean and that’s what matters. Just don’t forget to wash the rag occasionally.

I just came up with that right now, how clever of me. So see. You’re out of excuses now, Butbut McXcusesalot so why are you still pawing your doll with dirty hands?

If your doll is already grimy from lots of tomato sandwich banana paw pawing, then it’s time to give the girl a bath! For the most part, soap and warm water + washcloth will do the trick. I wouldn’t recommend soaking the doll completely in water so moisture doesn’t become trapped inside the body, just a surface clean is adequate. But for a good once over, use a melamine sponge aka Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser. (If the body/face is hand-painted don’t go over the paint because the sponge will take it off, it’s that effective.) A melamine sponge is completely safe- there’re no chemicals in it contrary to all the stupid scare spams on the internet. It does require water to work effectively though (for those who are wondering, it’s a super micro abrasive that traps dirt in the sponge). For an extra kick in the pants, don’t rinse your sponge until you’re done and look to see how much dirt was on your doll. Eww yummy! XD

Avoid using any cleaning chemicals on your dolls when you wash them as they could have an adverse effect on your doll’s body. You don’t want them to end up looking like our buddy Toxie here though it probably won’t look as bad as him… but it’s still not gonna be pretty. Stick to mild detergents like hand soaps and dishwashing liquids only. If for some reason you do get some sort of chemical on the body (you will start smelling the plastic melting, which is toxic by the way), immediately wash the area off with water and put baking soda (paste form is best) on it to neutralize the chemicals. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

For upkeep, I recommend a thorough wash once a year for those that get handled often. Those that don’t, still need to be checked on occasionally for any signs of deterioration (more on that later). This level of cleanliness will help the plastic stay clean and fresh, keeps off any harmful deteriorating oils and keeps your doll looking pristine. What’s to lose? Go wash your hands!