Basic Doll Care

You can always brush the wig while it is off the doll.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

When you mean detergent, what kind of detergent would you guys recommend? (>_>) Some people say dish soap is alright for washing the dolls, but I'm kind of iffy...

 

Hi, Could anyone give me advice on how to clean a Doll. I am getting a DOC doll and want to know what is the best way to clean them. Is there a specific soap, no soap, water, temperature, etc. Thanks!

 

There are quite a few posts in the Painting, Customizing and Esthetics forum about cleaning your doll. This sticky should get you started:

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174733

Congrats on your incoming doll.

 

Clothes, definetely, as long as they're not made of vinyl/pleather, etc (this can warp if you wash it). Unfortunately in my own experience, DoD clothes (particularly black ones) stain rather badly if you leave them on the doll for too long (so try the vinegar mix just as a precaution).

As for wigs, my U has been wearing his black default one for three years straight now and it has yet to stain, so I'd worry less about her wig staining than her clothes...

Also, just as a tip for other newbie owners, if you're like me and werar nailpolish a lot, be careful when handling your dolls because some cheaper brands will rub off rather easily and leave marks on your doll - not hard to clean, just kind of a pain in the butt to have to be removing constantly

 

My dolly is getting really dirty and I'm so scared! D=

I know you can clean them, but with what? I don't want to use something that will damage her in any way >.<

I know its stupid, but I'm just paranoid. ^_^;

And please, no rude comments. I KNOW I'm a n00b, thanks.

 

You can use magic erasers, soap and water on a wash cloth (if you don't want to take them apart), or you can take the doll apart and submerge the parts minus the head in soapy water or oxyclean. But don't worry, dirt happens and it comes off again

 

This may sound stupid too, but does the color fade it any way? Does it change a different color after a while? Sorry xD;;;


Oh, and are baby wipes okay? (Don't ask >.>;;; )

 

im going to go with no for the baby wipes as they usually have oil (or lotion) on them to help keep the skin from drying out.

And the resin shouldn't change color from cleaning at all.

 

If you have a lot of blushing, I wouldn't use the Magic Eraser, it'll slowly take off the MCS (Speaking from experiance). I use microfiber washclothes and soap. For hard-to-clean areas, I use a small cut of MSC, and gently remove the marks. Every few months or so, depending on how much I've played with my dolls, I'll stand them up (or take them apart) and put another thin layer of MSC Flat.

All of mine have 3 layers of MSC UV Flat to begin with, because I'm a ninny with my babbies.

 

I wash my lot as if they were babies! I lay them on a towel and use a washcloth wrung almost dry. I don't unstring, I pull the part so I can give the ball joint a quick rub then dry them with a towel. I use warm water and dish soap as normal soap/handwash etc has perfume and dyes in it.

 

Okay, I searched, but nothing was quite right. Please link me and delete this thread if another already exist.

I am getting a bjd soon (yay!) and I've just saw a few posts about their doll's faces...

I'm not supposed to touch their face?? that's going to take off their face-up?? but I wanna play with them, not just pose and watch them inside their cases! Is this true? You can't touch your bjd's face for fear of the sealer rubbing off? :S I really hope this is not true or there is another sealer I can try that can still be taken off without damaging the doll, yet with everyday handling and playing it wouldn't just flake off or something

thanks!

 

if you use sealant, it won't rub off by touching it.
it is possible for it to chip if the doll hits anything, but it won't just from touching it.

 

I touch my doll's face all the time. But because I knew I would want to do that, I learned to do face-ups. If you don't want to risk your doll's face-up, it's better not to touch it too much. It won't rub off just from touching it a little every now and then, but repeated handling could damage the face-up. There's always the risk of having something on your hands and getting it dirty too. And you will always have some oils on your hands.

 

polysics-or-die: sealant like MSC? Or is there something stronger?

kaede-chan: oh darn it! :S well thanks anyways, I was hoping the sealant would prevent damage or something lol. How much touching ( like just grabing the head to pose) will damage? Furious rubbing will do damage for sure, but like...stroking and general touching?

 

It will get rubs in it eventually but you shouldn't really worry about it. If you want to touch it then touch it. Most people try to only touch their ears and chins when posing them. I touch all my dolls faces and have only had a problem with my oldest one losing the makeup on her chin, but even that is more likely due to clothing (wearing hoodies are clothes with fasteners under the chin) than my touching her.

Of course when I got my Brownie out of her packaging part of her face up stuck to it....

 

Believe me, you really get used to not touch your doll's face Well, I made the make ups of my dolls too, but I prefer to avoid touching them, cause I'm not the kind of person who do make ups once a month. Despite of all this, I'll play with my kids a lot, kiss them in their wigs and cuddle them too. In the other hand, two of my dolls have their hands with manicure and I touch them a lot (with my hands clean, of course), cause it's easier to do manicure if something happens , but they're absolutly fine. MSC lasts

 

even if you never touch your doll's face, you will eventually have to have their faceup redone.
but just touching it every now and then is not going to wipe it off.
obviously rubbing your hands on your doll's face everyday is going to ruin their faceup faster than if you never touched it.
but i really would not worry about it too much. just make sure your hands are clean if you do touch their face!

 

I try to not touch my dolls faces at all unless absolutely necessary, and I hate when people reach for their faces to touch them - that's always the first thing I tell people is "don't touch the face!" The faceup won't disintegrate if you touch it, but the oils on your skin can eventually cause damage or cause it to get dirtier faster. I like my doll's faceups and I want to keep them nice! I play with them plenty, I just touch their ears, the back of their heads and under their chins to pose their heads. There's no real reason to be touching the faces, really, at least for me. I play with their hands all the time, even the one with the manicure, but don't touch the faces.

If you want to touch your doll's face, then do! Just know that you may (not WILL, but MAY) have to re do the faceup sooner than you would have otherwise.

 

I have dolls that were painted in 2003, and still have their original faceups--undamaged, unrubbed, unfaded. Obviously they were well sealed to begin with, but they weren't sealed or painted with something unusual.

I do (gently) touch their chins or temples to pose their heads, quite often. But I try to avoid touching the painted areas as much as possible, and (as AmyAngel said) I tend to use the backs of their ears for leverage, rather than other parts of their faces. What I don't do (even though it's tempting sometimes!) is sit around rubbing their faces as if they were pets or human children. And, as everybody else has said, I do try to make sure that I wash my hands before I play with my dolls--that's as important to keep their clothes clean and fresh as it is to protect the dolls themselves. But I think BJDs' fragility sometimes gets overstated. In my experience, a professional-quality faceup sealed carefully with MSC is tougher than some people think.

All that said, if you're worried about the staying power of your doll's faceup, why not buy a can of MSC and give it another coating? You'll want to practice first--the headcap is good for this--so you can be sure that you'll do the coating evenly and that the weather conditions are right for the spray to work properly. And of course you'll want to be sure that the face/faceup are clean before you seal everything in. But an extra coating is one more practical thing you can do for yourself to keep your doll looking the way you want it to. The only thing to remember is that if your doll has glossy lips or eyeshadow, the extra coating will dull that shine. There are threads all over this forum about how to re-gloss lips after coating, and you'll find them easily if you do some searching.

 

thanks for all the replies! I'm glad to hear from so many people.
So summary: msc will come off sooner or later; touching the face too much will rub off the faceup (^_^ ; and don't worry too much about the faceup other than keep my hands clean.. I can redo the faceups )

well I really want to enjoy my doll, so she'll be my plaything! I think it would be fun to do the faceup. Maybe even help make her character more indepth :P

 

You'd have to play REALLY hard to rub off anything significant. ^^ The most common thing is that you'll get a shiny tip of the nose from rubbing the MSC off, but that shouldn't affect the faceup in anyway. I'm very rough and tough with my boys, and they're fine. :3

 

Oh, I forgot and if anyone already answer this, I'm sorry for repeating the question. Can we use blu-tac (or the like) instead of eye putty?? Will it work?

 

I think you should only use white-tac (same as the blue, but white), so there is no risk that it would stain the doll !

 

I use white stickytack and it works great (and isn't obvious if it shows a little). There are threads in here about eye putty, if you need more info.

 

ThanX! I was thinking about using the Uhu one, since they also have white as well as yellow tac.

 

I have a question about sealant - I know that humidity can make the sealant run and muss the faceup underneath, and dust can get settled in before it dries and make it look dirty. Now, my problem is that I live in Phoenix... The best two places I could think of to spray an aerosol sealant would be a) outside or b) in the garage. Unfortunately, outside it's incredibly dusty (as well as HOT) and in the garage, because of the water tank, it's very very humid. I thought briefly about spraying it in the bathroom with the fan on, but my husband thinks this is probably a very bad idea (and I'm pretty inclined to believe him...)

Any suggestions on possible alternate locations or temp rigs to remedy this?

 

It is the one I use (the white), there is no problem with it ^_^!

 

One of the ideas I was presented with is, if you're going to seal outside, grab a cardboard box, and spray the sealant in the box. It will help to protect some of the dust from getting into the drying sealant. (I've done this in a garage, and it worked pretty well.) To be honest, though, if you put down paper, or something to protect the surface that you're spraying on, the bathroom is a totally viable option. Just turn the fan on, and leave the room when you're done, and let it air out.

Nowadays, I just don't care, and take the parts outside, and set them wherever and spray the bejeezus out of them. I did a sealing job on a balcony, and came out with no problems.

 

Hey ^_^

I was reading a few of the first posts and someone mentioned that smoking can cause yellowing? I don't smoke, but there is a smoker in the house. The doll won't be in the same room, but i'm really paranoid as she is my first BJD. I was just wondering if i could prevent any yellowing? Like keeping her in a carrying case while i'm not using her?
I'm new to this and it just seems like there so much to learn -_-;;

 

Grats on your Ante! Just make sure to wear a mask while you do it, crank the fan, and you'll do fine!

 

Probably just reiterating a lot of what has already been said (I don't have the time to go through all 11 pages right now, haha), but here's some good tried and true basics. Gigantic post ahoy!

1. Yellowing & sunlight. Don't leave your doll in sunlight for long periods of time. It will cause yellowing to the resin (which will happen over time regardless, but much more evenly and naturally so).

2. Prevent clothing stains. If you are worried about a certain outfit staining your doll, colorfast it (Google "colorfast clothes" for information on how to do that).

3. Dirt and scuffs - magic erasers. If your doll gets dirt or something similar on it, try removing it with a damp soft towel before using the magic eraser, especially if the doll is tan resin. If that doesn't work, use a magic eraser very gently and lightly, just until the dirt is gone. You can use magic erasers for light scuffs too. Magic erasers are abrasive, which is how they remove dirt and scuffs and all manner of other things on pretty much any surface, so over-using them can damage the resin. Don't be too paranoid about this though.

DO NOT USE A MAGIC ERASER ON YOUR DOLL'S FACE! It will damage and/or remove your doll's faceup!! Make sure there is no blush or paint underneath the dirt when you try to use a very small amount of water to remove it.

4. Prevent accidents. Try not to put your doll on a shelf or dresser while standing up for any long period of time. If you want them standing up, use a stand to support them. This will avoid very scary accidents like your doll falling forwards (trust me, even if they seem stable, they WILL fall at the most unexpected times!!). Try not to put your doll in a high-up or dangerous place.

5. Securing eyes and wigs. For holding your dolls eyes in, some companies will include eye putty, or the doll will come with eyes already installed, and in putty. If not, you can buy eye putty from these places:

The Junky Spot - The Junky Spot is a US retailer based in California. The best place to buy supplies if you are a US resident. Click on "Eyes" under "Accessories" > "iAccessories" > and you can choose either iPutty or iWax.

Alternatively, you can buy eye putty from companies. Dollzone offers "Eyes Mud", and Volks offers Pink Eye Putty, for example. Luts sells UHU Post-Tac, which you can probably find at your local craft store.

You can use poster-tack under any name from a craft store if you don't want to buy putty from a company or supplier. Make sure you are NOT using "epoxy putty" for this!!

For wigs, if they have an elastic cap and are in the correct size, you can usually just put them on and they will stay (unless you are shaking your doll around or playing around with the wig a lot). A good general rule for wig sizes for SD and MSD is:

SD-and-larger sized dolls (60cm +) will wear an 8/9 sized wig. If their head is very large, or the doll is large than 70cm, you can try a 9/10.
MSD-sized dolls (around 40cm-50cm) will wear a 7/8 sized wig. If their head is pretty small, like a Bobobie Sprite's, they can take a 6/7.

If the wig is not elastic or the elastic isn't very strong, you can buy strips of adhesive velcro from a craft store, and put one side on your doll's headcap and another on the inside of the wig. If you don't want such a permanent method or the thought of adhesive on your doll's headcap makes you nervous (it does for me), you can buy a wig cap, like these caps from Denver Doll Emporium, another US-based retailer. The wig caps will also protect your doll's head from wig stains, which can happen, though more common on vinyl dolls (Volks Dollfie Dream and Obitsu) than resin dolls.

6. Customizing. I am not a skilled customizer, so I can't provide any sort of tutorial - however, there are many people here on DoA who can! This forum is filled with talented and knowledgeable people, and it is crucial that you glean as much information as you can from tutorials and similar threads in the Customizing section before taking on the endeavor of customization; faceup painting, restringing, sueding, and the like, as well as more extreme things like opening the eyes on sleeping doll heads or modifying facial features.

7. Resources and research. I can't stress this one enough! Like I said in #6, this forum, Den of Angels, is probably the biggest treasure-trove of BJD-related information on the internet. You can get almost any doll-related question you have answered here. However, be sure to take full advantage of the search function before posting your own threads. If you can't find a thread with your question already, go ahead and make your own. Other people could have the same question and would benefit from the answers! Reading threads like this one are also a fantastic way to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you need for the hobby. Den of Angels is your best and most versatile tool in the BJD world. If you have a question about a doll company, item, customizing method and suppies, or anything else, you can bet you can get your answers here, and prevent risking your doll's safety by doing something wrong.

8. Enjoy your doll and the hobby. Yes, it's painfully cliche, and yes, it's lame to end on a cheesy note like this. But the most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy your doll and the hobby. Don't let these seemingly imposing and strict rules prevent you from holding or posing your doll, dressing them up, cuddling them, taking pictures of them... even customizing them someday. This hobby is all about self-expression and creativity. Don't be afraid to lighten up and enjoy everything it has to offer. If you leave your doll sitting on a shelf, what's the point? Play with them. Enjoy them. Learn about them, their stories and "personalities". Express yourself through your dolls and take pleasure in sharing your collection with the community, and admiring the unique and creative ways other people express themselves in their own collections. One of my favorite ways to describe the BJD hobby is "interactive art". Through customizing, photographing, or even just picking out an outfit for your doll, you are taking part in artistic and very creative hobby that's all about your own imagination and the spirit of this artistic community.

So have fun!!

 

Moswen has a body-up (tiger striping over his entire body). It has been sealed with several coats of MSC. Under the strong fluorescent lights in my office (yes, I sometimes bring my dolls to work), I noticed he's... lightly dirty in a few places on his arms. Because of the striping, I don't want to chance washing him down with soap and water even though he is sealed. So....

Would it be safe to use baby wipes on the places that have some dirt smudges? Some baby wipes have lotion/oil in them and I assume those should be avoided.

I'm asking because I have some wipes at work for keyboard clean up or if I have something messy for lunch. I have a brain like a steel sieve and its a good chance that I'll forget about it when I get home ad the light there isn't nearly as strong as the light in my office so out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.

 

You are better off using a regular damp cloth than wipes. Most wipes, even the ones with out oils, have alcohols. They could be strong enough to damage the MSC or may leave a residue.

 

Hadn't even thought about the alcohol content. Damp cloth it is then! Thanks for the heads up.

 

I am researching doll care but have not found a thorough FAQ on how to keep your doll looking great forever (or as long as possible).

The biggest thing I'm wondering about is yellowing, and how to prevent it. Avoid directly sunlight, got it. But does it also help to keep them in a REALLY dark place? Or can they be in light spaces away from direct sun? Which is best? Or does it matter?

 

I'm bumping this since I'm very curious about something too. Do they yellow if you, like, keep them in a sunlighted room but not in front of the window or very close/etc and yet in that room? I know they also yellow with time and I don't have many problems about it as long as both head and body yellow together but I'm curious so bump.

 

Ditto. I mean, I don't plan on keeping her in the sun shinning in the window, but my loft is very bright and open and it's all natural light. Do they need to be kept in the dark?

 

Some of yellowing is just oxidation and will happen no matter what, even if you keep the doll in it's box in a dark cool closet all the time. You don't want your doll in sunlight or in the heat any more than is necessary though, as those things can speed up yellowing and/or cause it to be uneven. I personally toss a towel over my dolls when I'm not at home or not in the room with them, to keep the sunlight and dust off them. I plan to get a bookshelf to put them in and put curtains across the front of it so they can be closed off when I'm not around or I can open the curtains and enjoy them.

If your doll is tan or an unusual color I'd be extra careful about sunlight, as there's not only the yellowing to worry about but also UV-related fading of pigments, which can happen unevenly. Meaning that the red pigments might fade faster in sunlight than the other pigments used to create the color, causing a green tint to form. It doesn't happen to all tan dolls, but it can happen.

Just be cautious, but not paranoid. The most important thing is that you enjoy your dolls!

 

I do the same as AmyAngel, when I'm not in the room or playing with them I have a baby blanket I put over them. The bookcase with a curtain is a great ideal..

 

This is something I would also like to know very much about, the basic overall best care of your doll. Though I do have a question in my house sunlight isn't so much of an issue especially since I have thick dark curtains but what about a dark but humid room?

 

I'd say that just away from direct sunlight *should* be fine, and in a room that's not too humid. You really don't want them sitting in a sunbeam, but you also don't need to keep them sealed in a darkroom or stowed away in a drawer all the time if you don't really want to. Yellowing *is* going to happen eventually, it's just wise to do what you can to keep it from happening too quickly. Personally, I keep my dolls in my room, but I have an air conditioner in there to help keep it from being too hot and humid for me and them and dark curtains on my windows. (I'm a goth/punk-type-thing, so the darkness is as much for me as for them and is highly effective in keeping too much light from getting to them). I haven't noticed much yellowing in the two years I've had my guys, and they've been kept the same way the whole time.

 

Yellowing varies from doll to doll and company to company. As others have said, your doll WILL yellow through oxidation--short of keeping them in a nitrogen-filled case like museum exhibits, there's nothing you can do to make that stop. Otherwise, sunlight exposure is best minimized (my dolls live in dresser drawers), but don't freak out too much about it. If you're living in terror of taking your doll on an outdoor photoshoot or to an outdoor dollmeet because of teh ebil sun, you're not getting the chance to enjoy your doll as much as you should. Find a balance between care and playtime that's right for you (some people really do use their dolls for display only, others take them with them everywhere and can't bear to leave them in their boxes all alone), and don't worry so much.

 

Also,

leaving your dolls in a room that is bright and sunny even if the light is not hitting your dolls directly or they are in a shady area will still cause yellowing. The easiest thing to do as others have said is to toss a blanket/towel etc over them if you're not playing with them or put em somewhere covered(closet, drawer etc) . I alternate between having some heavy fabric over them and sticking them in a trunk I bought specifically to keep them in.

~Gio

 

I keep the kids in their boxes when Im not home and line them up under the bed. By the time I get home it's usually dark out and I put them on the bed with me or on my desk while I mess around online.

I admit Im a little intense about sunlight. I've been know to take a parasol out with me when Im outdoors. Yellowing is going to happen eventually but I do what I can to prevent it for as long as possible.

 

Hey Just a Qn i'm not sure if i'm posting in the right section . I'm really bad with the different section of posting and stuff. But i really don't have much choice >< Since i don't think there is ans for my qn which i hope i haven overlook it.

Qn : magic erasers = If i don't have them what can i replace them with?
:If i don't have Mr Super Clear what can i replace it with ?

I can hardly find this in singapore unless i order online which is not worth . As for even dollar i pay i pay another dollar purely for shipping.
I'm getting my first doll soon so extremely worried about the maintenance of her ><.

 

OOO OOO! my sister got mascara on my dollies face up, and my dad started ruin it with silly utty thinking it would get it off, but it made it worse!!! luckly my mom used crest pro-health toothpaste and it got the stains off and didnt take off the make up! so, crest pro health tooth paste works!

 

I personally am still slightly confused about yellowing - is there a direct way to prevent it?
Or is it completely inevitable?

Also, when you FIRST get the doll should you coat it then? Even before faceups or anything?

This topic is very helpful, by the way xD &#9829;

 

Anyone any recommendations about smoking homes? My dad is a heavy smoker and there's no danger of him smoking not smoking in the house.

 

On the topic of yellowing:
How yellow does the doll actually get? or what shade? Is it really that noticeable?
It surely wouldn't go bright yellow....?

 

To answer the yellowing questions, yes it is entirely inevitable over time whether you like it or not.

No, you can't prevent it. You can DELAY it and sometimes lighten it when it occurs, but it's gonna happen, doesn't matter what you do.

How yellow they go depends on many things, what company they're from, what sunlight/smoke/weather they're exposed to, how old the resin is, whether they were coated, whether they were French resin or standard, the list goes on. It can range from a mere mellowing of the resin to a creamy colour right through to yes, pretty bright yellow, or in the case of some white and tan skin resins, green (and I do mean MINT green and BANANA yellow depending on contributing factors etc).

There are a wealth of threads on yellowing, it's worth a quick read if it's something that concerns you since there are things that can help with holding it off for as long as possible.

 

just the general stuff like keeping the doll out of the sunlight, away from smoking. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get rid of stains from clothes or dirt. But it will whipe off a faceup so be careful!
Oxyclean wipes to remove dirt and stains on clothes works as well...dish soap and water can be used as well for a safer alternative ^^
DO NOT NO NO DONT DO IT NEVER EVER use acetont to remove a face up, the resin will melt! You don't want that ^^;;
Also, if you want to care for the wig properly, use a brush that isn't plastic, it causes static and that isn't good.
Hope it helped!! Congrats on him btw!!
Good luck!!!!!

 

MAY melt. Some resins do, some don't. If you don't want to risk it, use alcohol or windsor and newton brush cleaner.

 

I've seen again and again to use dish soap because people soap has oils to moisturize your skin, etc, which are bad for resin. But I've seen/used dish soaps that are supposed to moisturize your skin as well. I would assume this would be a no-go? Even without that, there's more than straight detergent in in most dish-washing soaps, especially since nearly all are scented, many have antibacterial, etc, so does anyone know of a particularly "pure" detergent? What about Bon Ami or (non-bleach) Comet? I'm getting a tan doll, but he's made of tan resin (not dyed) so I don't know if I should be especially worried about any of this.

 

Sorry for reviving a slightly old thread, but I wanted some opinions.
I'm saving up for my first doll, and I have a relatively simple question. Lots of people talked about it but some seemed kind of conflicting, so I wanted to clarify -
I have very oily skin naturally, so I'm worried about the whole touching-the-doll thing. My real-life friend recommends that due to the nature of my skin, I shouldn't touch the doll's faceup at all.
So my question is - if I accidentally touch the doll's faceup, is there a way to remove the skin oil without damaging the faceup? (Say I accidentally swipe it - maybe use a cloth or something before it soaks in?)

Also, as for the rest of it, what is the best and quickest way of removing skin oils from the rest of the doll? I'm talking the buildup over time - or does the basic soap-and-water work for that?

Thanks for aiding a doll newbie!

 

What i might sugest for you is to seel the face up. you can not change it after that but you can touch and clean the face as much as you see necisary with oily skin. the cotton ball idea should work but you still do risk the chans of whiping off over time layers of the face up. i think your beast beat may be to seal the face up you can always add to it in layers and wash it off or seal that layer. but atleast you will always have a garentied bais. ordinary paint sealers seem to work alright depending on what the face up is done with.

 

I just got my first BJD today (DoD DoT E-an) and I've been so worried about handling her.

Not even an hour out of the box, as I was trying to fix her boots I just put on while I stupidly had her standing in front of me, she bent forward face-planted on my head. There was no noticeable damage to her face, but since I hadn't washed my hair yet (I was too excited to open her) there was an oil mark on her forehead and nose. I tried to quickly rub it off with some toilet paper and it seems okay, but I'm worried that the oil might have shortened the life-span of her factory face-up already.

As hard as I've tried I've accidentally touched her face a couple times already. Usually because of trying to fix her long hair or brushing her bangs (with a soft toothbrush).

So I'm a little worried that I'm off to a bad start. Should I have used water on her face instead of just dabbing it with toilet paper to get the oil off? Can a soft toothbrush scratch the sealant? Have I possibly already done some damage to the sealant or face-up already?

Besides that, I hear people say that they get dirty after a while and need to be cleaned. Do they somehow attract dirt or something? If you don't touch them much is this still an issue? What makes them get dirty?

Also, from what I hear, even indirect light can cause yellowing. I have a florescent light that is up in an ledge the shoots towards the ceiling creating an nice soft bounce light to the rest of the room. I'm wondering if that is still as bad as sunlight coming in the room during the day (since florescents are UV light)

Ugh... I should just keep her in a box. >.<

 

Averis: I don't think the oil is going to cause you any serious trouble with her face-up. Since the oil wasn't on an important part of the face-up, you could probably try gently going over the areas with a damp magic eraser just to be on the safe side. DOD seals their face-ups very well (I used to own a Camine), so as long as you're gentle with the eraser, no parts of the face-up or sealant should come off.

As far as using the toothbrush on her wig goes, I don't think a soft toothbrush can do much damage, but repeated friction of the bristles against the face MIGHT cause the sealant to scratch off a bit. I suggest you just remove her wig before brushing it, because when it's on her, you can just use your fingers to mess with her hair ^ ^

Also, don't worry too much about touching her face a few times. It's kind of unavoidable if you play with your doll XD Constant touch on your doll's face can cause the oils on your fingers to cause the face-up to wear away, but that's if you've got your hands on her face constantly. I'm pretty liberal with touching my boys' faces, and I haven't yet seen any damage to their face-ups.

And, yeah, BJDs pick up dust, dirt, and who knows what else over time just like any other object Usually most of this dirt/color on their resin is picked up from the fabric of their clothes, and you can pretty much just magic eraser them clean. To keep their resin from picking up too many hard-to-clean stains, I suggest rinsing any new, dark clothes with water and a tiny bit of vinegar, or - if the fabric can handle it - running it through your washing machine on a gentle cycle. You will, from time to time, have to clean your dolls, but it's a pretty simple process involving magic erasers, water, and sometimes soap. But unless you're taking your dolls out in the dirt, they really shouldn't get all that dirty.

I'm not really sure about the difference between fluorescent lights and sunlight, but I don't think it should be that much of a problem. The only thing that'll cause really violent yellowing would be full exposure to sunlight for a significant period of time. Honestly, your doll is going to yellow over time, as there's no way to avoid any and all light, but - as I said - it shouldn't be "OMGYELLOW! x__x" unless she's out in the sun for a long time. It'll also be pretty gradual, so you shouldn't really even notice. If you do notice any sort of bothersome yellowing, I think you can take her apart and soak her pieces in a mixture of water and a little bit of bleach (check the Help forums on that one, though). Fortunately for you, though, DOD resin tends to get WHITER over time rather than YELLOWER Which I think is nice, since their dolls are so pink.
Anywho, if the yellowing really worries you, you can probably just keep her in your closet or in her box when you're not playing with her ^ ^

 

Thanks so much, Chopsticks! It's going to take me a while to get comfortable around her and not worry so much, I suppose. I'm more concerned with myself doing something stupid than anything.

I do have some dark clothes, but I don't know what to do with them since they have metal and some, I guess, vinyl parts. I also think the vinegar smell wouldn't be too pleasing.

I'll keep her in the box for now and take her out at night to hang out with me. Eventually, I'd like to setup a place for her to sit that I can cover at night and during sunny days.

Anyway, thanks again! I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road.

 

From what I learn, hear and from some of my friends story... I have this list... I don't know much, still newcomer.... Correct me if I'm wrong

How to fix a Doll
1. Use Clear Super Glue
If your finger fall of, you can use super clear glue for that.
2.Use curring putty or clear cement
I only know Tamiya brand but they do good. I usually use this for Gundam (plastic models) or my sculpting.
3. Use Apoxy putty
This one usually used by modders. It dry in 1-2 hours prior depend on the mix. The base material is resin and hardener. You mix it 1:1 or 3:1, up to you. But make sure the hardener is more than the resin itself (It will not dry if the hardener not as much/ more than the resin). This one neat, you can even make your finger by your self! But, its kinda messy and sticky. Also some epoxy putty have unpleasant smell.
4.Melt the doll
This one crazy, I know.. but I saw my friend once melt the broken parts (the joint) and stick it.. let it dry, give a little bit of epoxy to fill the hole or make the form better, then sand it. I dunno if its ok, but it work!

How to avoid: Place
1. Keep the doll in a place where they can sit/ lay down and avoid to high or to low place
Avoid high place, and avoid low place.. Its kinda hard to do.. If you play with your doll much, then you want it to be reachable. But then others can reach it too (kids, pets). To high also not good. If they fall they can broke. if you decide o place it at high place, put them lay down or sitting.
2. Restring regularly
If you want your doll standing, you might want to make sure their string is in perfect condition. And use good quality string, yes they more expensive but they last longer.
3.Leave your doll under supervision
Do not ever leave you doll at not secure place. For example: Kitchen, Window, Bathroom, Garden, (you add).
Maybe you leave them and will be back in the moment, but theres a lot of thing can happen in a minute. If you need/want to leave them at that kind of place, Ask someone to keep them for you or place them in secure place. I work a lot in the kitchen (my 1st floor is technically hybrid of kitchen,dining room, and study room) and when I have to leave doll (My cousin's, I do her face up) I put her in plate cabinet, sitting position/lay down.
4.Buy a cabinet or cupboard or any kind of keeping furniture.
The best one is the one have a lock, ventilated, and tough (made from hard material).
From all above, I think this one will be the solution. You can keep your dolls, accessory, eyes, wigs, body part in one place.
But remember, It has to have good ventilation(Resin smells when they kept to long in closed place). Beside, it can avoid unhealthy humidity for your doll and accessories.

How to avoid: Doll
1. Be carefull with small parts
Fingers, ears, nose.... any small parts need tender touch. Never positions your doll hand by pulling their finger, not the arm or such. My friend carelessly pull a doll finger to make him pose and it snap. And also some do accident when cleaning the blush. scrub...scrub... uppss.. the nose crack... That kind of stuff. Make sure you hold a firm grip. Also avoid to give pressure to the fragile places (Like a friend of mine, he scrub the bottom part of the body.. and he give to much pressure down there (place it on his leg) and... the doll pee-pee kinda... crack... Ouch... )
2. Place them at save place
After doing stuff with your doll, place them in a secure place. When restring, place all the parts in one place,, ,where you can see them clearly. You don't want to accidentally seat/step/kick your doll's hand/eyeball, right?
3. Prepare thick soft fabric to wrap
Wrap them in a soft fluffy towel will never hurt, but be aware of the small parts. The warp also act as bumper if they were exposed to shake or bump.

How to avoid: Pose
1. Do not force
Sometimes our doll ability is not as good as you think. If they wont bend, do not bend it. If you ever see the same doll bend more than yours, its a different case.
2. Pay attention to the outfit
Some fabric is not elastic/movable enough for your doll to pose. And it add pressure to your doll body. If you force them, don't get upset if you find cracks of sort on your doll (mainly joint part)
3. Never do unstable pose without helping tool
Standing on one leg? Never do this without string attach or your doll hold on something. Always prepare good and stable props to accommodate your pose.

hope it help

PS: Sorry if my english looks weird, I'm not english native