How often do you bathe your doll and wash their clothes?

Only when I'm changing their faceups or body blushing really, since I don't play with them except for in really clean environments they rarely get dirty.

 

Agreed with Katyok. I DON'T wash my dolls, except for some spot-cleaning if something should happen. I mean, some of the blushing on my Bygg is coming off from handling; I shudder to think what would happen if I WASHED him. Clothes, depending on the clothes, may or may not get a quick scrubbing before I put them on my dolls, but unless they stain or get stained, they're never going to be washed again. I don't see the point in washing dolls/doll clothes, and I'm far too lazy to do so unless absolutely necessary. xD

 

I'm a guy. As a rule, we clean things when they get dirty. If it seems clean, it's clean. The rule works since I don't eat off my dolls. Do you?

That said, it seems that I clean the dolls themselves big-time about once a year. But always because I goofed up somewhere: a clothing stain or doll carrier(!) stain (always wrapped in plastic when on the road now), scratched something, etc.--anytime there's some damage I have to address, rather than on a deliberate schedule.

In other words, I screw up significantly about once a year per doll.

That said, I comb their hair, straighten out their clothes and otherwise make them presentable almost every time I see them. To me, this small-time cleaning is part of normal play, so I don't think twice about it. Dolls are "only" good for their looks, so they should look killer, yeah?

 

hmm i think i may have already posted here but i like this thread so i'll give it another go!

i bathe my doll (take him apart and adjust stringing and resuede) about every few months. i wash his clothes whenever i see any dust or particles of stuff on them. i bathe him fairly often due to the fact that i live with a smoker and because it keeps up the 'bond' i suppose; it's something else that i can do with him other than the usual stuff ^^

 

Doll-- only when I notice stains or marks. Very rarely, over-all, like maybe once or twice a year.

Clothes-- Never. They aren't getting dirty after one or two wearings... If something did get dirty, I'd try hand-washing it... but so far... no.

(and I've had dolls since 2004... they get dusty, but I just wipe 'em off now and then... I rarely need to thoroughly wash 'em)

 

Eh, not sure there is much reason to wash my dolls, unless they are actually stained. As for their clothes, same thing. That reminds me I should wash Lico's dress, and I have never done that before so I am a little nervous about it. Anyways, dolls don't sweat or have any other unpleasant smells. So it's mostly just the dust, unless you go dragging them around in your garden and have a photoshoot in the mud or something... oh my...

 

I clean my dolls about once or twice a month, it really depends on how much play they've been getting lately. If they've spent most of the month in their box, once a month. The clothes I wash when they seem they need it. For example, after doing an outdoor shoot and my girl nose-dives into the dirt I'll take her clothes off, wash them and rub her down with a magic eraser. I iron their clothes all the time though, it seems. After awhile they get really wrinkled from sitting or holding certain poses, so I take them off and iron them to keep them looking nice.

My boyfriend often says I should do a little photostory where the dolls do the things I normally do for them, and half the pictures would be of them ironing their own clothes lol. It would work since I have a small ironing board and iron they could use.

 

i normally don't bath them so often but will do when their hair are too sticky ><

 

I've yet to have a reason to wash their clothes yet, but if I catch sight of any marks/dirt on them it's definitely magic eraser time.

 

How often do you guys wash your boys and girls? Their clothes?

I personally give my girl a full unstringed soap bath once a month but thats just because I'm an absolute clean freak hah, I dont really wash her clothes though! She has enough dresses to have a fresh one every day of the week and she doesn't go outside very often at all, but lint gets in her joints like you would not believe!

 

Depends on how much I play with the doll and how much blushing they have. One of my guys gets a yearly bath because he's one of the most played-with and least blushed. Others haven't ever been washed. As for clothes, I generally wait until they get dirty/dusty or crumpled before I really need to wash them. New clothes on the other hand, are washed at least once or twice before they even go anywhere near a doll.

 

I wash resin only when I've removed face-ups or body blushings... or I would if I bought a dirty second hand doll but that hasn't happened yet.
I'd wash clothes only if they were dirty I guess.

 

My dolls wear dark clothes most of the time so I would wash them frequently, especially my girl doll who gets used the most for sewing. For clothes, I wash them right after making them to get rid of marks.

 

I have never washed my doll's clothes but this now sounds like a good idea because I hate the lint in her joints >.<

I feel like I don't was her enough honestly but I do it about every half year or after that point once I get the time to do so XD

 

I try to wash clothes once every quarter year unless it is visibly dirty or crumpled. I haven't been able to play with my dolls lately so they only need to be dusted right now.

 

Not that often, really. The dolls that get handled a lot get washed more than the ones who don't, but even then, a full bath is usually just when I've bought one secondhand, I'm redoing blushing, adding tattoos or scars, notice dirt on them, or am preparing to sell them. Laundry is usually even less often. I usually only do that if it has visible dirt, or if it's secondhand and has a lot of pet fur or bad smells on it.

 

I clean them up when I notice they get dirty or when I have time. I wash clothes like... not at all HAHA unless their stuff gets mixed in with mine I just don't see the point. they don't sweat!

 

The dolls get washed when I re-do a faceup/blushing or change string when they are loose. I usually need to do one or the other with second hand dolls. I handle my dolls with clean hands, and they 'live' in their boxes so there's little opportunity for actual dirt to accumulate. I do however, use canned air to spray the lint/dust out of the joints if it's noticeable when I am changing them. I wash the clothes as needed in a lingerie bag along with my own. It's not often for clothes unless they are second hand and have an odor or a new item that is dark. I learned my lesson about dark clothes very early and how the dye can easily transfer. So, the dark clothes go through one or two wash cycles in a bag before going on a doll to minimize any chance of color transferring onto the dolls. They don't sweat, potty or drop food on themselves so it's not much of an issue with the clothes, unless they just need to be 'refreshed'.

 

My dollies get regular washing. I feel it helps me bond with them to clean them and restring them. And as I'm not very good at restringing yet I have to take them apart about every 2 months So I always wash them then. None of my lovelies have body blushing though, so I don't have to worry about that.

As for clothes washing... I never really thought about it before! I wash all my fabrics before I start sewing, so....... I guess if they wanted to go outside and got their clothes dirty I'd wash them then. And if I bought something dark I'd probably wash it once or twice before letting my doll wear it.

 

When I had only a few dolls, I would wash them about once a year. But as I got more dolls, handling was divided between them so they didn't get dirty as fast. Now I have way more dolls than I did back then, and I just don't play with my dolls as much in general. So I basically don't wash them anymore unless I notice something on them. Though I do wash every doll I get secondhand, even though I've only ever gotten a couple that were dirty. So I will even clean the spotless secondhand dolls I get, because at this point it's some kind of ritual to make the doll my own. Hehe!

The only clothes I have ever washed were ones that marked up my dolls with dye. Everything else just doesn't get dirty. Dolls don't sweat or anything, and I almost never take them outside. I do have plenty of clothes that are wrinkled, but I figured I would have to iron them... I never thought about washing them as a way to remove the wrinkles.

 

I regularly clean my main vinyl doll, but that's due to how much use she sees. A few hours under the heat lamp with spot remover on her fixes her right up and a sponge with water on it gets the little spots off. She's easy to maintain.
I've never washed any of my dolls' clothing, pardon the ones that were mine and then repurposed. I should probably start doing that, if only for the sake of keeping stains at a minimum.

 

I've only magic eraser-ed my doll when his diy black boxers stained him(whoops)... but i should probs wipe him down with a soapy soaked cloth once in a while. As for his clothes i haven't washed any, except when i was making him a new pair boxers in the hopes of getting the red chalk off of the fabric.

 

I dust and maintain my doll at least once a week, but washing? No way! As for clothes, his duds are from Dollheart, so that's a no go too. I don't "play" with him in a way that would ever get him dirty, so there's no need.

 

I don't think I will wash clothing unless it's handmade. As for my dolls themselves... I haven't had any reason to wash them yet. Except right now I'm treating for stains. Does that count?

 

When I'm ready to restring a doll, I wash her off and let her dry. I've never washed any of their clothes! I keep them dust free in storage boxes and my dolls wearing them are in a glass front case, so they don't have much opportunity to get dirty.

 

I usually just pre-wash and pre-shrink the fabric before I make anything out of it. The fabrics that can't be washed I haven't had a problem with those fabrics staining.

 

Exactly the same, I never washed doll clothes or wigs if to be honest.

 

I don't wash my dolls or their clothes; I always make sure my hands are clean before touching them and I've never had a need to wash them. I treat them more like art and don't "play" with them; I'll take one to sit out occasionally and photograph them. I also collect rare Disney/Pokemon plush that are cuddled more than my dolls and I've learned that sometimes washing can do more harm than good, so I make sure my hands and environment are clean before handling them and setting them down somewhere. My dolls are kept in their boxes unless I take them out so I don't worry about dust.

 

I wash my doll every two or three months. Used to do it twice a month, but well. Things change. That meant I was giving my doll a bath by wiping him down with soapy water, and then using the magic eraser on some stubborn dirt and smudges. That's when I decide to change him out of his clothes. I also launder his clothes since they accumulate dirt and dust from the air, after all- especially when he goes out with me.

 

i havn't really washed any of their clothes as of yet (however i dont want to think about how bad my poor MSD needs his pants washed TnT)
i pretty much give them a bath whenever i notice that they are dirty ^^ i use baby wipes to clean them because unlike magic erasers the don't mess with the sealant and i've had fantastic results with them ^-^ (they even fixed on of my dolls when i accidentally got marker ink on him without noticing it (i felt like such a horrible dolly mama))

 

I just washed all their stuff... last week? Brief toss in the dryer for about three minutes on wrinkle release, medium heat, then stretched out for air-drying on table/eliminating wrinkles, much like I do my own clothes.

I don't often wash, but occasionally I do dependent on how long it's been since I've messed with the clothing or it accumulated dust/dirt/etc....

My dolls are washed fairly often/spot-cleaned, but I'm a neat freak (and I do these things as I see the need to). I don't handle them very much and if I do, it's usually through their clothing/oils are not really an issue for me. I only full take apart and wash if their elastic is at that dead point, then they get a nice scrub with a toothbrush and mild-dish detergent soak.

 

I was wondering whether to start a thread when I found this one. I was also wondering whether to wash my doll's clothes. The reason being I had read that clothes can sometimes stain the resin and as mine's predominantly dressed in black I thought there's a possibility her white skin might stain. After reading a few of these replies I think I might throw her clothes in the washing machine when I do a black wash, just in case.

 

I washed most of my doll clothes before selling them recently, because my dolls had sat wearing them for about a year. I put them all in a pillowcase and secure the open end of the pillowcase, and do a half hour gentle wash on 30 degrees or lower. Either that or hand wash them. Then I tumble dried them in the pillowcase on low heat. BUT then I had to iron them And since they were mainly cotton, and frilly, and of course small and detailed - and I never iron ANYTHING usually, that was a bit of a nightmare!

Glad I haven't had to bathe a doll yet as that would involve my other nightmare - restringing!

 

When and if they need washing. Some of my dolls don't get handled as much, so they have never needed a bath. I'll go through and dust, maybe a quick wipe down with a damp cloth if I'm changing them, but not actual full-blown washing unless they really need it.

When I do wash their clothes, it's by hand and I set them to air-dry afterward.

 

Ha ha ha I don't do ironing either, I try hard not to get creased clothes when washing them, but I fear I may have to iron my doll's clothes. Have to tempt the spiders out of the iron.
I like your idea of putting them all in a pillowcase, only problem is I don't have any black pillowcases. I'll put them inside socks. I was thinking of doing them at 40 degrees along with my other blacks.
Restringing Ugh !! I don't even want to entertain the thought, I've only just had her and her little face isn't back from the artist yet so I hope, hope it's ages and ages before I have to broach that one.

 

As a general rule, I don't clean my bjd's unless they have become dirty or stained - which is rare because I generally don't have much time to play with them, and I try to be careful when I do.

Sometimes, when I get my dolls secondhand, and they are dusty, sticky, or stained, I make it a part of my ritual to wash the doll with a bit of dish soap. I also use magic eraser on any stains the doll might have. Rarely will I coat the body with MSC for stain protection.

As for clothing, I usually don't wash it unless it has been stained or there is a particular smell that I dislike upon their arrival. I have used bleach for clothing when I want to modify or tone down a color.

 

I'm terrible, at best they might get me blowing the dust off em but usually... yeaaaah.

Unless they have marks, they they'll get a wipe down with a wipe or a magic eraser but otherwise, i'm way too lazy to dust let alone bathe dolls and wash clothes.

 

I took Vince apart and washed him and restrung him exactly once, which... I don't even think I did for the other two. Aside from that, I just give them a little spot-clean with a damp cloth or magic eraser if there's a need, like I'm wiping and redoing a faceup or something is on them somehow. Which is not often.

With clothes I make, I prewash the fabric. Pete's clothes are almost all white, so I haven't washed any of them because no dye needed removing and they've never gotten spilled on or anything like that. A couple of Vince's things I ran through the wash because they had gotten in with some things and needed cleaning, and they were honestly about as sturdy as anything else in that light load. But it's definitely an as-needed basis for me.

 

I'm wondering if washing a newly bought clothes before wear will help to reduce body staining? I heard dark color clothes may stain the body if worn for a long time...any idea?

 

That's the very reason I put mine in the washing machine today. I was looking at my doll's body the other day thinking 'where has all that dirt come from'. It's possibly from my hands when I've been trying to wire her legs but I remembered I'd read somewhere that they can get stained from clothing. All her clothes are black so I put them in with some woollens today on a 30 deg wash and they've come out perfect, no ironing necessary. I'm erring on the cautious side.

 

Not sure? I always kept them clean with magic erasers if anything got dirty, never touched them with dirty hands, and most of the time they just sat around, I don't handle my dolls much, just talk to them!xD I wash clothing if they get to dusty, but other then that their isn't really a need to. I think the worst thing was Kleenex dust when I had a bad cold... That covered everything... -_- I use handkerchiefs now... Less chemical fibers to breath in, my asthma is better, and dolls don't get covered in what looks like a light covering of snow! :'D

 

Well i bathe my dolls very often sometimes its even 3 times a weak :P since i drag them almost everywhere with me (arround the house except the basement) and i noticed that only wet clothes can stain a doll even if they are black

 

Thanks, I've been wondering about that. I washed all mine the other day just in case. She's only got black.

 

Please note that even humid is enough if worn for too long
My doll too wear black all the time
Be carefull for chinesse boots they stains legs a lot i got really scared when i saw my dolls legs completely black :P

 

Thanks for the info, as it happens she has got some black Chinese boots but she always wears tights. I'll be as careful as I can but there is always the good old magic eraser.

 

Magic eraser? whats this?

 

It's a vital piece of BJD kit used extensively for cleaning them. The usual brand is Mr Clean but any melamine sponge will do it. Go easy around the face though 'cus it is slightly abrasive and will take the face-up off. It can be used wet too. I've only used washing up liquid on a towel so far and that did the trick but for more stubborn stains the MR Clean is your boy.

 

Whenever I noticed dirt on them. :')
When my Lydia, secondhand doll, arrived home, she had a nice good scrub. Panachec also second hand, had a small scrub, as he had some odd smudges.
None of my other dolls really gather dirt as they live in their boxes until they get face-ups.

 

Lol, this thread literally inspired me to give my girl a good rub-down. She needed to be sueded anyway!

 

I switch out my dolls every 3 to 4 months. The dolls going back in gets baths and their clothes washed.

 

......Hmm. I don't really bathe them. A friend of mine in the hobby suggested that, that along with the de-yellowing formula can be extremist. So I just rub down spots and stains with the magic eraser. I've never had extreme dirt happen.

 

If anything gets dirty or scuffed, I clean it...and that's pretty rare. They're not people - they don't spill food on their clothing or get smelly armpits!

 

Whenever a new doll comes, I wash her, because resin dust residues. After every photo shoot in the city, I wipe the soles of their shoes.

 

I wash secondhand dolls upon receiving them, otherwise I mostly just spot clean with a magic eraser when I notice dirt.
I’ve also started washing doll clothes upon receiving them during the pandemic, but normally I don’t really wash my dolls’ clothes because they don’t go outside and don’t get handled enough to be visibly dirty. I mostly hand-wash, but if a piece looks big and sturdy I throw it in my washer on a gentle cycle. Air dry only.

 

I wash probably 95% of new clothes especially dark colours when they first arrive and especially make sure to with dark or bright colours that could stain but after that my dolls don't go anywhere so nothing is getting dirty.

 

I’ve never washed any doll clothes now that I think of it!
I gave my dolls a magic eraser scrub down earlier this year and was surprised at how dirty they really were.

 

- Before I blush them
- Before I reblush them

That's it. They don't really get dirty, the clothes don't get dirty, so they only need it as preparation for aesthetic work

 

Any suggestion for washing dolls? Especially those that become yellowish after a few years.

 

About once a year. I wash and iron the school uniforms before I get ready to use them in a massive photo shoot centered around their high school. As the dolls get changed and dressed for the new school year I wipe them off and get them ready, sometime redoing the faceups. I will clean and restyle the wigs as necessary.

I will use the dolls for the couple months that it takes me to get all the pictures done for the school year. Then they sit on shelves lookin adorable and collecting dust that I use a feather duster to get off of them on a regular basis. I really do enjoy looking at them and having them on my shelves to see them. I just don't take them down that much during the year.

If they got dirty somehow I would clean them up, but not much happens on a shelf. Looking at everyone washing their dolls weekly on this thread makes me wonder if I'm a terrible dolly owner. Here I am blowing dust off of mine and other people are cleaning everything about their dolls on schedule.

 

I generally just.... don't? I handle them with clean hands and don't take them outside so dirt and stains are rare to happen, they stay in their boxes most of the day so there's really no dust accumulating either. I usually give a bath to second hand project dolls on arrival, especially if there is any kind of a musty smell of visible dirt, but do not bother with regular cleaning after that. If anything happens, I'll do a spot clean with a microfiber cloth or some tissue, I feel like a magic eraser is a bit too hardcore for minor blemishes here and there.

I also can't be bothered to wash their clothes unless something is obviously stained, it's not like they sweat and smell I think a few light items I use a lot might need a refresh eventually, though, but let's be honest... who has time for dolly laundry next to their own pile

When selling dolls or clothes I'm a bit more vigilant, though, and give them a refresh if they were used or played with a lot so they're clean out of the box for the new owner.