Storage - When storing blythe dolls it seems that often there is a chemical reaction with plastics that causes melting. So when storing or traveling with your dolls, please be sure that the doll is not touching other plastic (stands, shoes - especially Rosebuds, dolls arms & legs, etc.). Plastic from the face has even melted when the legs of another doll has touched, so please do not store together or any other part touching will melt the doll if stored, it is ideal not to put the dolls together and keep separate. I wouldn't even store the doll contacting the dolls own arms and/or legs to the face. Some even wrap their dolls in a piece of cotton.
Stains - Please be careful of denim, tights and black & red clothing. They are problematic so even if you do the best to treat them, the stains may still occur. If you have your doll wear something for a very long period of time, please check arms and legs periodically for staining. Be especially careful of stockings and tights.
Color Treat Blythe Doll Clothes Before Wear - If new Blythe doll clothes were not pre-treated, ask seller first, then pre-soak them in a mixture of a generous amount of vinegar and water.
How To Treat Blythe Doll Arm & Leg stains - If stains do occur, please don't worry because they usually do come out. It's understandable that it's upsetting so when it happens but all your doll needs is a little spa time. Mr. Clean magic eraser, dish soap, and/or pimple cream are the top 3 methods used. I would start with the dish soap first, especially for light stains, because most everyone has it in their homes and it's the easiest to obtain. Sunlight is what I recommend because of the lemon, my father even used it when he worked as a tailor because it is really effective in treating stains in clothing also.
Others have used pimple cream, most use Oxy 10 and others have used Neutrogena and sunlight dish soap. They claim that all they had to do was apply the acne cream to the stained area and then leave dolly in a window for a couple days. The stain may need a few more treatments so use your discretion because you may feel that you will need to re-apply the acne cream and put in the window again. Repeat this process until it is gone. Pimple creams use bensoylperoxid and salicyl acid to break down the stain so please be careful when using it because it may eat away at the plastic. I have used the Magic Eraser on stubborn Kenner dirt and it worked, I just made sure to rinse the area I treated really well after I used it. I would probably do the same for the other methods too in order to stop the chemicals from reacting with the plastic. Proof of this is after magic eraser or pimple treatment you may not see any results, but people have reported that after a couple weeks later the stain is gone because some of the chemical may have absorbed into the plastic, so make sure you rinse well so that not too much does.
Tips Getting boots on - Coat the leg in baby powder so your doll's legs will slip right into boots. Please be aware that some boots stain too and some shoes even melt so I suggest always putting some white cotton stockings on your dolls when they are wearing dark shoes or boots.
Trouble getting a sweater on - Difficult to get a sweaters past your dolls fingers? Try putting a sock over the hand while you put on trouble sleeves. I have also pinned up the dolls hair when putting on a sweater, top or dress on.
Gum or glue in Blythe Doll hair? - ICE! It even works great for human hair. Just treat the spot until goop is very cold then simply and carefully pick off.
Water on Takara Blythe Eyelashes - don't panic! Try to save those suckers by dabbing with a paper towel and leave it alone to dry.
Kenner Hair Falling Out - Do not fuss with it and leave it alone. If you want the original hair do not keep brushing and brushing it. A very sweet girl on a blythe forum noticed her KB's hair was fine and she kept touching it and it seemed that she made it worse by constantly touching it :( Don't feel bad because there was a happy ending! She actually gave the doll a mohair re-root and it looked fabulous. Bald Kenners are fixed up this way too with mohair or with saran. I've never seen a Kenner I didn't love!
Know when to get help. Sometimes you shouldn't do it yourself if you are not feeling it or don't really have a DIY bone in your body. There are a lot of talented pros out there that offer Blythe doll restoration &/or spa services for a good price. Check their reviews and if they don't have any ask for testimonials.
Love,
AnnaBlytheDoll xo
