How to Wash Dolls

Last Updated: March 26, 2023 References

Whether you’re a collector of vintage dolls, a parent of a small child, or someone who enjoys playing with dolls yourself, keeping your dolls clean is a big part of their upkeep and maintenance! Hair gets frizzy, clothes get wrinkled, and bodies get dirty. Thankfully, it’s fairly simple to give your dolls a little TLC and get them looking clean and put-together once again. Of course, all dolls are a little different, so make sure to check any available care instructions for your specific doll to see if there are any recommendations you can follow.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Maintaining Your Doll’s Hair

1
Remove tangles with a wide-toothed comb or wet brush. Start at the bottom of your doll’s hair and work up toward the roots. Be gentle and take your time—if you’re too rough, you could pull out or break hair.^{[1]
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- It may be a little easier if you lay your doll down on a flat surface and spread its hair out around it.
2
Wash your doll’s hair in the sink with warm water and shampoo. Turn on the tap and adjust the water temperature so that it’s warm to the touch. Wet your doll’s hair, and then put a pea-sized amount of shampoo on your fingertips. Work the shampoo into the doll’s hair, just like you would your own before rinsing it out. Pay special attention to any areas that are really dirty or that have product buildup.^{[2]
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- Be careful to not get the rest of the doll wet unless you know it’s safe. For example, barbies can be completely submerged in water, but American Girl Dolls shouldn’t get their eyes wet.
- You could also fill a small bowl with warm water and wash your doll’s hair that way if the sink isn’t available.
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3
Apply a small amount of conditioner to the hair to help combat frizz. After rinsing out the shampoo, massage a pea-sized amount of conditioner in your doll’s hair. Rinse out the excess conditioner with warm water.^{[3]
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- Even though most doll hair is synthetic, the conditioner will still help smooth out any frizzy locks.
4
Brush the hair a second time before letting it air dry. Once your doll’s hair has been washed and conditioned, take a few minutes to carefully and gently brush through the hair one more time. Always start at the bottom and work up toward the roots to avoid damaging the hair.^{[4]
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- If you want to speed up the drying process, you could use a blow-dryer set to the warm or cool setting. Just be careful to not let the hair or your doll get too hot because it could melt.
5
Treat greasy hair with baby powder between washes. Sometimes your doll’s hair might start to look a little greasy, which can happen because of products used to style the hair or from general wear and tear. Simply sprinkle a little bit of baby powder onto the hair and brush it through with a comb. This should help your doll look more presentable until it’s time to wash its hair again.^{[5]
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- You could also spray a little bit of dry shampoo on the hair for the same results.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Boil-Washing Hair

1
Bring a small pan of water to a simmer over medium heat. Resist the temptation to crank up the heat dial to boil the water faster. For safety purposes, you want just a gentle simmer rather than a roiling boil.^{[6]
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- Boil-washing hair is great for removing unwanted curls, getting rid of crease lines from ponytails, and smoothing out frizz.
2
Dip your doll’s hair in and out of the simmering water for 3-4 minutes. Be sure to saturate the hair with water so that every part of it gets treated. Feel free to swish the hair around a little, too. If the water starts boiling, turn the heat down a little bit.^{[7]
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- Synthetic doll hair has a low-boiling point. Boiling it makes it get soft and supple, which helps you work out frizz and curls.
- This is a great way to “reset” doll’s hair after it has been styled.
Warning: Be careful while boil-washing your doll’s hair! Keep its body away from the flames so it doesn’t get hurt, and keep your hands away from the pot and boiling water as much as possible so you don’t get burned. If you’re younger, ask a parent to help you.
3
Detangle and smooth the hair with a comb or wet brush. Turn off the burner on the stove and lay your doll out on a clean, dry towel. Spread out its hair and begin gently brushing through it until all the tangles are gone.^{[8]
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- Generally, the more you brush the hair the smoother it will get, so plan on spending 5-10 minutes on this task.
4
Mix a 1:2 ratio of liquid fabric softener and warm water in a clean bowl. Make sure the bowl is deep enough for all the hair to fit into it. The fabric softener will give your doll’s hair a nice shine and leave it looking glossy once it’s dry.^{[9]
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- If you’re washing multiple dolls at once, you can use the same bowl of fabric softener and water for all of them. There’s no need to change it out between each doll.
5
Let your doll’s hair soak in the bowl for 3-5 minutes. If you want, you can periodically brush through the hair to help the fabric softener saturate every strand. Try to not get your doll’s head in the water too much, as some brands and materials might absorb some of the dye from the softener.^{[10]
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- This step will also leave your doll smelling nice and fresh, which may be helpful if you’re working with an old or salvaged doll.
6
Rinse the hair out with fresh water to remove all the fabric softener. Remove your doll’s hair from the bowl and take it to the sink. Rinse out the hair with a gentle stream of cool water until the hair feels clean.^{[11]
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- The fabric softener usually leaves a little bit of a film on the hair that you can feel with your fingertips. You want that film to be gone by the time you’re done rinsing the hair.
7
Blow-dry the hair on low to smooth out any remaining frizz. Use a gentle stream of air on either the warm or cool setting, and brush through the hair as you dry it. Avoid using high-heat, as that could damage your doll.^{[12]
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- You could also let the hair air-dry and style it later.
- You could also apply a pea-sized amount of a light-weight moisturizer to the doll’s hair while you’re drying it to help prevent frizz and make it even shinier.^{[13]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cleaning Your Doll’s Body

1
Take off any removable clothes and accessories before washing your doll. You’ll be able to wash your doll a lot easier if it isn’t wearing clothes, so take a minute to remove whatever you can. Set everything to the side so you don’t lose track of anything.
- A lot of doll clothes can go in the washer, while some dolls themselves can’t. Just plan on tackling these things separately to keep your doll in the best condition possible.
2
Wipe away spots and dirt on hard-bodied dolls with soapy water. Fill a small bowl with warm water and a few drops of dish detergent. Dip a clean sponge or cloth into the water, and use it to gently rub away any dirt from your doll.^{[14]
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- Be gentle when cleaning your doll’s face—scrubbing too hard can sometimes remove paint.
- You could also try a magic eraser to get rid of tough stains.
- Dry your doll off with a clean towel rather than putting it into the dryer. The tumbling and heat could really damage it.
3
Wash soft-bodied dolls in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. Dolls that are completely soft, similar to stuffed animals, can usually go into the washing machine. For extra protection, wrap it in a pillowcase, wash it on the delicate cycle, and make sure to remove it from the washer as soon as it’s finished.^{[15]
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- Depending on how dirty the doll is, you may be able to just treat stains and spots with a sponge and some soapy water.
- This may not work for every type of doll, just depending on how it’s made. Check the instructions or care guide first to make sure it’s safe. If you don’t have that information, look up the brand of the doll online.
- Some dolls have soft bodies but hard heads. You may be able to remove the head and wash the body on its own.^{[16]
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4
Let your doll air dry to prevent damaging it in the dryer. Regardless of what type of doll you’re cleaning, the safest thing to do is to let it air dry. If the weather is nice, lay it outside on a clean towel and let the sun dry it. Otherwise, you can lay the doll out or set it up against a wall until it’s completely dry, which could take 24-48 hours.^{[17]
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- Never use a hairdryer or space heater to dry your doll. You could damage them or even accidentally set them on fire.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Washing Doll Clothes

1
Wash durable clothes in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. If possible, you should always check to see if your doll clothes are machine-wash safe. In general, if the clothes feel like the clothes you wear, you can probably put them through the wash. If they seem delicate or have lots of decorative pieces, you may want to hand wash them instead.^{[18]
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- Wash doll clothes separate from the rest of your laundry.
- Try putting the clothes into a mesh bag to keep them together so nothing gets lost in the machine.
2
Wash delicate clothes by hand so they don’t get damaged. Fill a small tub or basin with warm water and about a ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of laundry detergent. Submerge the clothes in the water and swish them around to agitate and clean them. Rinse them out with cool water until there are no more suds, and gently squeeze out excess water.^{[19]
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- Washing clothes by hand doesn't take very long, and it may be the best way to take care of your doll clothes. Consider using this method whether or not you could potentially clean the clothes in the washing machine.
- If the clothes have never been washed before, you may want to wash colored items separately. There’s a greater chance their colors will run, and you don’t want them to stain one another.^{[20]
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3
Air-dry all doll clothes to keep them in the best condition possible. Lay the clothes out on a clean, dry towel and reshape them so they dry without getting any strange wrinkles. Make sure they’re completely dry before putting them back on your doll.^{[21]
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- You could also hang-dry the clothes if you have a clothesline.

Warnings

Always use caution when working with boiling water. If you’re younger, ask a parent for help before using the stove.

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