Remove Yellowing from Dollfie Dream (De-Yellowing)
Tutorial for your yellowed
Today I want to share some experiences withhow to remove yellowing from Dollfie Dream.
Over time, your vinyl dolls can develop discoloration or “yellowing.” This phenomenon is familiar with items like gaming consoles or other plastics that have been exposed to prolonged sunlight. UV light leads to an yellow tint. This yellowing becomes more noticeable with time and on lighter-colored dolls.
To prevent this, it’s recommended to avoid exposing your dolls to direct sunlight. However, even with the best precautions, your doll might still experience discoloration over time.
For severe cases of yellowing, you might consider a treatment to remove the yellow tint. This treatment is optional and not mandatory. Here’s how you can do it:
Important Note:
In this example, I’ll be working with a DD Saber Alter 2nd Version from 2011 with “White skin.” I haven’t tested other skin tones yet. I always recommend performing a test to see how materials interact with each other.
Painted Areas
I’ve also removed the face-up of my doll. If you want to remove yellowing from the face, be aware that the face-up will be affected in the process. I suggest doing this only on painted areas if you don’t plan to redo them anyway.
Safety First
Always follow the safety instructions of the products you’re using!
What you need
+ Our Plan
- Transparent Box (e.g., acrylic)* – Choose a size that fits your doll part
- UV Light* – In my example, I used UV light strips, but other UV light sources are available
- Hydrogen Peroxide (In my example, I used 12% cream) – Different strengths are available; lower percentages might take longer
- A brush if needed If you have trouble sourcing these items, don’t worry!
This process can also work with sunlight, but it will take more time. - Tape
- Aluminum Foil
- Plastic Wrap
- Gloves
The Plan:
We’ll create a small “solarium” for our doll. Ironically, UV light will help us remove the yellowing from the vinyl.
Instructions
How you take care
Step 1: Prepare the Box
First, attach the UV LED light strips to the outside of your transparent box. The UV light should shine into the interior. I taped the strips around the box in a spiral pattern. I also attached some strips to the top opening, so light comes from almost all sides.
Step 2: Aluminum
To contain the UV light within the box, use aluminum foil. Attach it to all sides. I also crafted a lid from a piece of aluminum foil, which will go on top.
Step 3: The Cream
Pre-wash your doll parts. Put on your gloves and prepare a surface where you can work with the cream on your doll part. I’ve placed the doll’s head on plastic wrap to avoid wasting any drops of hydrogen peroxide cream. Apply the cream generously to the entire face, ensuring all areas are covered. You can also use a brush if needed.
Step 4: Into the Box
Place the doll part in the box, put the lid on, and turn on the UV light! Now, wait. Note that UV light can become quite hot, so check on the box from time to time. The UV strips helped control the heat in my case. As mentioned earlier, you can also put your doll part treated with hydrogen peroxide cream in the sunlight. However, this process takes longer. Our UV box accelerates it.
Step 5: Wait
In my example, after about 16 hours of UV light exposure, I took the head out of the box for a test. I turned off the UV box at night for safety reasons. So, the light was off intermittently. Nevertheless, the results were incredible, even after such a short time.
Step 6: Rinse and repeat
I took the head out of the box wearing gloves and washed it thoroughly. Your part is now ready! If needed, you can repeat this process, reapply the cream, and let the UV light do its work.
Waiting Time:
Since I felt I could achieve even better results, I let the head sit for about 20 more hours in a subsequent treatment. I included other parts as well. Depending on the extent of discoloration, plan for around 24 hours of exposure time. It’s better to keep an eye on it and plan for additional rounds if necessary.
Conclusion:
I’m truly impressed with the results and delighted that I successfully rescued and removed the yellowing from my Saber Alter doll. The box saved me a lot of time. Who knows when I might need it again, especially for addressing discoloration due to clothing, etc. I’ll continue to experiment with the UV box in relation to discoloration.
Help & Shoutouts:
I’d like to give shoutouts to some sources and individuals who greatly contributed to this project. Without their help, it wouldn’t have come this far.
Balldylox – Thanks for the assistance and validation that I’m on the right track, and insights into your workflow!
Odd Experiments – Here’s a tutorial if you prefer working with a liquid instead of cream.