Stains
Tips & Information
Because of the soft vinyl they are very likely to stain from clothing and wigs! I would recomment to be very careful whenever you are handling them with any kind of clothing or accessories! Be careful what comes in contact with your Dollfie Dream in general.
How to prevent stains?
Washing the doll clothing first
You can fix the color of clothing a bit more to the fabric by washing them with water and vinegar. Leave the clothing for some time in a good mix of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. So the excess color will be washed out. The piece will be more likely not to leave stains as much as before. Make sure to wash off the smell afterwards. This is not a guarantee anyway but it may decrease the result of staining.
You should also have the colors of the different pieces in mind. So they will not color each other or anything similar! Try not to leave your dolls in dark or black clothing for too long. For myself I always dress my Dollfie Dreams in lighter colors. After use of a “dangerous” colored outfit, like after a photo session.
Protective clothing
How to minimize the chances of stains
There are also body stocking and wig caps for your doll, which you can buy directly from Volks but also from other companies. You put these stocking like suits underneath her clothing to prevent direct contact of the fabrics to your doll. This is another helpful advice to prevent stains on your doll. They are available in many different colors or variantions for every need. Usually they are very subtle and won’t affect the look of your doll much.
They are also available as head caps (please use fabric made head / wig caps – silicon ones migth damage your doll.) and prevent your Dollfie Dreams head from staining. I made good experiences with these types of protective clothing.
Wig caps for the head
A protective solution for the head of your doll are wig caps. They will be put in between the head and the wig itself, to prevent direct contact between the wig and your doll. Otherwise the wig might stain your dolls head badly.
Please keep in mind that these advice don’t have a 100% assurance that every item will keep your Doll uneffacted. Please use head / wig caps made out of Fabric and not silicon. Silicon ones might damage your doll.
Stain removal
How to take care of them
There are a few tricks which might help you to get rid of some nasty stains on your doll if you do not want to buy a new part directly and replace it.
In a worst-case scenario where the stain is very deeply soaked into the material you can try to remove or at least weaken it with the “Dream Rescue” cream directly from Volks. I have prepared a Tutorial for how to use the Dream Rescue cream.
If the stain is not deeply soaked in the vinyl you can try to remove it with some warm water and a magic sponge, those white foam household cleaning sponges who can usually be bought in a store or doll online shops. Gently rub over the stain. If the stain or dirt still won’t go away you can try using some alcohol or acetone-free nailpolish remover on the magic sponge.
Be careful when using this on painted areas! This can remove the paint too and might ruin their look!
Another method is using some 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Cream (sold as acne or pimple remover in the pharmacy section of stores) and an adjustable desk lamp will do it too.
Dream Rescue
How to use it
Preparation
- Prepare a space for your doll where it can stay for a while, you can put a towel underneath if needed.
- Clean the stained area and let it dry. You can use a magic eraser here.
- Make sure painted areas like the face are covered (with a paper towel for example) to prevent any damages to it due to the light you will use later.
- If needed you can put a paper towel underneath the stained area so that the cream won’t drip anywhere important.
Put on the cream
- Now turn on your lamp and make sure it is kept about 12″ away since you don’t want to damage the material with too much heat, but we need some warmth to preheat the vinyl and expand it slightly, so that the cream soaks in better with time.
- Apply the 10% Benzoyl Peroxide to the stain. You don’t have to rub it on the stain, just be sure you have a thick layer on it. (It is ok if the cream is on non-stained areas as it won’t damage the material)
- You can now leave your doll for about 3-4 hours with the lamp on. After 4 hours at the latest you should turn off the lamp! Since you want to let it do it’s magic but don’t want to heaten your doll up too much. The cream can be left there as long as you want as it won’t harm your doll BUT check that the light is turned off. After 8 hours the Oxy cream looses its effectiness and you should rather start up with a new “round” than leaving it on any longer. Average de-staining processes are usually about 3-4 hours non the less
- Get a wet white and clean paper towel with no designs and such, wipe off all of the cream. It can take a little while because the cream is now dried.
- Any remains can be cleaned with a magic eraser – you are now done!
Still stains on your Dollfie Dream?
You can repeat this step as often as you want. Until you think that you got away with the stain as “good” as it could be. Even after weeks you might notice that a stain can be completely gone. The cream kinda works on its own. This method is very effective overall.
Some stains can not be completely removed because they sunk too much into the material of your Dollfie Dream. If you can not hide it underneath clothing you can consider buying some spare parts. This way you can switch the parts of your Dollfie Dream.
Basics
What you should know
Basics
Click here for our overview and everything you need to know about handling vinyl dolls & helpful tips. Well prepared for your first doll!
Care
Vinyl is quite a delicate material. More than you might think! So there are a few things you should look out for. We will show them in our guide.
Eyes
The eyes of many vinyl / anime dolls can be changed in a few steps. We help you on how to find the right ones for your head.
Wigs
Choosing the right hair for you doll is essential. It makes big changes to the appearance. We will show you more about the sizes and your possibilities.