Listed below are some of the tips found in doll books, doll magazines, and on the Internet over the period of time. These tips are for those of us who want to do minor things to take care of our baby doll clothes:
Remember, take care when washing outfits of older dolls as the fabrics may be more delicate than they look. Wash doll clothing in COLD water only. If not using Perk from Twin Pines, use a gentle product like Woolite.
Use caution when attempting to launder an outfit that has both red and white on it as the red may bleed when wet. Try a hidden area first.
Remove any accessory items such as flowers or felt bows, if possible, before washing.
When restyling your dolls hair, refer to a picture of the dolls original style.
When finished washing doll clothes rinse in clean cold water thoroughly to get out all residue detergent. Do a final rinse in a solution of white vinegar and water.
After washing doll clothes I pat dry to get as much excess moisture out of the item as possible. I then dry the dress over an empty glass jar (size depends on dress). This lets the dress skirt dry very full, with less wrinkles as well as lets the air hit it from all angles.
If it is necessary to press the garment, use a cool iron (remember these items are old) and DO NOT USE STARCH to stiffen the outfit. Even though it would give a crisp look to the outfit, it is hard on some older fabrics and can break them down. Also, bugs like to feed on starch and will be attracted to your doll, thus causing damaging results to the doll (especially compo) and the outfit as well!
De-Solv-It, a citrus solution for removing gum, glue, etc., works well on cleaning cotton dresses. Just use a couple of drops in a quart of cold water. Soak item for about an hour, then rinse and dry.
Newer clothing (CPK, American Girl, Fisher-Price Kids, etc.) can be laundered in a washing machine as you would any item. Pre-treat stains first. I would suggest putting the items into one of those netted bags used to wash delicates. This way it is easier to find them and they won't disappear down the drain like "runaway socks."
Store clothing in acid free tissue to protect fibers from damage caused by the chemicals in ordinary paper products.
