Eww... Dolls from a non-smokefree home

I bought a few used dolls on eBay to add to my collection and they arrived today, but oh noes... They smell! The stench of cigarette smoke is all over all 8 of them. I hate that smell and I certainly don't want my dolls to smell this way. Does anybody have any tips, on how to get the smell away..?

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Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 2, 2011 at 17:45

Meh, I don't have a dryer... Thanks for the tip though :)

I could try using my parents' dryer, hope they know what kind of strips/sheets you mean ^^

Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 3, 2011 at 18:16
I washed the clothes in my washing mashine and put the dolls bodies and heads in a cold bath with some fabric cleaner for a while. As simple as that... it worked like a charm. They all smell sweet and fresh now! Should have just tried before posting here ;)
Permalink Reply by Tropical Thought on February 4, 2011 at 1:42
A white vinegar soak can make it better, but nothing can get it out completely. I did several soaking on a stormer doll, one was even for 24 hours, did not see any damage to the doll as long as rise out the vinegar. If its mild smoke, you can maybe get rid of it, but heavy smoke or mildew is permanent. I don't use fabric softener because I am allergic and even the unscented one caused some hair damage. All it does is cover up the smell with the smell of perfume, if you don't mind that other smell. I guess I did not read this soon enough, but I am anti fabric softener, it adds a chemical that never comes out, and maybe it causes more damage over time? I mean I use fabric softener the unscented one on clothes, but I don't like what it does to dolls hair.
Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 4, 2011 at 7:48
I used regular fabric cleaner, not softener, and it worked like a charm. So far anyway, the dolls don't smell. :)
Permalink Reply by Tropical Thought on February 4, 2011 at 16:01
What kind of product? This that like a rug cleaner or a laundry detergent? I always try to discover new ways of treating dolls. I have a bad attitude toward fabric softener, because I was suggested it way back in the 90's by barbie bazaar magazine. I used it treat 90's dolls with tangled hair, due to my own stupidity, and it make them all worse, to the point, many of them were ruined. So, they got axed from the collection, then I bought them again on ebay after the economy went bad. If you want to look up the terms "downy dunk" for dolls.
Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 4, 2011 at 16:09

I'm not even going to BEGIN to try to detangle the hair of some of my dolls... It's just so stuck, I don't think it'll ever get better. I tried my own conditioner on one doll once, and it didn't destroy her, but it didn't do any good either.

 

But here I was just talking about the smell of the dolls... I'm sorry, English is not my primary language and I sometimes struggle to find the right words. I'm not sure what the right word is for the stuff I used. It's just normal washing powder for my laundry, but then the liquid kind. Is that called a laundry detergent..?

Permalink Reply by Tropical Thought on February 4, 2011 at 16:21
Washing powder we call "powdered laundry detergent". I did not even know you were not a native speaker, you write so well. I found that Murphy's oil soap will de-tangle and it's all organic in fact, all natural, if you look at the label, but you have to do it like this. Coat the hair in Murphy's oil soap, then comb it until untangled with a big tooth comb and brush, move to a smaller tooth size, then rise very well. Allow to air dry the hair in a standing up position. There could be some damage from this, I am not saying it is risk free, but I got great results with some of my dolls. I only use this as a last resort when the hair is completed ruined otherwise. I have never had the hair become worse from this treatment. Human hair conditioner did not help.
Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 4, 2011 at 16:24
Rise... you mean rinse? Murphy's oil soap, gotta remember that name. Thanks for the tip! Hope it's available in the Netherlands.
Permalink Reply by Tropical Thought on February 4, 2011 at 16:58
It may not be but you can buy another brand of oil soap. I found this

Despite the name, oil soap does not contain oil; it contains potassium soap manufactured from vegetable oil. It has no oil and they use it for cleaning wood floors, so there has got to be another brand you can buy. I forgot to say use warm to hot water, but not boiling water. Boiling water can melt the dolls. If the doll has curly hair sometimes hot water will uncurl the hair, so if you want to keep the curl, then use cool water. The heat does help with the untangling.

Murphy's Oil Soap

Permalink Reply by Christine Thompson on February 4, 2011 at 19:33

Put the dolls in a strong brown paper bag and seal the bag with tape. In good box, bigger than the bag, put  regular clay(not clumping)kitty litter in the bottom of the box and then put the bag in. Totally surround the bag with the litter until you can't see the bag. Check in a week. If the smell isn't gone try again until it is. Works great and the litter can be used in plant pots and in the garden for drainage afterwards. This works for anything you want to de-smoke-smell. Clothes and vintage boxes too. Just make sure you can't see the bag under the litter. Hope this helps:)

Permalink Reply by Evelien on February 4, 2011 at 19:36
If the dolls were still smelly I'd definitely try this, but I've already succeeded in removing the smell ;), thanks for the tip though!!

Community ManagerPermalink Reply by Simon Farnworth on February 4, 2011 at 19:46

These are great hints and tips guys. I am toying with the idea of creating a 'hints and tips' style group so that everyone has one place to look when they have issues with dolls or clothes etc.

What do you think?

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