Doll Care Wednesdays: General Cleaning of Your Doll's Skin

Welcome to Doll Care Wednesdays! American Girl dolls are meant to be played with, so every now and then, they will need to be cleaned and sparkled up. As you should already know, your doll's skin is made of vinyl with a soft, matte finish. American Girl has developed this type of skin to make it look as lifelike and authentic as possible. Cleaning of your doll's skin is simple & easy, as long as you follow the basic tips.

For general cleaning of your doll's skin, I {as well as American Girl} recommend the water & baking soda method. There are 6 essential items/products for cleaning your doll's skin properly:

1. 2 soft washcloths
2. Bowl filled with lukewarm water
3. Baking soda
4. Towel
5. 1 empty bowl

First, you are going to make a paste with the lukewarm water and baking soda. Combine a tablespoon of baking soda with just enough lukewarm water to make a paste about the consistency of toothpaste.

Next,  your going to get your doll ready by pulling her hair back and wrapping a towel around her body to keep her dry.

Then, dampen one of the soft washcloths with lukewarm water. Don't get it sobbing wet- just enough where it's not dripping and becoming a mess. 

Dab a bit of the paste onto the washcloth and gently rub it into your doll's vinyl skin in a circular motion. By doing this, you are cleansing her skin and removing any dirt/bacteria. Be very careful not to get water or the paste in her eyes as this can result in rusting. If you can, try covering her eyes when cleansing her. Make sure to also keep her soft-fabric body and hair as dry as possible! And remember, never submerge your doll in water.

Once you have rubbed the paste all of over her vinyl skin, wipe her with another wet washcloth to remove the residue. Rinse the washcloth frequently with lukewarm water. Once you're all done, dry your doll off with a soft towel. 

There you have it AG lovers, once you use this method on your doll, she'll be clean, sparkly, and oh so cute in no time! 

That's all for today! Join in tomorrow for our next post- Product Reviews Thursday. If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ or Contact Us page. 

Did you enjoy our first Doll Care Wednesdays post? What's your favorite skin care tip? Now that you know how to properly clean your doll's skin, are you going to start? Weigh in below with your answers!

Happy cleaning!

-B

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