How to clean porcelain and wooden dolls?

Let's hope so. Sorry for your flood damage. I would remove clothes and wash them. The body parts can be washed with a mild detergent and brush. Hope it works.

poor babies-Ken has the right idea

Hi Mau,

I would agree with Ken. Here's a website that has some tips to help you.

https://ourpastimes.com/clean-porcelain-dolls-4896985.html

Be real careful around painted eyes. Try wiping with damp cloth first and only soft brushes. So sorry for Flo's damage.

Ken is right, use ivory soap for the dolls. There's several ways to do this, in a blender or food processor with water to create a paste, with a cheese grater and hot water and let soak till disentigrated. You can super dilute it and put in a spray bottle, wipe it on with a soft cloth, or just rub a wet paint brush over the bars surface. Ivory soap is what is used to clean really old paintings. Good luck!

Hi! My mom collected and sold dolls for many years. If your dolls were immersed in water and the dolls have joints. ( are strung) you would need to take the doll apart to make sure you clean out the hollow head of any mold and mildew. Make sure you clean the hair also. For eyes if there are any that open and close with any possible metal parts you can oil those. The hardest thing to get out is the odor. My mom had some dolls damaged when a dishwater line broke and cleaning the dolls took time but getting out the odor was harder. I found a plastic tub with lid filled with either cat litter or baking soda or charcoal helped to get rid of the odor depending on what the doll was made of. Getting dolls into the sunlight helps a lot. There are several products online you can use to clean your dolls.

The doll in the first picture on the right looks like a Sasha doll. If so you have to be very careful cleaning it do to the material it is made of. Get the clothes off all dolls asap to try to get them to dry. I would also restring them as the stringing will dry rot from the water damage and The stringing will fail. The wooden dolls depending on if the limbs are solid or hollow, would need to be taken apart if hollow to clean out limbs inside. Clean inside of head carefully. I would dry them out wiyh limbs detached to make sure it throughly dries. Once all done depending on if doll body is sealed or not you can use a light buffing of paste wax. Please keep smelling your dolls at carious stages of the cleaning process yo make sure the smell is completely gone. If you have any questions feel free to ask,

good luck!😀

Apologies, I should have clarified paste wax for wooden dolls only! sorry about that.

Go to www.Dollspart.com The owner, Barbara has all types of doll cleaners. I have used them and they are great. Jean