Restoring Doll Clothing

Restoring Doll Clothing.
 As all of you know that have read this
blog for any length of time I love to restore dolls. Restoring
the doll is important to do right, and just as important is restoring
the clothing. Always remember that trying to restore the clothing
can completely ruin it, if you choose the wrong method. If you
choose to try only do clothing that is ruined without restoration.
Restoration of clothing sometimes can be as simple as washing them or
soaking them for a while in a mild detergent. You can also place the
dry clothes in mesh bag or pillowcase and place in your dryer on a
cool setting and let the dryer remove the dust. But if the clothing
is very old and has been improperly displayed, it can be a challenge.
First, test the strength of the fabric to see if it is dry rotted.
Next, you must identify what the fabric and trims are made of. If
the trim is a different fiber, you may want to remove it and clean it
differently and reattach later. You would not want to wash most old
woolens. If you are not sure what the clothes are made of, try a
simple test on an obscure place and place a drop of water with a mild
detergent (Woolite, Perk or Dawn) on it. If it passes that test
carefully wash. If a garment is white or a light pastel color
chances are it is very dingy due to household air or smoke. Try a
light soak of Clorox made for gentle bleaching again in an obscure
place. If the garments pass that test, then proceed to soak them in
a very light solution of bleach and water. Only use this method on
white or light colored clothing and as a last resort and only for a
short period. Remember most of the time the doll is never going to
look completely new. To remove spots and rust stains there is a
product called whink. You can find it with the detergents in most
stores. It comes in powder and liquid form. I prefer the liquid.
Again test in an obscure place. I have never had this product bleach
the color, but there is always a first.
Another important thing to remember is that prior to the 1960's a lot
of colored fabrics were not colorfast. Prior to washing a garment
soak in a cold solution of white vinegar and water. This is often
enough to set the colors and they will not bleed together. Also any
metal fastener should be removed on old garments, as they were not
rustproof. If there are any studs or any other permanently
attached metal should be watched very closely to reduce the risk of
rust. If rust should appear, Whink will remove it. Also prior to
washing or soaking check carefully for small holes in the fiber as
they need to be watched to be sure they do not enlarge. Be very
cautious at each step as once fading or disintegration of fabric
occurs it is irreversible. The rule to follow is caution and less is
the best. If in doubt, do not proceed with any step and take the
clothing to a professional.
The fancier the dress, the more you need a professional to clean it.
I usually only clean cottons and cotton blends myself. I have
successfully cleaned some silky type gowns in perk.
After cleaning, you will usually need to press the garment as the
older fabrics had to be ironed. They were made before permanent
press came into being. Be sure the iron is on a cool setting and
take your time as the garments are tiny and require patience. Do not
start restoring doll clothing on your expensive dolls, but start on
less expensive dolls, so if you should have a disaster, not much is
lost. Just be cautious and test each step. The results can be very
rewarding.