Wednesday, November 11, 2009

~Caring for your reborn baby doll~

So you've just brought home your precious little bundle...a reborn baby doll. Now what??

Caring for your reborn doll is easier than you think. In the first several months, your doll should not need any extra care other than keeping it out of direct sunlight for hours on end, styling the hair and making sure that he is kept out of the reach of the young and elderly as they may not be able to handle the doll in a caring way. Supervision of these precious peopled should be exercised.

At first, your delight will be in changing your doll and posing him. Change your doll's clothes much in the way that you would a real baby. Not because he IS real but because you do not want to cause damage to the joints in the body or by tearing the cloth by yanking an arm or leg. Be careful that the clothing does not grab the doll's lashes as you bring the item over the head.

To pose your doll, gently move the limbs into position allowing the joints in the body to move freely. If they are a little tight, support the jointed area of the body with one hand while you move the limb with the other. If the body is not jointed and the limbs are full, support the socket of the body in the same manner and move the limb into position. Turn the head to either side by either turning it if it's loose enough or by supporting the neck area of the body with one hand and turning the head with the other. Tuck the chin of the doll into the chest by squishing the filling inside the body down allowing extra room for the chin to rest. (If your doll seems too stiff to pose, he is probably overstuffed. Contact your artist and see if she can restuff the doll to be more natural.)

If you are like me, you will want to play with the hair on your new reborn baby. Feel free! The best way to style mohair is by spraying it with PLAIN water. Good mohair does not need a lot of additives and plain water works really well. But it combs and styles best when it is wet. Some straight hair does not needed to be wetted much but this is pretty rare. So spray the hair until it is good and damp then comb it with a small child's toothbrush. Yes, these work amazingly well! You can use a baby comb or brush as well. Depending on the curl of your doll's hair, you can use a hair pick to lift up the curls for adorable styles. If you like your doll's hair to be combed down flat, do that. If you like a little curly-Q on the top of the head, do that. Let your imagination run wild. Refer back to the artist pictures if you are at a loss of how to style the hair. And do comb your dolls hair at least weekly if you are spending a lot of time cuddling it, changing it and putting hats on it. Mohair will matte up when the doll is loved on a lot. Maintenance is key to keeping the hair in tip top condition. Do not be afraid to comb your dolls hair.

Cleaning your baby:
If you live in a dusty area, you will need to clean your baby more often. Start with dusting the eyes. Use a soft, clean pastry brush or make up brush to sweep out the dust. Use this for the creases of the doll and between the fingers and toes. If the vinyl is soiled, use a cloth dampened with PLAIN water. I cannot stress enough to not use a lot of products on your dolls vinyl or hair. The reborn process is a mixture of all kinds of chemicals. If other chemicals are used (such as soaps and shampoos) they could react with the chemicals used to create the doll. Plain water is always best. If something is stuck on the doll, use a mild soap, such as Ivory, and very little of it, to see if you can remove the soil.

If there is soil on the body, use a cloth dampened with water first to remove the spot. If the water does not work, use a mild laundry detergent on the cloth in a small amount. You will have to rinse this area off with a clean cloth dampened with water. You will have to repeat this until you feel the soap is gone. Be sure not to saturate your dolls body as there are soft fillings inside which could mold if wetted too much.

Washing baby's hair:
You will only need to shampoo your dolls hair 1-2 times per year and certainly not immediately after you receive it as the artist would have sent him to you fresh and clean.

When you do wash the hair, take the doll to the sink, preferably with no shirt or onsie on. Hold the doll football style in your arm with the head in your hand and facing up. Place the head under running luke-warm water (not hot). Get the hair all wet then apply a good conditioning shampoo or Woolite laundry soap. (Mohair is fiber not hair so human hair products do not work all that well on it.) Apply a moderate amount of product coating all of the hair. Use a hair pick while the soap is on and comb the hair back and out towards the faucet of the sink (you still are holding the doll in the football position during this). Once you have all the snarls combed out, rinse the hair in luke-warm water. Then dip the head in a small bowl of Downy fabric softener. Yes, Downy! It works amazingly well on mohair. Run the pick through the hair and allow it to set for a few minutes and then give it a quick rinse. Pat the hair with a small cloth to remove excess water and style as desired. If it's not styling well and seems dry, apply a little purchased conditioning spray made for reborn dolls and style. In all of this, protect your doll from water, soap and spray running down his face.

The best spray that I have found for purchase is the spray from Angel's Touch Nursery:

~Order spray here~

Many others have stained clothing and bodies (of course with any spray you want to protect the clothing and bodies of your dolls) but I have not found that to be true with the spray I recommend. I don't know what is in that spray but it is wonderful!

Again I want to stress that you do not use other products on your dolls hair. Human hair products are not recommended and it is unknown how they will react to the dyes used to color the hair. Which brings to note: Many times products used on colored/dyed mohair will cause leaching of the color. Be sure that as your dolls hair dries it does not come into contact with the body, the clothing or whatever you lay the doll on while the hair is wet. I think mohair processors really try to make sure the hair will not leach but sometimes there are just flukes to the batch of dye and other things that influence leaching. Once the hair is dry, it won't stain anything.

I am sure I have forgotten things in this post. Please send a comment if you think of something that I missed :)

Enjoy the day and be sure to hug a Veteran. I have three in my life to hug on!




34 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm sorry can I ask you one thing? I have a reborn baby who has curly blond hair. How can I keep it nice and curly as it is now?

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  2. Hi!
    This is a GREAT question! Thanks for asking.
    When your dolls hair begins to lose the curl, simply wet the doll hair (under the sink or with a spray bottle...either is fine~it just depends on how much curl it lost), then pick the hair out with a hair pick. Once all the tangles are removed, scrunch the curls into the style that you desire.
    Let me know how that works for you!
    Hugs
    Debbie

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  3. Sorry to ask you this and its totally not about cleaning reborn but I'm 12 years old and I want to know how can save up for a 220 dollars in a couple of days (doll sold only until march 20-22 and today is the 17 of march ....please respond quickly!!!!!

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    1. That is a tough question to answer!

      Unless you have something of value to sell or a job, it would be very difficult, even for an adult in the same set of circumstances.

      I recommend and suggest that you begin a real savings account for a future doll purchase. I know, it's hard to let this one go but you can't just pull money out of the clouds. Save EVERY penny that you can earn by doing chores, allowance (if you receive them), babysitting jobs, car washing, yard raking...anything you can think of to earn money and when another doll comes along, you will have the money to purchase it.

      Since you are 12, always have your parents handle the transaction with the artist.

      Good luck Honey!

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  4. I have a question how do you save up for a 220 dollar reborn doll in 4-5 days

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  5. I have a question my doll got wet because of a leaky roof not alot though but you can kinda feel it damp, how can i dry the doll?

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    1. If you are unable to disassemble the doll, I recommend that you put it outside in the sun on a warm day.
      Disassembling the doll and removing the stuffing inside would be the best thing to do.
      Let me know how it turns out!

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  6. Hi I have a question I have a reborn and my daughter has sprayed him with baby coditioner and his skin in places feels glossy is there anything I can do please x

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    1. Yes. You can dampen a wash cloth with plain, clean warm water and gently wash the areas that the conditioner is on the doll. Please test in the least visible place first that way you will know if the conditioner did any damage to the paint before proceeding to more exposed areas.
      Let me know how that goes!
      Debbie

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  7. Hi I need some advice, I want a new born baby doll and im getting one next month so how do you get over when people talk negative about you, because I have a friend and she thinks im crazy and stupid and that Im way to old for dolls. [im only 14] how would you get over negative remarks? please help

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    1. Hello there young lady,
      Thank you for writing, this is a great topic to write about.
      As humans, no matter how old we are, it always stings when others do not understand us or "make fun" of our likes and desires.
      Dolls seem to bring even more emotions from those who do not understand~because they are dolls and because "girls" play with dolls. But women have collected dolls for centuries, just as men have collected cars and model trains. What does your friend enjoy? You might compare your passion for the dolls as she does to the things that she collects or finds interest in. We don't know why we are attracted to the things we are attracted to. I know of a man who collects...are you ready for this??? BARBED WIRE! No kidding. And there are barbed wire CONVENTIONS for other collectors of barbed wire! We are all odd ducks if you want to look at it that way...or we all are totally normal with human desires. Yours, and mine, just happen to be baby dolls.
      The age at which you ladies are at is a difficult one. At that age, we don't know who we are or what we like/what our passions are. You are one step ahead of the game as you DO know that you have a like and passion for life-like baby dolls.
      Tell you friend about the art of the dolls. Tell her that not only are the dolls beautiful works of art, they are cuddly. How about that...art you can hug! (Huggable art) You can't do that to a painting.
      Lift you head high and be proud that you know what you like. As for your friend? "A friend loveth at all times". Maybe she should love you for who you are.
      Big hugs to you and congratulations on your dolly to be.
      Debbie

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    2. Don't listen to them. You opinion is the only one that matters. My friends think I'm crazy too.

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  8. Hi, I'm fairly new to the whole reborn community and I want to ask you if leave-in-conditioner/other products is necessary for keeping a reborn dolls hair from breaking etc? At the moment I only use plain water when combing and styling their hair, but I don't know whether the hair will dry out in the long run from just using water?
    I wish you a wonderful week!

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    1. Hello there and welcome to the wonderful world of reborns!
      I do not recommend using leave in conditioners on your reborn's hair. Leave in conditioners can leach the color from the mohair, causing staining on your doll and her clothing. Water is always best and no, it will not dry out the hair over time. If your dolls hair gets dusty and needs a freshening up, protect her cloth body, wash the hair with mild baby soap, rinse, condition with a regular rinse-out conditioner, rinse and style.
      I hope that helps! Take care~
      Debbie

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  9. Sorry if i bothered you but i am 8 years old and im wondering if its safe to get a vinyl doll non cloth body wet??

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    1. Hello Sweetie, you are no bother at all. I am glad you wrote as this is a great question.
      Unless your doll was specifically made to go in a "bath", I do not recommend putting the doll in the bath. However, you can wash your dolls vinyl body with a damp washcloth which can be fun role play as if you are sponge bathing the doll. Have fun with your doll!

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  10. Hi so my reborn has a huge clump like thing of hair in the middle and i have tried washing it and brushing it but it doesnt work can you tell me what to do?

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    1. Was your reborn's hair rooted or could it possibly be a wig? If you know for sure that it is rooted, you can apply some baby lotion onto the wet hair right at that spot and used a large toothed pick to work the knot out of the hair. Rinse the hair when you are done and style while the hair is wet. Good luck!

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    2. I have this problem as well but im so scared to brush it dont want hair to fall out

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    3. If it is a wig, that clump is the center where all of the hair is gathered together. If it is a knot, you can apply a little diluted (with water) baby lotion to condition the hair and then gently pick the hair with a wooden skewer or a hair pick until the knots loosen. Rinse the conditioner out of the hair when you are done.

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  11. Hi there! I know this was from a few years ago, but I wanna say thank you for all the help! Also, are there any places to get reborn you suggest? I'm having a hard time choosing! Thank you!

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  12. Hi! Thanks for popping in and these posts are still valid so I am glad you asked! I posted a blog called "Buying Artist Quality Reborn Dolls" many years ago. I will share the link here but if it does not work, simply go to the HOME page on the blog and search for this title. I will pop up for you. I hope it helps! http://theynevergrowupnursery.blogspot.com/search?q=Buying+a+reborn

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  13. Hi my daughter received a reborn realistic doll for Christmas and has been taking really good care of him. He has started to get a dark color almost like a type of dye on his toes. We have no clue what this is and didn't know if you could help us know what to clean it with without harming the entire doll. Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

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    1. Hello there!
      Two things come to mind regarding your dolls toes. One is, is this doll an Ashton Drake So Truly Real doll? Those are known to have fingers and toes turn blue and black.
      The other thing that comes to mind...is the doll wearing dark colored socks, shoes or clothing such as a footed sleeper?
      After I understand what is going on with your daughter's doll, I can help more.
      Anxious to hear from you :)
      Debbie

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  14. Hi, I just got my reborn full silicone doll.
    My first question is how do i simply make mohair conditioner for her hair?
    My second question is how do i get my reborn's bottle to go into her mouth more as I got her off of amazon from a maker named MR. CHAOS, from China and the bottle goes in just a little bit.

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  15. Hello Stephane,
    Well, good mohair should not need a mohair conditioner so I cannot advise you here. Plain water should do the trick on good mohair.
    I am sad to hear that this doll came from China as those "makers" are taking vinyl kits made by other artists and remolding them into silicone. This is theft.
    But, since you already have the doll, the best solution for your dolls bottle is to push the nipple down into itself so that it does not have to go into the dolls mouth if you cannot open the mouth far enough to take push the nipple in.
    Good luck with your doll.

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  16. Hi! I'm getting my first reborn doll, I'm only 12 and super excited im getting her around spring break so i have a few questions if you can answer? I'm getting the Simone Ashton Drake Doll ... hopefully she doesn't come messed up. questions!
    1. Can i use cantu in her hair since it's for natural curly hair?
    2. If my dolls feet turns black how can i fix it?
    & 3. Is it safe to get my reborn doll and 5-8 hours later take her to like the park with a real baby carrier & blanket over her?

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    1. Hello Cadien, thank you for popping in and congratulations on your new doll!
      Simone is a manufactured doll and will have synthetic hair. I have an African American Ashton Drake Doll (Jasmine at 1 1/2) who has the same type of hair. I have not tried any products on it but it has become very frizzy over time. It is a good question, but I suspect that no products will help since it is not real hair.
      I wouldn't worry about her feet right now as it takes a long time for that to happen if it is going to happen (my Ashton Drake Dolls have not had the plague of the black fingers and toes). Sun seems to be the cure for it.
      Yes, you can take your doll outside to the park, or anywhere else you desire right after receiving her. Since she is a manufactured doll, she is more durable than a hand painted reborn doll.
      Have fun with your new baby! I am giddy with excitement for you!
      XXOO
      Debbie

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  17. Hi! Will I damage my reborns paint if I change their clothes once or twice a day? Is that too much? Thank you.

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    1. Hello Heather,
      If your doll was painted with high quality paints changing him/her several times a day will not damage the paints.
      That said, if the doll was painted with Genesis paints that have been thinned with odorless thinner, the dolls finish may become shiny~no matter how little you change them.
      Have fun with your doll!
      Debbie

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  18. thank you! i'm just now seeing this but i recently got her last month on march 10th and i've had a blast, the only thing i put in her hair is the detangler because i found out the cantu has nutrients and the hair doesn't so who knows what can happen, but i have two more questions, is there any way you can get stains out of their body? my doll ( zariah ) has like a weird stain like something spilled, i'm not sure because i seal all her bottles and it bothers me. and is putting baby wipes on your doll okay? like if it's probably occasionally when something gets onto them?

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    1. Cadien, the doll with the stain on the body, is that a cloth body you speak of?
      It is best not to use baby wipes because they contain alcohol. Plain water is always best to wipe your dolls vinyl down with. If there is soil that is stuck, just use a mild soap and water, then rinse well.

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  19. Hi. I ordered a reborn and he arrived yesterday. He's absolutely amazingly realistic-looking!!! I'm completely in love! Anyway, I was just wondering if there is any kind of way I might be able to care for his mohair wig cap in a way that his hair would lay a little more relaxed? Like, is there anything I could do to make it less stiff? Whenever I remove his little hat, his hair is all over the place. Lol This is to be expected though I know. So I'm not disappointed about it or anything. I'm just simply wondering if there's anything I can do to relax his hair a lot more.��‍♀️ Btw, his hair isn't rooted in. It's a wig cap that is very securely glued on. He truly is an amazing piece of art.

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    1. Hi there! Oh my, the holidays sidetracked me so very much! I apologize for not getting back to you sooner.
      Yes, I believe that you can wet the hair down and brush it flat to the head. Let it air dry and brush when it is dry. That should help but please ask your artist if the paint will hold up to the water. (Be careful not to get the cloth body wet.)

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