Welcome to Janet's Doll Planet Fun Page!

Don't pass up the opportunity to purchase inexpensive dolls just because they look like this...

Click photo to see full size!

Brown hair Crissy before

Click photo to see full size!

Red hair Crissy before

With a little effort on your part.... what was once a tangled, frizzy, dirty messy doll could turn out to be a wonderful displayable doll!

Click photo to see full size!

Brown hair Crissy after

Click photo to see full size!

Red hair Crissy after

Below you will find a few doll restoration tips to get you started:

Hair Cleaning

If the doll's hair just needs a gentle cleansing, liquid laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent works great, and leaves a nice clean scent. If the hair is very dirty, try Twin Pines of Maine Formula 911. It cleans great, rinses easily, and doesn't leave any residue. To soften the hair and aid in detangeling, try soaking it in liquid fabric softener for a few seconds. Be sure to rinse thoroughly, being very careful not to allow the water to get into the dolls eyes or grow hair hole.

Hair De-Tangle

To detangle Crissy's hair,try to divide the hair into small sections. Using a wide tooth comb, work from the bottom of each section, up. The smaller each section is, the easier it is to work with. I use Johnson's No More Tangles on hair that is particularly snarly. Just spray each section and carefully comb until each section is tangle free. If using a detangeling product, it is important that you wash the product out of the doll's hair after you are finished detangeling it, otherwise the product will leave a film on the doll's hair after it dries. Yuck!

Vinyl Cleaning/Stain Removal

Vinyl cleaning is simple if you use the right product! Again, I must recommend Twin Pines Formula 911. It cleans better and faster than any other product I have ever tried. Just pour a little on a washcloth, sponge, toothbrush, whatever you have on hand, rub it directly onto the vinyl,rinse, done! If there are stains in the vinyl that cannot be removed by cleaning with Formula 911, there is another Twin Pine's product called RemoveZit that is designed to remove those tough stains. You must follow the directions on the bottle exactly for the best results. If you cant find a store that carries Twin Pines products, you can order direct from the manufacturer.

(See my page for the link to Twin Pines of Maine)

Limb/Head Removal/Re-attachment

The best tip I can give you on limb/head removal and re-attachment.... HEAT! You need to soften the plastic up a bit before attempting to remove a limb or re- attaching a limb or head in order to avoid cracking the plastic. I just soak the limb or head in a sink of hot ( NOT boiling hot!) water. Just soak the limb or head long enough to soften the plastic and make it easier to work with, about one minute. You can also use a hair dryer to heat the limbs, but be careful not to scorch or melt the plastic. Only apply the heat from the hair dryer for a few seconds at a time.

Removing and re-attaching the limbs are pretty simple. The head can be quite challenging. Before re- attaching the head, wrap it in a towel and use a hair dryer on "low/ hot" setting for a minute to heat and soften up the opening to the head. You may need to use the blunt end of a spoon to help guide the head opening over the ridiculously wide cone. Another tip... throwing the doll head across the room in frustration DOES NOT help get the doll back together, Trust me. I know!

Janet's Doll Planet is not responsible for the above instructions causing damage.


Crissy Section

Barbie Section