Should I Clean My Antique Doll?

That is a question asked by almost every new antique porcelain doll collector. It is a question not easily answered.

Cleaning a doll depends entirely on the doll and the condition it is in. If it is a doll that is just dusty, clean it extremely carefully with plain water and a cue tip or a very soft cotton cloth.. making sure not to clean it roughly or harshly , thereby rubbing off any of the surface paint. You can also just dust it lightly.

If it is a very rare doll, so nothing to it other than dusting it lightly with extreme care.

Antique porcelain dolls are anywhere from 80 to well over a hundred years old and most likely were at one time the favorite playmate of some young loving owner, therefore are not expected to be in the same shape they were all those years before when they were first made.

They are not like the modern porcelain dolls, which are made with the purpose of a child playing with them in mind. In fact, many of them state "not meant to be a toy" right on the box they come in.

The antique porcelain dolls were made expressly to be played with, and they were. They will show that wear and that is part of their charm to those who collect them. Cleaning them to the point of trying to make them look "new" diminishes their value in my eyes and in the eyes of many collectors.

If you wish to clean the hair and the clothing of your antique porcelain doll... you should follow the same guidelines.... lightly dusting them, keeping them away from harsh detergents or cleaners.

Allow your antique dolls to reflect their age with pride. After all, anyone can purchase a sparkling clean doll from the store today. The antique porcelain dolls have earned their looks through time. Attempting to remove that mark of age from them defeats the whole purpose of collecting them... which should be to reflect a time in history.

That time in history that the antique porcelain dolls reflect is as many as 160 years in the past.

You don't want to clean away that history.

Enjoy.