Same! I just got an entire 60’s Barbie & Francie wardrobe case full. Over 50 outfits! Barbie, Ken, and Skipper! All have mildew smell! I’m nervous but there are some VERY rare black label outfits that deserve to shine!
Great video Sue! I had never used Oxyclean before, but I got some after I saw this video the first time. I just recently got a bunch of clone pieces that I liked but were really grungy and I wasn't sure they were usable. I made an Oxyclean "bath" with cold water and let things soak and then rinsed them after a few hours and they came out amazing! I was washing mostly whites and light colors, but I had rescued a doll from a friends "haunted" garden that was dressed in a Barbie Sweet 16 dress that was almost green with dirt which I added just to see if it would help. That dress came out as pink and clean as an Easter egg! Even the polka dots and string ties are popping white-keep up the good work-Your enthusiasm is contagious, and you really know your stuff! Thanx!
Very informative. I learned a lot. I also learned from selling vintage clothing a few years back that if you soak the clothes in white vinegar first, it will take out the excessive color without fading those 60s items.
I'm so glad you made this video. I'm getting ready to clean my little haul of Ken clothes from the Nashville show. I got the striped sweater and also the original red and white stripe beach jacket in a bag lot so I'm glad to know how you cleaned them. I also got a little red cotton cap from Rally Day so I will be extra careful and use vinegar with that. I also got the coat from Rally Day, the jacket from Yachtsman, the sweater from Time for Tennis, a red and gold vest, and two jackets from Dreamboat and some slacks and shorts too. It was not a big doll show but there were some bargains.
Thank you ! I appreciate you sharing your expertise. I am cleaning my own dolls from childhood. As luck would have it, the first doll you clean is one I have. She is a Mary Poppins Doll. Unfortunately my niece got into them and all Mary Poppins clothes are missing, So I will be making her new ones. Thanks once again!!
Great video! The doll you cleaned with the purple dress is a Mary Poppins doll. I had that exact doll! She came with a coat, hat, bag, and umbrella. I’m thinking I probably shouldn’t have gotten rid of her .😩
Thank you for the tips !! I never thought of oxy wash. I have a 70s Cher doll pleather Indian dress , I'm not sure I can wash it. I washed a Superstar pink dress once and it faded the Pink a bit. I like to clean everything too, make it smell good..
Thanks for the video. I thought I'd share a couple of things that work for me. On a stain like the one on the collar that you used some bleach on for example, you could also try using some dishwasher detergent. (I think it has water conditioner in it that breaks uo stains and softens hard water). I used to use it on my baby's clothes for some of the baby food stains and it worked well. The other thing I do, is after rinsing the clothes, I fold a clean white towel around them and roll them up and then press a lot of the water out, just by pushing on the towel. Then I put them on doll hangers and let them air dry.
Hi, all! Thanks for the lovely video and tips! I heard you say you haven't found anything to take INK out. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I have had some luck using Rubbing Alcohol on a Q-tip to spot clean! Be prepared as it can make the ink run if there is a lot of it. This works for cleaning lots of different types of stubborn stains on toys and fabrics (ink, paint, sharpie). The higher concentration the better for stubborn stains (like the 90% Isopropyl in the pharmacy dept.) but also the more RISKY it can be about taking certain finishes off so be extra careful around the dolls painted face makeup, adhesives around stickers, etc. because it will also remove old sticky stuff and painted logos/pictures that should be there. And I find that Shout and Spray n Wash help nicely with regular old stubborn dinginess, stains, smells. Please use caution and test on inconspicuous areas first. Thanks again, Sue, for sharing!
Hi Sue 😊Thanks so much for the video ! It is really helpful. I have watched this video several times and i had commented before but sometimes my comments disappear, so i hope you get this one and know i appreciate you 🥰Have a Great day! 🌞🌞❤❤
Thanks for letting me know. Glad the video helped. Yes, sometime comments don't go through. Sometimes they show up up months later. Happy Barbie hunting.😀
Now when I see your stuff I will always think Fresh and Clean! 🚰 That's a Mary poppies doll, I think. I have one too and think she's Cute! 🌂 Collecting can be hard work sometimes, but always worth it! I am definitely more conservative in my cleaning, and now I will forever think my stuff is not as fresh as Sue's. LOL! One thing I think you should get is Shout Color Catcher sheets. They really work!
Hi Sue! Great video and I'll definitely try a few tips! I was wondering though, when a stain doesn't seem to come out and the piece isn't why what do you usually do? What about fading in clothes, is there any solution to it? Thanks for the reply and keep up with the great videos!
SUCH a great video! I have a tricky one - is there anything that can be done if a Barbie "Silken Flame" dress has some dirt on the white satin? I'm afraid of it acting like a wick and pulling water up toward the red velvet...
Thank you so much for this video! Do you have any suggestions on how to clean the Senior Prom dress? Also, did you iron any of these after washing? Wondering if they kept their shape during the wash or ironing helped.
I haven't washed one of those exact dresses. But I have washed some that are the satin. They are tricky so only wash if very dirty. Soak with lots of vinegar for a while, The green will probably fade. But you can use a very I have used a very light warm iron. Sometimes they do good and sometimes they don't.
Thanks for sharing your process! I clean Barbies mercilessly, but I've been gun-shy to clean the few vintage clothing pieces I have. A few of those have that musty smell ... does your cleaning process get rid of that smell?
I place clothes that smell musty in zip lock bags with dryer sheets! Check on them periodically. If the smell persist change the dryer sheets out! Hope this helps, keep collecting!
What would you recommend to get green off the head from a vintage Barbie.. I believe she is a midge or skipper. She had a gold headband on and it has stained her head and hair green
It’s not an easy fix, unfortunately. Some people use CLR. Treating it over many times. But it can remove the dolls coloring. Remove zit is a product you can order. It helps but takes months of treatment. Some try to color over it. Washing will help remove any green residue.
What should I use to get smell - musty old smell out of my Mego Cher doll and mego Sonny dolls with black spots i used dawn on Cher doll she is clean but smells still i had her outside to air out naked and she was still smelly her hair i washed with shampoo conditioner in it hair still messy
That smell will go away, but I have found it just takes time. Putting it outside is a great addition. Especially on sunny days. I have still had dolls smell for a few months before it finally goes away.
The Barbie gift set i have is called Holiday Sisters Gift Set from 1999 look for the set on RU-vid Sue I need to know if I can wash their outfits in water in a bowl with laundry detergent they smell bad from storing them they got a bit whitw musty look to them cause the box became deteriorating
Tips for late 70s and 80s Barbies whose hair has gone greasy? I am new to this and bought my dolls from childhood, some of which were NRFB, but when I unboxed them…grease. Should I leave them or try to clean their hair? I am displaying all of them. I’ve looked through all your videos and haven’t seen anything on this. Thoughts?
Thank you! I was gifted a bubble cut Barbie and red velvet flare coat with silken flame dress and she’s filthy, so are the clothes. I’m scared to try cleaning the clothes because it’s red velvet and white satin. I didn’t know if the satin would turn pink.
That is a risky one to wash. I have never tried it. If you do use a lot of vinegar, and watch it closely. Cause it will fade like crazy. Dry quickly with blow dryer. Maybe first try Brush off the red and if the white is dirty lay it out in the sun. When it gets hot. That will help whiten the inside.
@@BarbieLove I didn’t soak it, I was scared it could be too much so I used cool water with tide free and clear and vinegar just swished it around until the water was brown then rinsed with cold water thoroughly and then dried it quickly. It’s in the sun now and seems perfect! Your tips helped a lot actually. I’m so glad I found your video!
Yes, it works for some outfits. It all depends on the material. So glad you had a good experience. However the older clothes are much to fragile for a washer. They also fade really bad(certain colors) So easy does it if you get a 60's or 70's outfit.😍
@@local_treasures815 I would look them up on ebay to see. That is how I do it, when I find something, I am not sure of the cost. Congrats on your finds.
It is an outfit that cost less than some of the other more detailed outfits. The package said Best Buy on it . So these outfits got dubbed Best Buy’s. I have a video showing a lot of those outfits
Not sure I ever cleaned velvet. I would use a vacuum and maybe a pet hair sticky roller to clean them first. Air them out spray a little something to make them smell better. Do they have stains? If they have stains I would a cleaner that cleans without wetting. It all depends on the year. Sounds like these may be from the 90's? I wouldn't soak them unless they are really, really dirty. Soaking can be done but it is always a risk with certain materials.
Separate items by colors, (items in these eras are known to fade, especially red) Red or anything with red on the item soak in white vinegar and water. (you don't need much water, enough to cover the Piece of clothing) I usually do one item at a time. (at least half water to half vinegar) soak at least an hour or more. Then put the red item in another small container with oxiclean, let it soak until it looks clean, (but check it often!!) Some items are more fragile than others and may fall apart at the seams. (Threads rot) Then I put it in another container of water and fabric softener, for 5-10 minutes. Rinse under running water. Wring item by hand and use a blow dryer to dry it. Most things do great, But I have had some that don't. Red items are always scary, even the red thread on a button will fade. (So red anything needs a long soak in vinegar water) Hope this helps. It is a long process, that takes a lot of containers and patience. 😃Not all stains will come out, so if you buy something heavily stained it may never come clean. If I didn't answer your question, please feel free to ask anything additional
