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Faces
Q. Do you offer green ear removal? Is the process
long?
A. Yes! I have developed a new treatment that works well and
quite quickly, but only if the doll has NEVER had any prior green ear
treatment whatsoever. Please email
me for more information and please see this page on my site Green
Ear Removal Examples.
GENERAL STAIN REMOVAL GUIDE:
INK STAINS -- Maximum Strength
Clearasil and Oxy10 do NOT get rid
of green ear, however these Benzoil Peroxide creams work wonders on stains such as ball point pen.
Just dab the white cream on the affected area, and put the doll in the sunshine
on a cool yet sunny day since heat may shrink the doll's head.
Caution - Benzoil Peroxide may also fade the surrounding
vinyl, so as with any tip found on my site, please use caution and test an
inconspicuous area first!
MOLD STAINS and 'Kool-Aid lips' (if the above does not work). Removezit works well on these vinyl stains. Please contact Twin Pines of Maine directly for more information about their products (including Removezit, Formula 911 Cleaner, Perk! and Booost).
GREEN or BLUE SPOTS on BENDABLE Legs: Unfortunately these are usually a result of oxidation of the metal wires inside the legs. There is nothing one can do to stop this process on these fragile legs.
SHOE and CLOTHING STAINS: Unfortunately I have not found anything that will get rid of these.
GREEN EAR (and other stains resulting from metal oxidation): This is a result of metal earrings (or the stands, nails, etc.) having oxidized up against the vinyl and stained it. I have a great treatment for this (though I do not guarantee it is permanent as the green may creep back over time). This treatment is not available for home use. Please see more information about this on my Beauty Spa page and my Green Ear Removal page.
**Mod ("Pink Skin") Dolls -- This type of vinyl is much more challenging as it is more delicate than the vintage tan vinyl. Unfortunately oxidation stains remove the pink coloring from of the Mod Dolls' vinyl, and it must be re-colored after treatment. Treatment success varies with the pink skin dolls, and is more unpredictable on this type of vinyl.
Tarnex - Do NOT use Tarnex to treat green ear! While it may first appear to be working, the area will later turn a dark brown. Plus the doll will smell terrible. Tarnex can also damage original face paint (it can turn the blue eyes green and eventually fade all color from the eyes) and stain the hair.
Removezit - If you decide to
treat your doll at home with Removezit, please do not use the cream inside the
doll's head! This will damage the original face paint (it can turn the
blue eyes green and eventually fade all color from the eyes). After the treatment is complete, do not store the doll in an
enclosed area (such as a doll display box). The fumes from Removezit can fade
the original eye paint. The treatment process is slow, often
up to a year. Store the Removezit in the refrigerator and buy
a new jar after one year.
It is not safe to use on Mod (Pink Skin) vinyl since after the doll has
been re-colored (post treatment), the area quickly turns white again.
CLR is another treatment that is often used and can cause the original face paint to fade. While I have no experience using CLR, I do not recommend this harsh cleaner after what I have seen.
Q. My doll has green on her
ears and also in her hair. Is the green staining removable from the hair
as well?
A. Removing the green oxidation from the hair should be relatively easy
(compared to removing it from the vinyl).
If the hair is in the original style and you don't wish to un-do it, you may use
some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and buff the green-stained area.
Q. What should I use to touch up Barbie's make-up?
A. I use high quality acrylic paints and a very
small paint brush. There is no need to use any additional sealer since high
quality paints have a sealer already present in the paint. But please realize that it takes a lot of practice in order
to achieve professional results with smooth paint and no brush strokes.
Barbie restoration has been a hobby of mine since 1995, so I have had a lot of
practice. I have
had to repair many dolls whose face/vinyl have been ruined by a previous
restoration attempt.
Q. Hi ~ your website is so helpful thank you!
I have a 1963 Bubble Cut Barbie with HUGE hair and she is in beautiful
condition...I know I got her in early 1963. I took out her
earrings once I noticed the tinge of GREEN yuk! However, trying to
put something there another teeny hole was made right next to the
original holes. Can these extra holes be erased?
A. I am glad to hear you removed the earrings. You may want to
clean the doll's ears with rubbing alcohol on a q-tip to remove any
oxidation residue (inside her head, too, if you are comfortable removing
it).
Regarding your question; No, I don't do anything to try to erase
or remove extra pin pricks or earring holes.
Tampering with the vinyl in a way that is permanent may cause more harm
than good, and may end up drawing more attention to such a little
'flaw.'
It is best just to leave it alone, and just clean her and enjoy her!
Q. What is the best way to re-color a Mod Barbie doll whose pink vinyl has faded over the years?
A. The Rit Dye Method seems to work well on faded faces (or fade spots on faces). Here are the instructions for the Rit Dye Method:
Barbies from the late '60s have dye that over time seems to leach out
from the vinyl - making the skin tone appear pale, whitish or even greenish-white.
You must replace the color that is missing in order to restore the doll. With this method
you are dyeing the vinyl as opposed to painting it so it is important that you work
lightly since you can't really wipe the dye off once it has been placed on the vinyl.
Many thin coats is better than one thick coat!
You will need the following:
- a glass container (I use a small jar with a tight fitting lid)
- one package of Dry Rit Tint and Dye - color #7 Rose Pink
- one package of Dry Rit Tint and Dye - color #48 Peach
(IF you are having trouble finding Peach Rit Dye, please see my NOTE below
for an alternative Rit Dye recipe)
- half cup of water
- some clean cotton swabs.
Make sure that the surface you are dying is clean so that the dye
will be absorbed properly, when dyeing a light haired doll, BE SURE to protect the hair by
tying it back or making a little headband that will hold the hair away from the doll's
face.
Prepare the dye in the glass container. Mix 2 parts peach with one part rose pink (2 T
peach and 1 T rose pink). Mix in only enough water so that the dye looks like cranberry
juice. There should be enough water so that the dye is clear (sludge at the bottom is
okay) but still looks like dark cranberry juice. This is a VERY strong mixture. Don't
follow the package instructions or the dye will not be strong enough!
To test the color, drop a small amount onto a white cloth. It should be slightly orange in
appearance.
Applying the dye is simple. I prefer using cotton swaps that are wet rather than using a
dry cloth. With moistened cotton swabs I feel like I have much more control and the dye
goes on in much lighter coats. Wet a clean cotton swab and then squeeze out the excess
water. Shake
the jar of dye so that it is well-mixed. Dip the wet end of the cotton swab into the dye
mixture.
Squeeze out any excess dye so that it won't run all over the place when you apply it.
Start from the back of the head at the hair line and work in downward strokes around the
whole head. The harder you press, the darker you will dye the vinyl. Raised areas such as
the nose,
chin and cheeks will absorb color more easily so go lightly over these areas. The
dying
process may take about 2 or 3 coats, but that is okay.
The dye will appear dark after you first color the face - as if she has a bright
sunburn! Don't worry! The dye will cure within a few days (2-5). If you need to do
another coat after that
then that is fine too.
Note: If the dye mixture has little granules of color that don't completely
dissolve, let them sink to the bottom and just dip the q-tip in the top (clean)
liquid.
NOTE; Alternative Peach Rit Dye Recipe:
Q. I read your Rit dye coloring method and wondered how long the
treatment would last before it has to be done again?
A. This varies depending on the doll. The more pale the doll is to begin with, the
quicker she will re-fade. Also, if you have used Removezit on a Mod doll you will find that the Removezit also removes the color of the vinyl
along with the green. Unfortunately a residue remains inside the
vinyl and when you attempt to re-color the
white areas, the coloring will not last and will need to be continuously re-applied.
Q. Can you assist me in repairing a split
neck myself?
A. To fix a neck split I recommend using any quick drying Superglue-type glue that is formulated for plastic
or vinyl.
Just follow the instructions for the product, and when you are ready to put the
head back on the body (I normally let the glue set about 24 hours), be sure to
soften the the doll's neck rim first (see more information in my section on BODIES).
Q. How do you clean a doll's face and is there any way to remove or improve the "greasy face" on my Ponytail?
A. I gently clean the doll's face with rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and then lightly 'powder' the face with a bit of baby powder. This seems to help, but this treatment will need
to be repeated eventually as the vinyl continues to break down and causes the
greasiness to return. If the face has had any paint restoration, please do not
use alcohol on the new paint (and always be gentle if going over original paint).
Also, I do not recommend using rubbing alcohol on the early (#1 and #2)
ponytails, since their original face paint is delicate and even the original
could rub off.
Q. Do the early dolls have the issue with getting green ear? I am
concerned about putting earrings in because I don't want that to happen!
A. Yes, they do. Please do not put any metal earrings in the ears
unless they are SOLID 24k (pure gold). Not even gold filled will do.
A beautiful American Girl with re-painted 'high color' make-up
Barbie (and Friends) by Year -- Information and photos that will assist you in identifying your Vintage/Mod Barbies and friends
Identification Help -- Common questions I receive about the dolls and how to identify them
Hair - General information about cleaning, re-flocking and re-rooting
Bodies - General information about cleaning and repairing
The general
information I have chosen to include on these pages is here as a courtesy to
collectors of Vintage and Mod Barbies® and friends.
I regret that I may be unable to personally answer your how-to restoration
emails.
Please note that I have limited experience with non-Mattel fashion dolls, modern
Mattel fashion dolls (anything newer than 1970 or not made in Japan), or any
other types of dolls.
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arising from the information and/or references contained within this entire
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page.
