BJD 101- Overall, Basic Care

There are always a lot of questions from newcomers to the hobby about how to care for their dolls, so I made a basic outline of some general tips and tricks. Hope you find it useful!

FAQ's and BJD 101 Stuff contains links to all forthcoming or written BJD 101 posts on this blog.

Face ups:

You can find an FAQ and other information about face ups here . Caring for your doll’s face is easy.

·         Don’t touch it directly with your hands.

o        The oils from your hands can damage the sealant and the paint.

o        Remove the head when dressing or undressing the doll, as your hands and the clothes can rub or damage the sealant and the face up underneath.

·         Sealants

o        You don’t need to spray your deal with any kind of sealant if it has a face             up from a professional or directly from the company. It’s already been sprayed.

o        If you aren’t sure if the face up has been sealed when buying second hand, ask.

o        You can spray the body with sealant if it isn’t been blushed if you want. Sealant will wear away pretty much no matter what you do on the joints and other places of frequent movement or handling, but some people like spray with MSC UV Cut to protect from sun damage.

Cleaning and Water:

Cleaning is a pretty straight-forward process.

·         If your doll gets dirty, first wipe the spot gently with a wet washcloth.

o        It is okay to use a washcloth gently on a spot on a face up. Just don’t rub too hard so you don’t scratch the sealant.

·         If your doll gets really dirty, unstring her, and give her a soak in warm soapy water (regular Dawn dish soap with no oils, and no additives).

o        Don’t soak the head, as you don’t want the soap to damage the face up.

·         Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, aka magic sponges, are the most amazing things ever. They are used for removing face ups, as well as scuffs and marks from the surface of your doll.

o        They come in a variety of brands and sizes, and I’ve used many with the same results. Look for a soft, white sponge sold in stores in the cleaning aisle.

o        Try to avoid using them on a face up as they can remove sealant and paint.

Can my doll get wet?

Yup, she can.

• It is ok for a doll to get wet, but you will want to unstring the doll and let the elastic fully dry before putting her back together.
•   I would not soak a doll in chlorinated water for long.
• If you do soak your doll in a natural spring or mineral water (or you just have hard, mineral filled water), wash her down and let her strings dry out thoroughly.

Avoiding Dirt and Dust and Stains:

·         Wash your hands before handling your doll.

·         Keep her in her box or in a cabinet and dust her regularly.

·         She’s meant to be played with, so don’t be afraid to be hands on. A little dirt and grime won’t hurt her; just wipe her down as needed.

·         Wash all dark clothing, especially denim, in vinegar or in the washer before leaving them on your doll.

o        Don’t leave them on for long periods of time.

o        Consider using a body stocking to prevent dark clothes from staining.

o        Always use proper sealant and materials before painting so you don’t stain her resin or vinyl.

Yellowing:

·         There is no way to prevent yellowing. Yellowing happens as the red pigments in the resin break down with age. You can’t stop it, but you can slow it.

·         Avoid leaving your doll in the sun for long periods of time.

o        Taking your doll outside won’t hurt her often. Leaving her in a sunny window will.

·         If your doll has begun to yellow with age, you can soak the doll in oxyclean (unstrung), or attempt to sand away the outer layers of resin.

o         I would not attempt sanding without proper equipment and experience.

·         Tan dolls can sometimes green with age, and usually yellow quicker than normal skin dolls. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable beyond limiting constant sun exposure.

·         Avoid excessive heat.

o        I’ve read a few places that this can warp the resin and increase the speed of yellowing.

o        While your average summer temperature is not likely to hurt your doll, don’t leave her in a hot car in the middle of July all day.

·         Avoid smoke. Smoking can yellow, stain, and leave a nasty scent on your doll. Keep her out of smokey areas and rooms as much as possible.

Cracks and Damage:

Sometimes cracks and scratches happen. Resin is tough, but still prone to some injuries.

Falls can break or scratch a doll, as can rough handling, or forcing a joint to bend the way it shouldn’t.

·         Don’t force the doll’s joints, and be aware of the doll’s limitations.

·         Don’t leave a doll free-standing unattended. Use a stand or sit or lay her down.

·         Don’t leave a doll curled into a fetal position for long stretches of time, as this can loosen her elastic over time.  

·         When posing a doll in difficult positions or risky areas (such as on concrete), try to have someone nearby who can help catch the doll if she tumbles.

Repairing:

·         To repair a scratch you can lightly and gently sand the resin to polish and remove it. Use proper respiratory protection and equipment.

·         To repair a crack, you can use epoxy, like in this tutorial here, to reinforce the crack and prevent further breakage.

·         You can glue back on broken fingers or ears with superglue or use epoxy.

·         If the doll has a dent in the nose or dents in other body parts (cats like to chew on resin), try boiling the doll part and gently pop the dent out while it’s warm and malleable if it doesn’t do it itself.

That’s the basics of caring for your bjd! Don’t throw her down a flight of stairs, but don’t be afraid to take her out and about for photos. Resin is pretty tough, but you still want to practice care with something so precious and expensive.
Thank you for reading and happy collecting!