How can I clean up my old Cabbage Patch Doll from the 80's?

Question

My Dad passed away, and I am keeping a few toys from my childhood. One of those things is my old Cabbage Patch Kid, which I want to keep, but how the heck do I clean up her neatly braided yarn hair?

Answer 1

I have heard that you can wash them this way (assuming she is the cloth body type?): make sure her hair is very secure, then put her in a pillow case and tie the top of it closed. Toss it in the washing machine with detergent (and add some oxy clean if she is real icky) on GENTLE cycle. The spin cycle will help get the water out of the cloth body and hair. Take her out when finished and see if she is clean enough (you can send her through again if not). Fix the strands of yarn hair in place by hand, like if she has bangs (so they dry the way you want them to...even re-braid if necessary) and set her in the sun on a towel to dry her out (or, if you happen to be lucky enough to have a dryer with a drying rack in it, set her on the rack to dry in the dryer. The rack keeps her stationary so she lays flay and never tumbles. This is quicker and more preferred because sometimes when drying in the sun it can get water marks on the body if you don't turn it often enough)

Hope that helps!

P.S. If it has a vinyl body then just scrub up the body and then take out the braids and GENTLY wash the yarn hair by hand with a good detergent, being careful not to separate the individual yarn strands. Dab with a towel to get most of the water out and let dry, then re-braid.

Answer 2

no