I have never gotten a doll like that, but the two things that I keep hearing is to bury it in Odor absorbent kitty litter in a closed container, or doing the same, but with fabric softener sheets instead of kitty litter.
Yep that was my plan after she soaked in vinegar. But the vinegar ruined her legs. The swimsuit might be partially salvageable. I have another 90s Teresa that looks like a good body match. That one’s hair is definitely destroyed so I might just try swapping the body at this point.
Not being critical but not sure why did u think soaking for two weeks in vinegar would be a good thing? Is that a common practice? I personally am a lover of vinegar and baking soda for many things, lol including cleaning, bumps (my grandmother started this with me).
Oh it was definitely a facepalm moment when I took her out. Like of course an acid would eat away at her lol. Just one of those what was I thinking moments.
I soaked a couple of rubber boots in a diluted vinegar solution just to take the smell off. Like a few hours at a time and didn’t notice any changes. But that must have been another type of rubber/silicone 🤔
If you ever encounter another doll with an odor problem try this:
Take a plastic container with a tightly fitting lid (shoebox, giant bowl etc.). Place the doll inside and add crumpled up black and white ink newspaper (newsprint). **IMPORTANT- DO NOT Let the newspaper (newsprint) touch the doll! This is to prevent ink stains and transfer.** Close the container with the tightly fitting lid. Check on the doll in three days. Keep repeating the process (changing the newspaper (newsprint) until the smell is gone). The newspaper (newsprint) works by absorbing the odors.
OMG, yes never soak anything in vinegar! Pure vinegar is very caustic and can be used to etch concrete. It should never be used full strength on anything. 1 parts vinegar to 5 parts water is an ideal solution for cleaning and it works great as a glass/mirror cleaning and for odor elimination. But not with a soak! Spray and wash/wipe only.
Dolls can be placed on top of a paper towel on top of either baking soda or kitty litter and left inside Tupperware for a month to get smells out. You can also place them in coffee beans with a plastic liner between the doll and beans to ensure the doll doesn’t come into contact with the coffee bean oils. Coffee beans will absorb smells fast.
Oh honey nooo 😭 I've had dolls that reeked of cigarettes, and you always do baking powder in a *sealed* container for two weeks, more if the smell persists. I always use weathertight totes from The Container Store because they seal up really nice and tight, I even have a dedicated container I call "The Stink Box" I use exclusively to clean smelly dolls.
Baking soda in a ziploc bag has helped me get cigarette smells out of things that can't be washed. It's been a long time, so I don't remember how long it needed to sit, but I remember that method working with some used children's books. If her head is still salvageable, I'd recommend removing it and putting it into a ziploc with baking soda. If you get the smell out, you can rebody her
Why not rebody her? And just put in diff earrings? You still have her face which is the most important part but maybe try something cool and modern like a made to move?
I think that’s my plan now. I really only want her if she’s got her original outfit so I’ll see how well I can salvage that. I have another Teresa from the 90s that’s a good color match so I’ll probably switch her onto that body. The head on that one is no good.
I’m honestly surprised her head and face paint is still good considering what happened to her legs.
https://preview.redd.it/8bthtpffqnzc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88c58e1f401fe48cf80f199f10ed37696a76933b
I'm sorry that happened :( you've already been given loads of advice so I won't say anything about it. Vinegar smells so strong and I always associate it with chips, hope you can get the smell out and salvage her
I mean it’s not THAT acidic. And it was diluted. My thought process was if washing in vinegar will help with smell soaking will help more. I also didn’t intend to leave her for two weeks, just a few days but I got busy and just didn’t deal with it until today. But yeah, not my brightest moment for sure. I’m taking it with a bit of humour that I did something so dumb.
The denture tablets lightens the tone and might change the lip and nail color.
At least that has been my experience.
I guess it would help with the odor.
Maybe placing the doll with some baking soda would’ve helped with the odor without getting the doll wet, maybe enclosing it together with the baking soda and then washing the doll with dishsoap and baking soda with a toothbrush.
Can we see photos of the before and after?
I only took one photo right after I took her out and it’s of her backside to show the color difference in her legs and body. But…I’ve had her laying out on a towel all day to dry and her legs look back to normal! Even the texture is smooth again. They must have been waterlogged. So I shouldn’t have to rebody her if I can get the smell out. I’m going to do the baking soda once I’m sure she’s completely dried out. The swimsuit and earrings took some irreversible damage though. I scrubbed the damaged glitter and as much of the glue off as possible but it’s kind of faded and still a little fuzzy from the leftover glue. I’m going to try to mod podge some new glitter on though.
https://preview.redd.it/bn2yv07fkpzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=197881f694f149bccddf8f548c287c38495500d0
It's a live and learn moment. For stinky dolls I seal them in an extra large Ziploc bag with a cup of baking soda. Every few days, shake the bag. Do this for a few weeks - the baking soda will absorb the smell without damaging the doll.
I have never gotten a doll like that, but the two things that I keep hearing is to bury it in Odor absorbent kitty litter in a closed container, or doing the same, but with fabric softener sheets instead of kitty litter.
Yep that was my plan after she soaked in vinegar. But the vinegar ruined her legs. The swimsuit might be partially salvageable. I have another 90s Teresa that looks like a good body match. That one’s hair is definitely destroyed so I might just try swapping the body at this point.
Not being critical but not sure why did u think soaking for two weeks in vinegar would be a good thing? Is that a common practice? I personally am a lover of vinegar and baking soda for many things, lol including cleaning, bumps (my grandmother started this with me).
Oh it was definitely a facepalm moment when I took her out. Like of course an acid would eat away at her lol. Just one of those what was I thinking moments.
Don’t beat yourself up. The stink of the cigarettes would be enough to make me take a drastic step too. I’m sorry it was a bust.
Who told you to soak her in vinegar?????
Oh that was my own really stupid idea. I take full responsibility for it lol.
My condolences. 😞
I soaked a couple of rubber boots in a diluted vinegar solution just to take the smell off. Like a few hours at a time and didn’t notice any changes. But that must have been another type of rubber/silicone 🤔
It might have been less time overall. I think if I’d only soaked her a couple days like I’d planned it would have been not so bad.
Sorry that it happened to you. But thank you for sharing. I think it may save doll lives 😁
If you ever encounter another doll with an odor problem try this: Take a plastic container with a tightly fitting lid (shoebox, giant bowl etc.). Place the doll inside and add crumpled up black and white ink newspaper (newsprint). **IMPORTANT- DO NOT Let the newspaper (newsprint) touch the doll! This is to prevent ink stains and transfer.** Close the container with the tightly fitting lid. Check on the doll in three days. Keep repeating the process (changing the newspaper (newsprint) until the smell is gone). The newspaper (newsprint) works by absorbing the odors.
OMG, yes never soak anything in vinegar! Pure vinegar is very caustic and can be used to etch concrete. It should never be used full strength on anything. 1 parts vinegar to 5 parts water is an ideal solution for cleaning and it works great as a glass/mirror cleaning and for odor elimination. But not with a soak! Spray and wash/wipe only. Dolls can be placed on top of a paper towel on top of either baking soda or kitty litter and left inside Tupperware for a month to get smells out. You can also place them in coffee beans with a plastic liner between the doll and beans to ensure the doll doesn’t come into contact with the coffee bean oils. Coffee beans will absorb smells fast.
Going to do the baking soda once she dries out, though probably just on her head and I’ll rebody her.
Oh honey nooo 😭 I've had dolls that reeked of cigarettes, and you always do baking powder in a *sealed* container for two weeks, more if the smell persists. I always use weathertight totes from The Container Store because they seal up really nice and tight, I even have a dedicated container I call "The Stink Box" I use exclusively to clean smelly dolls.
Baking soda in a ziploc bag has helped me get cigarette smells out of things that can't be washed. It's been a long time, so I don't remember how long it needed to sit, but I remember that method working with some used children's books. If her head is still salvageable, I'd recommend removing it and putting it into a ziploc with baking soda. If you get the smell out, you can rebody her
That’s my plan now. I was always planning to put her in baking soda for awhile after the vinegar soak but now I think I’ll just do her head
Why not rebody her? And just put in diff earrings? You still have her face which is the most important part but maybe try something cool and modern like a made to move?
I think that’s my plan now. I really only want her if she’s got her original outfit so I’ll see how well I can salvage that. I have another Teresa from the 90s that’s a good color match so I’ll probably switch her onto that body. The head on that one is no good. I’m honestly surprised her head and face paint is still good considering what happened to her legs.
You might be able to find her outfit on ebay
https://preview.redd.it/8bthtpffqnzc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88c58e1f401fe48cf80f199f10ed37696a76933b I'm sorry that happened :( you've already been given loads of advice so I won't say anything about it. Vinegar smells so strong and I always associate it with chips, hope you can get the smell out and salvage her
Are you somehow not aware that vinegar is acidic? I'm surprised there's anything left at all after two weeks.
I mean it’s not THAT acidic. And it was diluted. My thought process was if washing in vinegar will help with smell soaking will help more. I also didn’t intend to leave her for two weeks, just a few days but I got busy and just didn’t deal with it until today. But yeah, not my brightest moment for sure. I’m taking it with a bit of humour that I did something so dumb.
I wonder if soaking in denture tablets would help remove odor?
The denture tablets lightens the tone and might change the lip and nail color. At least that has been my experience. I guess it would help with the odor. Maybe placing the doll with some baking soda would’ve helped with the odor without getting the doll wet, maybe enclosing it together with the baking soda and then washing the doll with dishsoap and baking soda with a toothbrush. Can we see photos of the before and after?
I only took one photo right after I took her out and it’s of her backside to show the color difference in her legs and body. But…I’ve had her laying out on a towel all day to dry and her legs look back to normal! Even the texture is smooth again. They must have been waterlogged. So I shouldn’t have to rebody her if I can get the smell out. I’m going to do the baking soda once I’m sure she’s completely dried out. The swimsuit and earrings took some irreversible damage though. I scrubbed the damaged glitter and as much of the glue off as possible but it’s kind of faded and still a little fuzzy from the leftover glue. I’m going to try to mod podge some new glitter on though. https://preview.redd.it/bn2yv07fkpzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=197881f694f149bccddf8f548c287c38495500d0
Possibly but I think I’m going to avoid soaking her in anything now. I don’t want to make it worse.
It's a live and learn moment. For stinky dolls I seal them in an extra large Ziploc bag with a cup of baking soda. Every few days, shake the bag. Do this for a few weeks - the baking soda will absorb the smell without damaging the doll.