How do you get soot off porcelain dolls?

Question

A friend had a house fire and the dolls are covered in soot just wondering if anyone would have any info on how to safely remove the soot without damaging the porcelain dolls.

Answer 1

spray them with a 50/50 mix of amonia (i like the sudsy amonia) and water. let them sit for about a minute (don't let it dry) and rinse under warm water. blot dry.

Answer 2

This is directly from a website:

We are familiar with this problem as we have repaired many dolls that have been in house fires. Remember that your insurance should cover this restoration. You will have to have estimates for the repair of these dolls along with appraisals of the dolls to establish original values. This can in part be established if you have any original purchase slips for the dolls in question. If not, an appraiser will be able to do this for you. The insurance company also has to pay for the estimates, so don't think you have to pay for these out of pocket. The insurance companies in many cases don't tell you this unless you ask. If they are a good company they will tell you up front. Dolls that are in a house fire will have smoke damage, this is a given. All cloth bodies in most cases, if not all cases will have to be replaced. The wigs will have to be chemically cleaned or replaced. In order to clean the bisque correctly you would have to disassemble the doll parts from the body. At that point you will be able to clean the porcelain bisque. I would suggest to soak the parts in mild dish soap and hot water. After an hour or so take the parts and hand clean each individual part with a more abrasive cleaner. I would suggest something like soft scrub. This product should work. If the dolls are of good quality the soot and smoke damage should be removed, not the art work. It would just be a matter of letting the parts dry. The only other problem that might arise is the eyes in the doll heads. These may be damaged and have to be replaced. If not, they should clean just as well. The eyes may come our during the soaking of the bisque parts. It would be just a matter of gluing them back in place after the head dries. Then the old bodies will have to replaced and the dolls assembled with new bodies. The clothing can be washed, mended and sized. I'm sure some of the clothing will have to be totally replaced depending on damage. This process can be rather exhausting, and must be done right or you will still be able to smell the smoke damage.

Good luck!

Answer 3

here's some cleaning info i found, perhaps it will work on your dolls? sorry to hear about that and good luck!

This is definately one job that is best left for a professional cleaning company that specializes in soot removal but if you want to give it a try.................Try mixing a very small amount of water with the powdered cleaner TSP (trisodium phosphate; available at paint and home-improvement stores) to make a thick paste and blotting it on the stained area only. Be careful not to use too much; soaking could spread the stain. And be sure to test a small area first.

This method may not be appropriate for some painted surfaces -- soot removal depends on the type of paint. Check with your local paint and hardware store for specific recommendations. They may even have some other information for you. If you do try it yourself be sure to attempt it only on a very small area first.

Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colorfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent

Answer 4

Porcelain Knick Knacks

Answer 5

There is a product called "Awesome" available at most dollar store (Family Dollar, Dollar General, maybe WalMart too). It is awesome! You can use it full strength or diluted according to label directions. I cleaned a man's house that had smoke damage from a fire in his laundry room, and it took soot off of everything. It worked on the wall, ceilings, knick knacks, etc. Not great on glass or mirrors, but awesome on everything else. It's safe to use full strength on most everything. Also removes nicotine / tar from cigarette smoking. Good luck!

Answer 6

that's like rude.. and incorrect? by no ability particularly widely used of a guy paying interest to a females knees? via fact no physique caress! via fact no one is prefect! i don't be responsive to while you're being racist or not yet.. dude in simple terms provide up.

Answer 7

Try using baby wipes. That's what I clean mine with.