Take Precautions
A reborn doll isn’t your average baby doll and should be handled with great care. A reborn artist (reborner) has spent many hours adding layers of paint, rooting hair and adding detailed features to create your reborn doll and to make it as realistic as possible. These dolls are a work of art and are not the cheapest so the last thing you’d want is for it to get damaged.
- Be gentle and treat the reborn like a real baby. Being too rough with reborns can cause their limbs and hair to detach and in some cases, the doll may become permanently damaged.
- Keep your doll away from pets and children. Reborns are not toys and children should be supervised or taught how to handle them with proper care to avoid damage. Pets on the other hand are likely to mistake it as a toy and chew on it.
- Avoid direct sunlight and excessive heat. Reborn dolls are usually made from vinyl which can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays or high levels of heat. The sun will fade the doll’s delicate paint, hair color, and clothing and if it’s really hot it could even melt it or warp it. This is because vinyl softens when heated and for this reason, you should never leave the reborn in hot areas such as a car.
- Avoid extreme cold. Reborns stored in cold basements, garages, or storage facilities may crack when they get too cold. If the doll must be placed in storage then ensure it is well packaged in a box and in a climate-controlled area such as a closet.
- Avoid objects that may stain your doll. Highly pigmented clothing can stain the vinyl so it is important to test materials and fabrics before dressing the doll. Rubbing the clothing on a vinyl sample will determine if it’s colors will stain. In addition, be sure to pre-wash your reborn’s new clothes to prevent colors from bleeding on your doll. Colored paper, surfaces, newspapers, etc can also stain the doll so be very careful.
How To Clean Reborns
Even if you do your best to keep your reborn doll in the perfect condition you got it, it is inevitable that some dirt and dust will accumulate on it. Small amounts of dust is unlikely to cause any series issues but thick layers can slowly damage the paint and integrity of your reborn. By occasionally cleaning your doll, you can prevent the buildup of dirt and keep it looking immaculate.
If your reborn is just dusty, take a feather duster or lint-free dusting cloth and give it a light but thorough wipe. Using cleaning products is not recommended as they may contain harmful chemicals that could stain or stripe the paint of your doll. You should be able to brush it down with a basic feather duster to remove the majority of dust and dirt on its surface.
If your reborn is dirty to the point where a duster cannot do the job then it is recommended that you use a slightly damped cloth to wipe away the stains. Be very gentle and do not scrub the doll as this will damage its paint and coloring, Always use a towel to dry it and try not to get the stuffing wet to prevent mold.
If your reborn baby is extremely dirty, you may want to consider sending it back to its original artists or find another reborn artist to give it a thorough clean and possibly replace the body and stuffing as needed.
Reborn Hair Care
Part of caring for your reborn is maintaining their hair, keeping it clean and tangle-free.
Mohair hair should never be washed or brushed as it could detach or become matted in cold water. To brush Reborn’s with mohair hair, you can simply pat the hair down with your fingertips to keep the stray hairs in place.
Wig hair should only be brushed with a soft bristle brush as harder brushes can cause the doll’s hair to detach and may even damage the reborn’s paint. Brushing the wig hair with a soft bristle brush will also help to remove dust that may be sitting on the baby’s hair.
In both cases, reborn hair is very fragile when wet and therefore it is not recommended that you wash it’s hair. Instead, use a slightly damped cloth to clean the baby’s head as mentioned above. If you do want to wash its hair then use a small amount of gentle baby shampoo and warm water (do not use cold). Dry shampoo can take the sheen off of blond synthetic hair to make it appear more lifelike and you can also spray the damp hair with your favorite leave-in conditioner.
How To Treat It Like A Real Baby
Reborn dolls really look like real babies and can be cared for just like a real baby.
You may love babies but are either too young, not ready, or not able to have children of your own but with a reborn doll you can experience parenting, it’s just like the real thing.
- Prepare for your reborn as you would a real baby. Buy real clothes for it, purchase blankets, diapers, bottles, stroller, baby car seat, dummies (pacifiers), toys, baby wipes, and fake formula which can also be made with fabric softener or glue and water. Keep in mind that you do not need to buy expensive baby items because as real as your reborn is to you, it is still a doll.
- Pick a name and fill in the birth certificate. If your reborn did not come with a birth certificate then you can print one off the internet. For example, here are 15 free birth certificate templates.
- Care for your baby. Prepare a bottle for them, cover them up in a warm blanket so that they can take a nice long nap, clean them and spend some time holding them every day. This will make you feel more comfortable with your baby doll. If you are serious about taking care of your reborn, we recommended that you set up a schedule that includes feeding times, nap times, diaper changing times, and play times.
- When you are comfortable, introduce your baby to family and friends. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your new baby doll. If you are not confident enough to show your baby to family and friends but want to connect with like-minded people then we recommend that you join a reborn doll community as these people will be much more understanding.
- Take your baby outside. Your reborn will really enjoy going for a stroll to the park, mall, or even just around the neighborhood. Simply snuggle them up in a stroller, put a dummy in their mouth (optional), and take them outside. Reborns look so real that it is that no one will even notice that it is not a real baby. You can also take it a step further and bring a diaper bag, a baby bottle, toys, and a blanket, just like a real mom would. To help them fall asleep, you can gently roll the stroller back and forth.
- Get some accessories. These reborn accessories will allow you to have more fun and take much better care of your baby.