Washing Cabbage Patch Doll

I have a friend that was just telling me about how she cleaned her daughter's doll. Mr Clean Magic Eraser on the face and hands and then she used the spray cleaner from Build A Bear workshop for the body. She said it worked great. Good Luck!

I know this is old, but I have to tell you this. I have a coleco cabbage patch-it says 1978, 1982 on the back of her vinyl head. This was my precious baby! She's been on my grandmother's bed and I decided to bring her home and clean her. First I used a soft toothbrush and laundry detergent, dipped in warm water and scrubbed her entire body, rinsing with a wet toothbrush and hung her to air dry. She was clean but not perfect. A couple of weeks of thinking, I dipped her in water minus the head and bathed her in a little of detergent and gently scrubbed. I hung her to dry and she was quite clean but had some dark strange water spots.
What I'm going to tell you next is SO exciting. My sofas needed a good cleaning. I rented the carpet cleaner with upholstery attachment at home depot. I used the cleaner that comes with the machine. I got a wild hair and decided to clean my cabbage patch with it. OMG she looks BRAND NEW. I am so thrilled about this. After a cleaned her with the machine, I went over her with just the suction part and sucked all the water out and hung her to dry....SHES PERFECT!!! After she dried, I sprinkled her with baby powder. Then I separated each strand of her yarn hair and gently and carefully trimmed off all the fuzzies at the ends of her strands and loops (bangs). She looks and smells so GOOD!!! I hope everyone finds this post!!!

My daughter is the same way with her cabbage patch! I have spot washed her doll a number of times with a mixture of baby oxiclean and water. I just use a wash cloth and rub the solution on the arms and legs. It works great!!! Hope this helps.

I don't know about machine washing it, but you could try Dryell.

Never tried it - but I swear by Oxiclean, so if the body is really filthy I would try soaking the body (head out) in a bucket of water w/oxiclean over night. Rinse it thoroughly the next day and ring it out & air dry (maybe you could put it in the dryer on a low setting??). You could even use a paste to spot clean the body and head. I would be afraid to put it in the wash b/c of the head...

Good Luck!

my mother washes the ones she has in a pillow case and i think she even drys them in the dryer never said anything bout water in the heads..

I think I'd try spot cleaning with IMMACU-10 (enzyme based vs. chemical) and maybe HAND WASHING vs. machine. Soak it in some Woolite or something of that nature. It might be "out of commission" while getting a "make over" and drying, but I think in the long run, you'll have much less damage to the doll than machine washing.

well, being a former Cabbage Patch mother back in my day, I remember my mom giving my dolls a bath in the washing machine..gentle cycle i assume. I don't remember any water in the head. otherwise, if you are worried about it you can give the doll an actual bath (with laundry detergent in the sink, or tub if you want your daughter to help) and don't submerge the head. Hope I helped. I have an 8 month old daughter and can't wait to give her her 1st cabbage patch doll. my little sister destroyed mine :( so i have to start from scratch. good luck- M.

I have not done a cabbage patch doll, but I have washed many stuffed animals and other dolls, and I put them in one of those netted bags to wash and leave them in that to dry also.
I still put them in the dryer, but just check every 15 min. to see if they seem dry, then let them sit out for several hours to make sure they are completely dry.

ive washed my daughter cabbage patch doll before but make sure its in a pillow case please or it might not be good

Love the dolls, hate the germs! I would secure a plastic bag over it's head to keep water from messing with the hair. Then a pillow case in the washer on a gentle setting always worked for mine & my sister's growing up. Good luck!

I have been told to NEVER wash a Cabbage Patch Kid! I don't know if it's true though. Did you check out the website? I bet the answer is on there.

i do beleive that mom use to wash our cabage patch dolls in a pillow case. that was many many years ago, but they came out good as new.

I'm sorry, I am laughing at the poster who said to secure a plastic bag around it's head. I had a mental picture of this! Anyway, I throw my girls dolls in the washer and nothing bad has ever happened, no water in their heads either. I put them on delicate in a pillow case along with clothes so they don't bang around. Then throw them in the dryer the same way. I have to tell you my son had a teddy bear that was his first best friend and with out thinking anything about I tossed him in the washer and my son saw me and was very upset! Thought i was killing the poor bear. Anyway just wanted to share that.

My mom used to wash our dolls in a pillowcase, tied off to prevent the doll from escaping. Was them in cold cycle and put the doll in very last so its not too waterlogged.

I used to (DD is 29 now) put the dolls in a sink of warm water with Woolite and give them a gentle wash like I did with my delicate undies. They got clean, didn't have to worry about water in the head, and all was well.
She had an original all cloth cabbage as well and that one could be washed in the washer on gentle with hair wrapped in a tight net so it didn't get ruined.

I have had a Cabbage Patch Doll for 23 years. My mom used to put her in a pillow case and tie it up and wash her in cold water on the gentle cycle. When the washing was done she would take her out of the pillow case and let her air dry over night sitting on top of the washer. Hope this helps!

The best advice I've found on cleaning and repairing CPK dolls is here: http://www.squidoo.com/cabbagepatchkids. I mostly needed help fixing corn silk hair, and her instructions worked perfectly.