Vinyl is a fickle friend
NOTE: This article was intended for publication a quite some time ago but got lost in the shuffle of drafts and website updates. So here it is finally!
What is vinyl, and why should we care? Vinyl is made from chlorine and ethylene, with various additives to impart flexibility, rigidity, fluidity, or thickness. Vinylinfo.org explains that the ethylene in vinyl is obtained by processing, or cracking, hydrocarbon-based raw materials (petroleum, natural gas or coal) into polymers.
Vinyl has many uses in modern society, and vinyl products can be found in abundance almost everywhere – in flooring, appliances, upholstery, clothing … and dolls – specifically fashion dolls.
Depreciation over time. As much as we appreciate a treasured item like a grail doll in its original outfit, as with everything else in life, vinyl tends to degrade and deteriorate with age. This is an unavoidable fact of all physical things. We can take extra care to ensure optimal conditions for preservation, but sometimes the best intentions go unrewarded – as I recently discovered while going through a stash of dolls and clothing squirreled away in a storage box. While inspecting these items individually, I found that something like a fashion purse or pair of pants could appear to be perfectly fine on first look, but as soon as you put any kind of pressure on it – like simply handling it – the item literally disintegrates into pieces in your hands.
Certain types of vinyl fabric seem to fare better than others. Oftentimes thicker vinyl will withstand the test of time much better than thinner counterparts. But the thickness may not be the only factor to consider. Sometimes vinyl batches can be processed with slightly different materials or additives or processing steps but end up creating what looks like identical material that behaves differently under the rigors of age and stress. For instance, a collection of pants made by the same source may yield a couple pairs still in serviceable shape after many years, while one pair – a different color – falls apart as soon as it is removed from its storage bag. There’s no way to tell what vinyl will last and what will go to pieces. Even dolls still in their original retail packaging, dressed in vinyl clothing, can show disintegration of the vinyl fabric while never being disturbed inside the box.
Sometimes the way vinyl pieces are stored can make things worse. Heat, light, moisture, and many other factors can affect vinyl longevity. Plastic bags used to store vinyl items can actually cause the vinyl item to interact with the plastic bag, making the vinyl piece fall apart as its structural integrity merges with and is destroyed through contact with the dissimilar plastic of the bag used to store it. Carefully wrapping pieces in tissue paper to prevent fold creases and vinyl-to-vinyl surface contact can help preserve vinyl pieces longer.
The vinyl in doll bodies can pose health problems because the phthalates (chemicals that are added to make vinyl soft an pliable) mimic human hormones and can be absorbed through skin contact with vinyl that is seeping or leaking these chemicals due to deterioration. And once vinyl begins to age to the point of seepage or disintegration, there is little that can be done to preserve or restore it.
Handling damaged/deteriorating vinyl items. As previously mentioned, dolls with very shiny faces or sticky legs are showing signs of phthalate leakage indicating advanced vinyl deterioration. The first thing to do with dolls exhibiting these symptoms is to remove them from active play or display to prevent contamination and possible absorption of leaking phthalates through skin contact. Handle disintegrating or seeping vinyl items with gloves, and wear a medical face mask to prevent breathing in small flakes of deteriorating vinyl fabric. Thoroughly hand wash any clothing or other items that have come in contact with seeping doll bodies or flaking vinyl fabric.
Disposing of damaged/deteriorating vinyl items. When disposing of deteriorating vinyl items, seal them in plastic bags to prevent accidental contact and to keep vinyl flakes from contaminating breathable air. Note that there is no recommended approved safe way of disposing of disintegrating vinyl without it ending up in landfills and further contaminating the environment. Incineration might be the safest way to get rid of vinyl items, but precautions should be taken to avoid releasing burn exhaust into the breathable atmosphere and creating additional airborne contamination. If effective air scrubbers are not used, burning vinyl is probably not a good method of disposal.
Restorative techniques. Oftentimes collectors will restore old dolls with aging vinyl for display purposes only, and it is important for these dolls to be kept in a sealed container like an air-tight display case, or openly displayed in a well-ventilated area that is not cooped up with trapped still air contaminated with vapor particles from disintegrating vinyl. As stated earlier, it is very important not to allow anyone, especially children, to handle or play with disintegrating vinyl dolls or clothing pieces – even ones that have been restored. Collectors who plan to restore and preserve damaged or disintegrated vinyl pieces should take every safety precaution already noted during restoration to prevent accidental prolonged exposure to the damaged vinyl items.
For dolls with vinyl seepage, there are various methods employed to temporarily remove the shiny or sticky film on the vinyl surface. One often successful method involves wiping mineral oil over the affected surface and then using a clean, dry, lint-free cloth to remove the oil with any phthalates it may have absorbed from the vinyl. Afterward, talcum powder or baking soda can be applied evenly in a light coat over the surface and wiped off with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. This will oftentimes temporarily remove the shiny or sticky effect – but it is not a permanent cure and may need to be repeated as the vinyl continues to deteriorate over time. It is important to keep the application of mineral oil and powder controlled so as not to contaminate or damage surrounding surfaces or to breathe in an powder particulates. Any items such as cloths or tools used in the restorative process should be safely laundered or disposed of.
For flaking vinyl fabric pieces, the restorative process is a lot more involved and can have varying degrees of success, depending on the restorer’s skills and the quality/durability of the vinyl fabric being restored. It should be noted that thin vinyl fabric that does not have a woven cloth backing will be impossible to restore once it begins disintegrating, because there is no substrate to restore to a vinyl appearance. For vinyl fabric with an intact cloth backing, depending on the severity of flaking and the intended usage after restoration, different processes may be tried.
For an item that still remains quite flexible and exhibits very little cracking in the surface, it may be possible to repaint the surface with a solution of acrylic paint mixed with a quarter amount of clear-drying liquid “school glue.” Repeated thin layers allowed to dry between applications may be better than one or two thick layers of paint. The test of success comes when putting the clothing back on the doll. If it still continues to crack, a more severe method needs to be employed.
The more intense method of restoring vinyl fabric involves removing as much surface vinyl from the substrate fabric as possible without damaging the substrate. This can be done most safely by gently soaking and scrubbing the fabric piece in warm soapy water to remove the original flaking vinyl coating. Gently scrape away remnants from seams using a blunt pointed tool. When all the vinyl particles are removed, properly dispose of contaminated water by straining out as much vinyl flakes as possible and disposing of them in a sealed bag. Once the fabric piece is completely clean and dry, a paint-glue mix can be applied to all the surfaces of the substrate fabric. A gloss finish of acrylic varnish can be applied to seal the color in. If a matte finish is desired to mimic leather, a matte acrylic varnish like Mod Podge or Liquitex can be applied. Dabbing with a sponge applicator might help avoid brush marks. Again, thin layers allowed to dry completely between applications are preferred over one or two very thick layers. Once the desired finish is achieved, if the clothing maintains flexibility without damage when being put on the doll, count it as a success.
Should vinyl clothing pieces be avoided? Not necessarily. Storing and displaying items properly, and avoiding applying extreme stress to the items can help extend their life for many years of future enjoyment.
