How to Remove Ink from an American Girl Doll's Face

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: February 3, 2023 References

American Girl Dolls have all kinds of accessories and outfits to choose from, from sports uniforms to formal wear to traditional clothing of their time period. One look that isn’t so great, however, is an ink stain on her pretty face. Luckily, there are ways to clean her face and get her looking as good as new.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Baking Soda

1
Create a paste with baking soda and water. You do not need much to clean your doll’s face. In a cup or bowl, add one teaspoon of baking soda. Then, add a few droplets of lukewarm water until you’ve formed a paste.^{[1]
X
Research source} This won’t take much, so don’t put the cup or bowl under running water. You can stir the small mixture with a small spoon, some sort of stirring rod, or a toothbrush you can use to apply the paste.
2
Apply the paste to the stain. Using a clean toothbrush, cotton swab, or small towel, gently start working the paste into the stained area.^{[2]
X
Research source} Depending on the type of ink on the doll’s face, you should see the stain start lightening immediately. If the stain is particularly dark or large, this might take a few applications of paste.
- Tie their hair out of the way before you apply paste to their face.
- Be careful not to get water in your doll’s eyes, which can cause rusting.
Advertisement
3
Clean the area. Take a damp rag or cotton swab and remove the paste from your doll’s face. Evaluate the results. You may need to create more paste and try again. If the stain is particularly stubborn, you may need to try cleaning the stain with a benzoyl peroxide cream.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Treating with Benzoyl Peroxide

1
Buy a spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide. This is the active ingredient in most acne creams or scrubs. Head to your local grocery store or pharmacy and check the labels of a few different products. You want to find a cream that has at least 10% benzoyl peroxide. If you use acne spot treatments at home, you may already have an effective stain treatment in your bathroom.^{[3]
X
Research source}
2
Apply the product to the stain. You can use a cotton swap or a toothpick to do this, or simply use your finger if the stain is a bit larger. Cover the entire stain thoroughly with the acne cream.^{[4]
X
Research source}
3
Cover the area with plastic wrap. If you leave the medication unexposed, it will quickly dry out. To get the best effect, you want to let the treatment really soak into the stain without drying. Use Saran wrap to cover the stained area, making sure that the cream stays put directly on top of the stain.^{[5]
X
Research source}
4
Protect the doll’s hair and body. Cover the doll’s hair with a towel or piece of clothing to protect it from the sun’s UV rays. This can cause unnecessary drying and damage to the doll’s delicate hair. Also cover her body and any areas that aren’t being cleaned for the same reason. Take special care to protect the doll’s eyes, nose, and mouth, if possible.^{[6]
X
Research source}
5
Leave your doll in direct sunlight. You can also leave your doll under a UV lamp, if you have one. The benzoyl peroxide has a bleaching effect when exposed to direct sunlight. While that would be unpleasant for human skin, this is exactly what you want for your dolls. This will not stain the “skin” of the doll, but will bleach the stain out. It doesn’t matter if your American Girl is fair or African American– it has no adverse effect on their skin.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Don’t leave your dolls in the sun when it’s extremely hot. Their vinyl skin can soften, and actually become deformed.
- Remove your dolls from the sun every two hours or so to prevent damage and apply more cream, if necessary. Let their skin cool before putting them back out into the sunlight.
6
Clean the area. After your doll has been in the sunlight for a while, take a damp cotton swab or tissue and clean the stained area. The stain should be gone, or lightened. If necessary, repeat all of these steps again to continue lightening the stain until it is completely gone. The darker and larger the stain, the longer this process may take.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Some stains may take a couple of weeks to fully work out. Be patient, and keep repeating the process until you are satisfied with your result.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Trying Alternate Methods

1
Scrub the stain with a damp washcloth. If your ink stain isn't particularly dark, this may be all you need to do. Make sure the washcloth is clean. Take care to protect the doll's hair, eyes, and cloth body before cleaning. Dampen the cloth, and scrub with pressure on the stain. Do this for awhile, continuously checking the stain. Hopefully, the stain will begin to fade as you do this. Again, this works best for faint ink stains.
2
Use rubbing alcohol. Pour a bit of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball or a paper towel. Like with other techniques, make sure the doll's hair is out of the way before you apply the rubbing alcohol to the face. Scrub the stained area thoroughly. After a bit of rubbing, check to see if the stain is fading. You may need to remoisten the cotton ball or paper towel with more rubbing alcohol, and keep going until the ink has faded completely.^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. You can find this in the cleaning supply aisle of most grocery stores. Because the Magic Eraser is pretty large and you'll most likely be cleaning a small area of your doll's face, feel free to cut it into a smaller pieces. Put water on the Magic Eraser, and start scrubbing the stain. After you scrub for a bit, use a dry towel to dry the surface.^{[10]
X
Research source}
4
Send your doll to the hospital. If nothing you try at home works, you may need to send your doll to the American Girl Doll Hospital. Professionals can address the issue, and send your doll back looking brand new. She will even come back with a hospital gown and bracelet!^{[11]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

Question

What if you don't have acne cream?

Community Answer

If you don't have acne cream, you can use the baking soda and water method. If you don't have baking soda, a trip to the grocery store might be in order!
Question

My American girl doll has something on her and we tried everything and it isn't working. What should we do?

Community Answer

If you can't get the stain removed at home, you may need to send your doll to the Doll Hospital. Look on the American Girl Doll website for all the specific information you need to do that!