Volks Wig Staining .

[Bobster]

This kind of seems like it would fit in the “~get dirty?” thread, but also seems like it might be a hijack, so I am putting it separately. I just purchased an SD13G Elena who is on the way as I write this. On the Volks website there is a warning about wig staining and clothing staining of her skin. Are there any precautions I should take with wigs or clothing choices?

Bobby

[Karhys]

I own quite a few Volks wigs and I've never had a staining problem with them, but I have a friend who did. However hers was one of the FCS W-104 wigs which came sort of oiled/waxed (it's hard to explain) and I'm of the opinion that that was what made it stain. It was the wine-brown colour, for the record.

I've had a staining issue with a black LeeKe wig, but I also own a LOT of black LeeKe wigs and only ever had the issue with just the one.

I've also had some staining issues with some black Luts socks and some black Luts underwear. (Poor boys with black balls. >_>; ) That said, my boys wear primarily black clothes, and I've had them all for years, and those are pretty much the only staining issues I've ever had, and both were in the last 6 months.

I would say, if you have darker coloured wigs or clothes for your doll, just keep an eye on them when you first try them out. Like, if you've put them on, check them every hour or couple of hours at first just to be sure.

The wig, I left it on for almost a week (I wasn't expecting any problems) and the staining was quite severe. With wigs it's more difficult as it has the possibility of damaging the faceup. (Yeah, I had that problem. Luckily, I got rid of the worst of it, and the rest is covered by his wig, heh.)
With the clothing, it was on for much longer but the staining was less severe, and all of it came off with the cleaning sponge. (I use the ones directly from Volks, because they give them with every FCS so I amassed quite a few of them! I've heard that Mr Clean (?) sponges do the same thing? I can't remember the exact name.) Anyway basically you just cut a small piece of the sponge, get it wet, and scrub at the stained area, and it comes off like magic.
I've also inadvertently gotten other things on my boys (like paint, nail polish, etc) and it all comes off with the sponge too. :)

It's said that soaking/washing items in vinegar gets rid of the colour that may be staining them, so if you do get a staining item (or are worried it might stain) try that. I soaked the staining wig in a vinegar/water solution and the water definitely went a lot darker and it stopped staining. So it can be dealt with. :)

Overall I wouldn't be too worried, it's more likely not going to happen, but yeah, it doesn't hurt to be a bit cautious at first with darker items!

But that's my experience... I'm not sure what other people will say. :)

[Bobster]

I love dark colors, so your experiences there are quiet helpful. Thank you for sharing.

Bobby

[lyrajean]

the other thing that factors into staining is the ambient humidity in your house. I lived in a very damp old farmhouse with my kids before moving to Okinawa which is also steamy and damp.

My staining problems have been intermittent, but the humidity also tends to make the dye in things that tend to stain want to migrate onto your dolls...

I'd have something on the doll for a week or a month, and then all of a sudden it would be very rainy for a while and later I'd find some marks on one of them.

As a result I do not leave denim or black thing on them for long period, and when they are being stored in between play sessions, the dark hair or clothing is not on them.

[Jenova]

I am plagued by wig stains (too many dolls with black hair ^^; ), from several brands of wigs, but one thing that should help that, if you don't want to do vinegar soaks, is a silicone wig cap... You can find them on eBay and I think some doll retailers sell them, as well, such as Denver Doll Emporium. They fit over the head of the doll and serve the dual purpose of giving the wig something to hold onto if it's a bit too big! ;) They can be trimmed to fit individual dolls' head shapes, too.

Just remember that (usually!) it's the elastic and the fabric cap of the wig that's causing the staining, so the elastic should fit on top of the silicone cap so that it doesn't touch the bare resin. :)

[marsh]

I read on some thread on DoA about using a colorless balloon, cut to size, instead of a silicone cap. You can buy a back of fifty of them for roughly half the price of one silicone cap, they fit well, prevent staining and help hold wigs in place. All of my dolls are wearing them now. It works beautifully.

[GothicKDM]

Yah marsh showed me the trick and Nikos wig doesnt pop off anymore XD

[Lelei]

I've had issues with all different sorts of wigs staining... especially with my white-skin dolls, but occasionally even with normal skin. :mad You should just accept the inevitability of it happening once or twice... and not worry too much about what you buy. Just pay attention to the how her resin is looking.

And I've had issues before with brown wigs, blond wigs, volks wigs, and various other brand-name wigs, so you can never know for sure (although leeke wigs are notorious for staining.) Usually the staining will be very minor at first so you can catch it before it does serious damage (i.e. too serious for a Mr. Clean sponge--then you'll have to sand.) Any wig that I've had staining issues with was solved with a good washing and two vinegar rinses (only necessary for the cap part, cause that's what's doing the staining... unless it's mohair or fur... synthetic wigs shouldn't stain because saran hair is just plastic, not dyed fiber.)

Same deal for any clothing that stains.

The silicone caps that they sell all over the place are nice, but they often stop before the edge of the wig, which is really the place where it'll stain the worst because it pinches the tightest there.

[mmsedated]

Ah this is so helpful. I live in Singapore so it's damn humid, must take proper care of my wigs and of course the doll :D

[kodamansan]

Can you really change the color

[kodamansan]

When you say colorless do you mean white or the strange off yellow kind???I read on some thread on DoA about using a colorless balloon, cut to size, instead of a silicone cap. You can buy a back of fifty of them for roughly half the price of one silicone cap, they fit well, prevent staining and help hold wigs in place. All of my dolls are wearing them now. It works beautifully.

[Moon Lightning]

I read on some thread on DoA about using a colorless balloon, cut to size, instead of a silicone cap. You can buy a back of fifty of them for roughly half the price of one silicone cap, they fit well, prevent staining and help hold wigs in place. All of my dolls are wearing them now. It works beautifully.

Hey I didn't think about that. Thanks! I also didn't realize that things would stain. Thanks for the heads up.

[lyrajean]

In my experience anything dark colored will stain given the right combination of prolonged contact and high humidity.

In the past I've had issues with dark colored Volks wigs. Anything darker than copper. I have an older leeke wig that i never had a problem with before. It's a reddish brown, but I beleive the culprit is the black wig cap.

Why companies still make wigs with black caps, when they know this is a problem, is beyond me.

Most of my kids have become blonds while living in Okinawa just to deal with this problem!