How to Fix Doll Hair Without Fabric Softener

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 2, 2024 Tested

If you've had a doll for a while, its hair is probably fluffy and frizzy. Although you might have seen the popular trick of using fabric softener to smooth doll hair, don't reach for the bottle! Fabric softener contains harsh chemicals that can damage the doll's hair and make it greasy or matted. Instead, treat your doll's hair like your own and use your favorite hair products to get your doll's hair looking shiny new.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Washing Your Doll's Hair

Download Article

{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ad\/Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ad\/Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-1.jpg\/aid11743520-v4-728px-Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. \n<\/p> \n<\/p><\/div>"}

1
Brush your doll's hair with a wire brush to remove small tangles. To make washing the hair easier, take a wire doll brush and run it through the hair starting at the ends. Work the brush up through the hair towards the doll's scalp. ^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you're fixing the hair on a large doll instead of a small fashion doll, brush through 1 segment of the hair at a time since you'll have more hair to work through.
2
Rinse the hair with warm water. Don't use hot or boiling water because it can damage the doll's hair. Instead, hold the doll's head under the sink and let warm water soak through the hair. ^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you don't want the doll's outfit to get wet, take its clothes off or wrap the doll's body in a towel before rinsing the hair.
Tip: If you're fixing a large doll's hair, don't soak the scalp or the hair may loosen and fall out.

Advertisement
3
Massage shampoo or liquid soap through the hair. Squirt shampoo or soap onto the palm of your hand and rub your hands together. If you're fixing a small fashion doll, use a few drops. For a large doll, use a dime-sized amount of product. Then, rub your hands through the doll's hair, starting at the ends. Work the shampoo up through the hair, but don't massage the scalp if you're fixing a large doll. ^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If your doll's hair isn't very dirty or you just want to give it a light wash, spritz antibacterial spray into the hair instead of shampooing it.
- The shampoo removes dirt and oil that's accumulated in the doll's hair. It also makes your doll's hair smell great!
4
Rinse out the shampoo with warm water. Hold the doll under the sink and run warm water over the hair. Rub the hair with your fingers to help the water rinse away the shampoo. Keep rinsing until you don't see soap suds. ^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Remember to not use hot water or you could damage the hair.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Smoothing the Hair

Download Article

1
Rub conditioner through the wet hair. To make your doll's hair smooth and cut back on frizz, squeeze a few drops of conditioner onto your palm. You can use double this amount if you're fixing a large doll. Rub your hands together and massage the conditioner through all of the doll's hair so the strands are coated. ^{[5]
X
Research source}
- If you don't feel like deep-conditioning your doll's hair, spray a leave-in conditioner instead.
2
Rinse out the conditioner with warm water. Hold the doll's hair under warm running water and massage the hair to rinse out all of the conditioner. The hair should feel soft once you've finished conditioning it. If it feels slippery, keep rinsing. ^{[6]
X
Research source}
- It's important to get all of the conditioner out of the hair or your doll's hair will be dull and more likely to clump together.
- If you used a leave-in conditioning spray, skip this step.
Take a soft towel and gently wrap it around the doll's hair. Squeeze the towel so it absorbs most of the water from the doll's hair. Don't pull as you squeeze or you'll make the hair frizzy. ^{[7]
X
Research source}
4
Brush the hair with a wire brush or metal toothed comb to straighten it. Take the brush or comb and start combing at the ends of the hair. Work up towards the scalp to straighten the hair and remove tangles. ^{[8]
X
Research source}
- You can also use your fingernails to tease apart large tangles.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bd\/Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bd\/Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-9.jpg\/aid11743520-v4-728px-Fix-Doll-Hair-Without-Fabric-Softener-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. \n<\/p> \n<\/p><\/div>"}

The amount of time it takes for the hair to dry depends on how big your doll is. A small fashion doll should dry within a few hours, while a large doll will take up to a full day to dry. ^{[9]
X
Research source}

Tip: Don't use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process. The dryer makes the hair frizzy and can cause it to fluff up.