To Wash/Oil or Not

[SphericalBoobs]

I guess it really depends on factors such as (but not limited to):
- exposure to light
- to air
- to dust
- high or low temperatures, and humidity
- how often you use them, dress them

I own 2 WM TPE dolls which are more than 2 yo now, and I followed what the vendor advised at the time I bought them : no oil at all, and only water based lubricant. I wash them completely after use, and powder them from time to time, when then get tacky. And they look pretty good, but :

- they are properly stored at any time in their original shipping boxes, wrapped in their soft blanket
- not exposed to light/ambient air/dust except when used
- I'm the gentle type, so they are treated accordingly
- for lifestyle matters, I can play with them only every other weekend, usually one at the time, so in terms of use, they don't get that much worn out! And considering I recently got a 3rd one, the rotation will only slow down the ''use'' factor

Washing tip: unlike many, I prefer to really give them a shower for cleaning purpose, so I use a kitchen stool (aka the plastic step) which I place in the bath, and make the doll sit on it. That way, I can wash both her holes, by sitting her on the edge of the front or the back of the stool, giving access to one hole or the other. They are around 60 pounds each, so I can move them around easily, but you really want it easy for the cleaning. And playing with soap in the shower is life-candy!

[Siliconeman]

I have now 2 year old WM140, one year old WM161 and half year old ClimaxDoll160. I have never oiled or powdered them and they look just fine. I store the dolls very carefully in sleeping on their backs position with foam and soft fleece blankets protecting their delicate butts and skin.

Washing is done with plain water, no soap. In case of staining I rub the doll skin with baby oil on stained place.

That´s all I do for maintenance of my TPE girls.

[Chuck Norris]

Thanks guys for sharing your experience.

[proximoz7]

I've been doing research recently on TPE and effects oil and powder have on it.

This thread from the fleshlight forums had enlightening info on it. The FL that was tested was TPE, I believe. Reading the results will make you want to stop using Vaseline immediately. Baby oil is also destructive, which is what I have been using primarily on my girl. She's only 2 months old and I've already noticed stress damage to her(in areas I would apply generous amounts of oil even when it wasn't oil-bath time) and now I realize it's the oil that's doing it.

Other signs that you need to stop oiling: black sludge-like material collecting on her skin that needs to be cleaned away.

I really enjoyed the oil-baths, though. I love baby oil and the way it smells, too. At least I have pics I took of her all shiny shiny to keep, but no more oil for my girl!

The last answer I am personally searching for is "What happens if you do not use powder at all?" I like to do a lot of kissing and sucking all over, and powder really makes that unpleasant. So I haven't powdered her since the first month, though I do admit that when powdered it allows her skin to be rubbed without worry about friction, thus making it even more life-like.

[Mr Franz]

I don't think powder is 100% necessary from a maintenance standpoint, but without, TPE stays a bit tacky and everything sticks, lint, hair and so forth. Can be quite a chore to remove. Whereas with powder it falls right off. Then there's the risk of potential damage from added friction. I guess a good rule of thumb would be to powder sparingly. It really doesn't take much to realize the benefits. I make do with a very light dusting.

[ColColt]

Without the powder TPE, as mentioned, is tacky and when you rub your hand across an area, like a shoulder or leg, you can feel your hand "skid" and create resistance whereas with the powder it just glides and everything feels as smooth as the proverbial baby's butt.

[BWheeler1]

I'm right there with you on the no oiling. My 140 is over 2-1/2 years old and has never been oiled. Other than the areas that got damaged by my own stupidity, like having her elbows leaning on a surface which caused her metal skeleton to cut through the TPE, her skin is perfect. I've grafted in patches from new TPE test pieces, and the old skin around it is just as nice as the new.

I do believe you're right that powdering isn't necessary from a maintenance standpoint and more for the feel, to get rid of the tacky feeling. There have been periods of time where I didn't powder my 140 because she was fully dressed and her skin wasn't exposed to touch and it doesn't seem to have done anything detrimental to her skin. Right on that if she's tacky everything sticks to her though! Lint, pet hair, everything. But it isn't a pain to remove such debris from a tacky doll. If you just apply powder to the area with the lint or debris, it'll come right off with very little effort.

[Simpleman]

Good thread here. I just ordered a doll and want to be prepared for its arrival. So when you first get the doll you should give it a baby wipe bath and probably not even think about oil for a month or so? And vaseline certain areas as needed? Definitely mixed opinions on all this I've been reading.

[Booty Call Dolls]

One of the worst things you can do is baby oil your doll if not washed properly.
You need to decide what you want want to do but sludge did happen and Indigo20 had to let the person know how to get her into balance. He never washed his doll and the sludge was all her residue.
And TPE has changed.
This is only a decision you can make yourself.

[BWheeler1]

I personally go by what my vendor and WM Dolls themselves have said, that oiling is not necessary at all. I know some owners like to oil theirs, but I figure I'll follow the recommendation of the people who manufacture and sell them every day. And as I've said, in over 2-1/2 years with no oiling whatsoever, there have been no problems with my 140. Except for the areas that have been damaged and repaired due to metal cutting through, her skin is just as nice and smooth as my brand new dolls. So I have no intention of ever oiling my 156 or 157.

As for the bathing, it can actually dry the doll out a little because you're removing some of the oil, so I don't overdo that either. I wash them when they need it and not otherwise. I didn't even wash my 156 when I got her in July or my 157 when I got her Friday. They didn't smell excessively of TPE so I didn't see any reason to do so. As one vendor stated, you could actually wash off the factory makeup by bathing your doll, so why would you want to do that right out of the box? Basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[ColColt]

The only time I've used baby oil was at the suggestion of a forum member. One of my Fair skin girls had fingers that looked rather pale/bluish and it was recommended to rub some in and then wipe them off...possibly dust/dirt from the factory. Otherwise, I don't use the oil. Yep-it would be fun to bath her all over with it but, I don't want to create possible problems for myself.

[winterwarBo]

Quinn spent a lot of time out in the heat/sun. But she is a Rifrano not a WM. She is holding up ok except for some stress cracks on her right hand. She has been outside in some 90+ degree heat for HOURS at a time and riding next to an engine in excess of 200 degrees.

Kat is pushing 2 years old. Her "Birthday" is next month. Today was her bath and oil day. I honestly think it was a year since I washed and oiled her. But she lays on the sectional watching TV all day with a blanket over her. Her damaged is some tears in her left crotch, I repaired the split in her heal of the foot. And I need to make a set of hand plates up to fix her hands and Lisa's. Kat's joints are getting pretty loose, but that is typical for a lady of her age.

I hollowed out the ends on some hair curlers I got in my travels to let her insides "Air Out" you can get the air pump hose in easier too. Just remember like any plastic they hold a static charge so dust will find them. I believe the baby oil is only required when you use a pretty strong cleaner washing them, I use Dawn Simply Clean, and Baby shampoo. That tends to strip them pretty good of oil. She didn't take much oil but wanted a lot of powder.

Not bad for 23 months old..

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[jinx777]

My dolls are only a couple months old but I have only used baby oil to remove a few spots or smudges. I use powder because like others have said, it reduces friction and static. What I don’t know, is if the powder over the long term seals in the natural tpe oil, or if it draws the oil out and eventually dries out the material.

[FCD94]

- In the shower bay, I thoroughly wash the doll twice with a strong mix of liquid soap and water in a spray bottle, and rinse thoroughly with warm-to-hot water.

- I allow the doll to drip dry thoroughly, usually a minimum of 12 hours.

- I oil the doll thoroughly with baby oil, & several high-stress areas with a hand-mixed blend of baby oil & petroleum jelly & allow to stand for 12-24 hours.

- I dust the doll thoroughly with cornstarch, removing any excess.

- Low fuss, quick, easy done.


First month or so I did this once a week or fortnight, then after that once every month or couple of months. Doll remains in excellent condition apart from finger wire breakages, & a fading black stain on the head from a wig cap.

[avante]

Hmmm this is quit interesting...I've read the 'no oil' more and more last days, but never so many hahaha kinda makes you wonder . So at first I did oiling once a month, 3 months or so. Hate doing it really, so not that much anymore.

But I've read many times the opposite: people advertising to oil so that you doll doesnt break down...hahaha haveing a hard time deciding what to believe you know . One other thing I do wonder tho is do you guys also not clean using baby oil? *that's mostly why I use oil, you know she does get dirty