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How To Avoid Dye Migration With The Wet-White-Cloth Fabric Test
This is the single most critical piece of advice any new doll owner can receive, and it's also the one that's most frequently ignored. Once dark fabric has transferred colour onto the doll's skin, which is what dye migration is, there's no going back. There's no cleaning product, no method, and no amount of scrubbing that will remove a stain that's been absorbed into TPE. Prevention is the only defence, and it starts with a straightforward test that takes two minutes and costs nothing.
 
Pale Dolls Show It Worst
It all comes down to chemistry. The dye gets drawn into oil-based TPE because dark dyes are normally oil-soluble, rather like water soaking into a sponge as it migrates from the fabric. It starts the moment fabric touches skin and speeds up with heat and pressure, so a dark dress left on a doll for a few hours in a warm room can cause a permanent stain. Particularly visible on pale dolls, where dark marks are impossible to miss; still, every skin tone suffers to some degree.
 
The Test Itself Is Straightforward
The test is straightforward enough. Clean water, and plenty of it, goes on a small piece of the fabric that you've taken, ideally from an inside seam where it won't be seen. Firmly, for about thirty seconds, drag the wet fabric over a white cloth, cotton bud or piece of kitchen paper. Don't put the fabric on her if any colour transfers to the white cloth, because it will stain your doll. No colour on the white cloth? The fabric is safe, so use it without worry.
 
Water Simulates Moisture on the Skin
Simulating the moisture naturally present on the doll's skin, water activates the dye transfer in the test just as that moisture does in genuine life. Precisely what you want is a worst-case situation, and testing with water provides it because dry fabric on dry skin transfers less dye than wet on damp. Fabric that gets through the water test is safe for usual use. If it fails, it will stain, and there's no way around it.
 
Two Minutes vs Permanent Marks on Her Thighs
A brand you've used before doesn't get you out of it; the test is repeated for every new piece of clothing. A fabric that was safe last year might not be safe this year, thanks to changing manufacturing processes and varying dye batches. Two minutes of testing decides whether the doll looks great for years or ends up with permanent dark marks on her thighs. There's no excuse for skipping it, and the purchasers who learn this the hard way are the ones who end up purchasing replacement dolls.
 
Cheap Dye Bleeds More
Failing the test most frequently: dark colours, cheap dyes, and anything that feels marginally waxy or coated. Concentrated, oil-soluble dyes: that's what black, dark red, dark blue and dark purple are dyed with, and why they're the worst offenders. The substantial amounts of pigment in bright neon colours make them hazardous too. Expensive clothing is frequently safer than cheap clothing, though not guaranteed, because cheaply dyed fabric is more likely to bleed than properly dyed fabric.
 
When in Doubt, Pre-Wash
Three types of fabric are safest: light colours, natural fibres, and pre-washed pieces. These pale shades, white, cream, beige and pastels, are virtually invariably safe, there not being enough pigment to cause evident staining. If you want a fabric that's less likely to bleed, cotton, linen and other natural fibres tend to hold dye more firmly than synthetics. Pre-washed fabric has already released most of its excess dye, which means it's less likely to transfer onto the doll. Pre-wash any new clothing before putting it on the doll if you're in doubt.
 
Setting the Dye to Reduce Bleeding
When a fabric fails the test, don't give up on it just yet; there are a few things you can attempt. Washing the fabric a number of times in hot water with a small quantity of white vinegar can help set the dye and lessen bleeding. Bind the dye to the fibres with salt, which acts as a mordant, by soaking the fabric in a saltwater solution overnight. Some fabrics are hopeless and will bleed no matter what you do, and these techniques don't always work, but wanting a specific piece of clothing badly enough makes them worth attempting.
 
The Safest Option Is Not to Use It
The safest alternative, if a fabric still fails after washing, is not to use it. A stain on a doll is permanent, and the cost of a new doll is far higher than the cost of replacing a piece of clothing.When attachment to the fabric wins and you want to use it regardless, a few mitigation strategies are on offer. Lining the clothing on the inside with a light-coloured fabric builds a barrier between the dark dye and the doll's skin. The other way is to use the clothing for short spans only and take it off right away after use. These won't be foolproof, but they do minimise the risk.
 
Cheaper Clothing, Higher Risk
Seek out sellers who understand dye migration and have tested their fabrics when you're purchasing clothing for a doll; it's the safest approach. Their awareness of the issue, which is typical among doll-specific clothing brands, shows in their choice of fabrics, so their clothing is more costly but also more reliable. High street shops sell generic clothing that's a gamble, and the cheaper the item, the higher the risk. With generic clothing, the rule is to invariably test it before use.
 
A Seasonal Factor Worth Knowing About
Worth knowing about, too, is a seasonal factor. Because heat accelerates the process, dye migration is worse in warm weather. What passes in winter could fail in summer, particularly with the doll stored in a warm room. If it's summer and you're buying new clothing, test it more fully and consider washing it several times before use. If you're storing a doll in a warm room, the same applies, as the heat will make any residual dye migrate faster.
 
The Doll's History
It pays to comprehend the stain itself, if it takes place. You'll typically find dye migration stains diffuse rather than sharp, the dye having spread through the material rather than sat on the surface. The zone looks broadly darkened or discoloured, which is quite unlike a clear outline of the fabric. Spotting it early is harder; over time it becomes more plain as the stain spreads and deepens. When it's set, it's set: it can't be removed, so the only options are to cover it with clothing or accept it as part of the doll's history.
 
Usual Testing Mistakes
Approach matters just as much as the test itself. A slow bleed takes a while to show, and a quick rub can miss it, which is why the thirty seconds matters. Mild won't do. The fabric will be pressed against the doll's skin with genuine pressure, so rub firmly, as though you're trying to remove a stain. Every test gets a clean patch of the white cloth, as a patch already soiled by an earlier test gives a false result. And test the fabric wet rather than dry, because water is what activates the dye transfer.
 
Multi-Coloured Clothing and the Dye Test
Testing a fabric with multiple colours? Start with the darkest section. The dark sections are what will stain the doll, and a fabric might pass on the light sections but fail on the dark ones. Unsure? Test each colour separately. Fabrics with dark patterns on a light background need particular care, because the dark parts are the ones that bleed.
 
There's No Safe Exposure Time
Staining takes place after some length of contact between fabric and doll, so how long is that? Three things decide it, the fabric, the temperature and the pressure, and the result varies hugely. Certain fabrics will stain within an hour, with others taking days or weeks. Treat a failed fabric as one that will stain sooner or later, and keep it off the doll completely. The bleed is cumulative and irreversible, so there's no safe exposure time for a fabric that bleeds.
 
Clothing or a New Body to Hide the Damage
For customers who are buying a used doll, dye migration is worth checking before purchase. Dark patches on the thighs, back, or buttocks are the signs to look for, being the most usual areas for staining. A soiled doll is worth less than an unstained one, since the stains are permanent and influence her appearance. Work out what covering the stains would cost (with clothing or a new body), build that into the cost of a used doll with stains, and never pay full price.
 
The Wet-White-Cloth Test: Your Best Habit
Of all the maintenance habits a doll owner can develop, the wet-white-cloth test is the single most vital. Cheap it is not; free it is, and two minutes later you've avoided the most common cause of permanent damage. Every single new piece of clothing, tested, as routine; don't skip it just because you're in a hurry. Those five minutes you save by skipping the test could cost you a doll. More info at this rosslink. Also check out  discover this info here (http://forum.golf-club.org.ua/viewtopic.php?t=93801) for more.