Preface
This is a rework of an informative post I had written on some forums, now with some new additions. This information can be viewed here publicly as opposed to being locked behind a forum anymore. When I received my doll, I took notice of interesting supplies others used that were "unorthodox" and not made specifically for dolls. These will also be mentioned here, as they have made caring for my doll easier. Any product that I personally use, will be linked and I don't include links for products I don't personally own.
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Necessary Supplies
The supplies here are standard and this info isn't anything new but I do use some variants of the usual supplies.
Baby Powder or Corn Starch
For TPE dolls but also suggested for silicone to reduce shininess
Powder is indispensable for TPE dolls and you should get this even before your dolls arrives! If you suffer from stuffy nose due to scents, like me, you can use unscented baby powder or cornstarch. Johnson's makes unscented powder but for some reason, this is only available in Japan and I was only able to find scented powder natively sold here.
Raw cornstarch doesn't distribute as neatly as the processed powder, so you will need a sifter. Cornstarch is also 100% edible, unlike powder, so it's good to know if you put your mouth on your doll.
I recommend cutting your nails short or wearing a soft cloth glove so you don't scratch your doll during powdering time.
(Optional) Sifter for Cornstarch
This is what I use to powder large areas of my doll. I'll be honest, it's not very good and still dispenses a lot of powder if you are not careful but I haven't found a better alternative just yet. Please leave a comment or contact me if you know something better! I did try to buy a powder dispenser used by barbers and it just didn't work at all with the cornstarch.
You need to shake it gently onto the doll and distribute the powder with soft patting motions, like making tortillas.
Kabuki Brush
What I Personally Use: Ecotools Kabuki BrushThis small brush helps to powder small areas and the face. You definitely don't want to just throw powder onto the face or you may end up with tackiness from powder accumulation. I recommend one with a cap so it doesn't collect dust. It's helpful to have multiple of these brushes, as they do get over saturated with powder easily and need to be washed often.
Mineral Oil
For TPE dolls
What I Personally Use: Swan Mineral OilYou should also have mineral oil before your dolls arrives. There is plain mineral oil that is food grade as shown or a lot of people also really like the scented versions, often referred to as baby oil. If you will put your mouth on your doll or have scent allergies, I recommend the food grade one. Both food grade oil and baby oil has had all of its impurities stripped from it and is safe for humans, unlike mineral oil used in machinery.
Soft Microfiber Cloths
For all dolls
What I Personally Use: Mr. Siga Ultra Fine Microfiber ClothsIt's important to have these cloths to clean your doll, along with water and antibacterial hand soap if you choose. Traditional cloths have lint and they will make cleaning the doll harder.
Spray Bottles
For cleaning the doll with water or soap. I keep one with plain water and the other with a mixture of soap and water. I get my bottles from the local pharmacy.
(Optional) Antibacterial Hand Soap or Gentle Baby Wash
Do not use soap with essential or coconut oils in them for dolls. Using soap made with oils seems to have caused some degradation in the TPE of my doll. This is because over oiling can damage the TPE and cause it to peel. If you are constantly cleaning your doll with this type of soap, that is extra oil is soaking in because the TPE absorbs oil fast. This didn't occur to me until I noticed recently his nose had a bit of peeling that is not normal. I change the lip color of my doll often and clean off the excess powder with the soap, which gets into the nose as well.
Most doll owners seem to use antibacterial hand soap, such as the brands Softsoap or Dial. I have seen a report of a bad reaction to a TPE doll with dish soap, so you should stick to hand soap. Dish soap appears to be way too harsh. I have been using the Vanicream baby wash to wash my doll because it's super gentle with no scent added and meant for a baby's skin.
Some doll owners do not use soap on their dolls, however. They clean the doll during their oiling maintenance, since the oil makes dirt on the doll easier to wipe away.
Extra Supplies
You don't need these but they do help and I personally use some of them.
Retayne Color Fixative
For treating dark clothes that could stain your doll
This concoction helps keep fabrics that bleed from staining your doll. It makes them retain their colors. Even silicone dolls can suffer staining from dark or black clothing. You should treat dark clothes with Retayne or test them on a TPE block before putting them on your doll.
Wig Grip Cap
Very good for fabric dolls but also good for regular dolls
Simply put: this keeps your doll's wig in place (even if the doll is upside down!) for a more immersive life.
This is a new addition to my doll supplies that I began using after I bought my fabric doll. Since the fabric head has less grip than the harder materials, his wig would slip off easily. This was completely fixed by using this wig grip cap and I found out that this also fixes the issue of the wig slipping off for my TPE doll while sleeping! For me personally, this has become an indispensable supply for a more immersive life with my dolls. Get the Nude color to avoid staining for TPE/silicone dolls.
With the Milano brand I use and that specializes in wig products, the wig even stays on while having the doll upside down. I recommend the lace type grip cap after trying out both types, as it is less bulky than the regular type without lace and is less likely to be seen from certain angles or if the wig doesn't have bags.
I will also mention that you don't have to use this brand and there are cheaper generic brands, though I can't speak for their efficiency. I just opted to use the name brand, can personally vouch it works, and I have not looked to see if there are lace alternatives for the generic brands.
Brush Made for Wigs
Previously, I had been using a plastic wide tooth brush for my wigs and it was difficult to brush without pulling hairs out even if I started from the ends of the wig. Turns out that plastic brushes also create a lot of static, which also made my wigs frizzy and dull without much volume. You should buy a brush made specifically for wigs to prolong their life. After getting the gentle brush from Milano, my wigs became easier to detangle, it doesn't pull off the hairs, and gives them nice volume so they look more natural. It's really good and not very expensive!
Crocs or Ballet Shoes
For dolls with standing feet
What I Personally Use: Crocs Kids' Classic Clog and
Ballet Shoes with RibbonThe size 4 Big Kid (USA J4) Crocs fit my Catdoll perfectly. The size 3 Big Kid ballet shoes fit my Catdoll snugly and I have removed the elastic from the shoes so it doesn't dig into the TPE material.
I recommend getting these before ever attempting to get your doll to stand. These classic ugly clogs are a life saver for dolls with standing feet because the bolts dig into the shoe's material, preventing them from sliding around on the floor and causing damage to the doll's feet! It can be difficult to get a doll to stand and you don't want the bolts shifting around the material because it will absolutely rip it, as it happened to me day 1 of my doll trying to get him to stand.
I actually really like Crocs and I think they look cute on my doll. lol
If you absolutely hate Crocs, then the alternative is ballet shoes. It's a cheap enough investment to protect the fragile material on the doll's feet and keep the soles looking good as new.
Doll Stand
For dolls with standing feet
Personally, I have never been able to get my doll to stand even though he has standing feet. I now own the stand shown and it's the only way I can get my two dolls to stand. Various love doll stores carry these or should be able to get it for you as there are not many models of these available and you can a single function or dual function stand. Single function only holds the doll up by the crotch area and dual function can do that plus also be able to support to the doll at the waist.
If you have a male doll without a detachable penis, I do not recommend the single function one because it would be squishing down on the material and I feel this could cause damage. Just like a real man, you don't want the weiner and balls being constricted even if the stand has that soft cloth base. For female dolls, there's barely any external material if held by the crotch. Girl's valuables are on the inside!
Heavy Duty Garment Rack and Hanging Kit
What I Personally Use: Tatkraft 200lbs Capacity Heavy Duty Rack and my Catdoll uses this
M16 Kit.
Suspension is one of the best and safest ways to store a doll, if you have the room and privacy to do it. You will notice that dolls are kept hung at the factories if you ever get a glimpse of factory photos. This is how I store my doll and bathe him when he's not on my bed. You will need to get a corresponding suspension kit to hang your doll by its neck bolt. Most dolls use an M16 connection but others require special connection kits. Heads can also be hanged with the suspension kit.
If you have a strong enough bar in your closet, the doll can be hanged there too but make sure there is absolutely not bending on the bar.
Do not cheapen out on these types of racks. A good quality one will run for quite a bit but you don't want the doll bending the bar at all or the bar could snap with your doll on it.
Doll Head Stand
It keeps your doll's head safe and steady when taking it off so it doesn't roll off places. It's also helpful for doing the doll's make-up.
Air Purifier
Helps with keeping dust off your doll
What I Personally Use: Blueair Small Room Air PurifierThis is definitely a luxury purchase but an air purifier helps keep pesky dust off my doll on top of helping me breathe better because I suffer from perpetual stuffiness. This one I have definitely works within my room because when I go out into the rest of the house, my stuffiness comes back after a while. This specific model claims to be one of the most quiet ones on the market and I sleep with it on without any issues in terms of the noise. If you have a very big room, make sure to get a model built for a large area instead. There are also more affordable ones, so of course you should get what you can afford.
Fish Tank Air Pump
For slowly drying dolls' orifices thoroughly
This is a more effective alternative to those white drying sticks for dolls and the poor man's alternative to the fancy WM Intelligent Cleaning Set for dolls.
This is helpful to have even for just washing your doll, as water can seep into the orifices. If you have sex with your doll, cleaning and drying the insides is absolutely vital or else it will grow mold! I would advice only getting the 100 gallon pump because other smaller capacity pumps I tried barely had any air coming out. The Tetra pump doesn't come with tubing but the tubing is extremely cheap to get and the pump does come with an air splitter, so you can have two strong gusts of air into the doll at once. It can still take over an hour or two to dry everything up properly.
WM Intelligent Cleaning Set
Most doll stores will sell this device. If you are within the USA, you can get it from
The Doll Channel with local shipping.
The luxurious look can be felt on the price tag of this device! It will thoroughly clean and dry the orifices of the doll, making your life a lot easier specially if you are pounding your doll multiple times a day. I don't personally own one because I don't need it but those who own it do say great things about it.
Handheld Steamer
For fabric dolls
This is a new addition that I use to sanitize my fabric doll with a gentle steam. I recommend getting a steamer with a "delicate" setting like the one shown. It's an investment but my steamer also helps with ironing out new clothes I get for him and also gets rid of that "factory" odor that comes with newly bought clothes.
