I have spent forever looking for information on smells and it has been so hard to find. However, I finally found an article today about baking soda that served as a good starting point.
Here is a PH scale:
Note: Sometimes substances that are basic are referred to as Alkaline substances
Most smells are acidic, and in order to remove the smell, we have to neutralize the ph. A lot of smell removal products like air freshners simply mask the odor instead of neutralizing its ph. This is why baking soda is recommended so often as an odor removal product because it has the ability to neutralize acids through a bunch of chemical reactions.
Here's an interesting explanation of this process from an article from the
Washington Post
"Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, also known as bicarbonate of soda (chemical shorthand NaHCO3). It reacts with both acids and bases, that is, with both acidic and alkaline chemicals. (Techspeak: the bicarbonate ion is amphoteric.) But it is more than 20 times as effective in reacting with acids than with bases. And thereby hangs its odor-eating reputation, because should a wandering molecule of a smelly acid be unfortunate enough to alight upon a surface of baking soda, it will be neutralized, turned into salt (shades of Lot's wife!), and be trapped permanently. So there is no arguing with the fact that baking soda will gobble up acids -- if given the chance. "
In summary, Baking Soda is ph8, towards the basic side of the ph scale, which neutralizes acidic odors (like cigarette smoke), which compromise most of the odors we encounter. If the smell is a basic(alkaline) smell, like fish, it can be neutralized by acidic cleaning products like white vinegar, lemon juice/ other citrus fruits, etc. If you are unsure of the Ph of your smell, a quick google search can usually yield an answer and let you know what substances to use to neutralize any specific odor.
What does this mean for American Girl Dolls?
Now we get to the tough part, neutralizing the odors of an American Girl doll. The hard part about this isn't neutralizing the smell, but finding a method that is low intensity and won't require taking apart the entire doll. The easiest way to do this is to have the doll sitting in a closed box with baking soda. Don't sprinkle the baking soda on the doll because baking soda leaves residue that can be difficult to get off, just put the baking soda in a box or bag with the doll. This can take 24 hours or more to neutralize the odors, but it is the easiest method because it doesn't require anything except to let the doll just sit there.
If your doll has an alkaline smell and needs treatment with vinegar or another acidic substance, try spot/sponge cleaning them with the vinegar. Washing the doll body in a washing machine isn't the best approach because water can seep into the doll's limbs and mold. If you do end up needing to machine wash a body with vinegar, removing the doll's limbs is the only way to guarantee that you will not have any water left in the limbs that could cause mold.
Fun fact, American Girl Doll limbs are actually made out of vinyl, which is a a porous material that happens to absorb acids/bases really easily. This is also why marks and stains can be difficult to remove, because they seep down into the vinyl.
What does this mean for stuffed toys?
I'll discuss stuffed toys here because this is my blog and I collect many different types of toys, even if I sort of focus on AG. Stuffed toys are tough to clean because it's often times not just stuffing, there's plastic balls, pellets or beans that make washing most stuffed toys a bad idea. However, same thing applies to stuffed toys, sit them in a box with baking soda.
If your stuffed toy has a basic smell and needs a cleaning with vinegar or another acid, I recommend following the same procedure for AG dolls. Start with sponge/spot cleaning with vinegar, let dry completely. If that doesn't work, see if the stuffed animal can be thrown in the washing machine. If it can, wash it, and if it can't repeat the sponge cleaning process, set it in a box with baking soda, and also air it out.
Finally, air your things out
Sometimes, smells can be neutralized by just being exposed to fresh air. If you leave your doll or stuffed toy sitting in the sunlight in a well ventilated, temperature controlled area, the smell can eventually dissipate. The smell might not be completely gone right when you finish the smell treatment, airing out the item will probably be necessary to fully get rid of the smell.
