Before She Arrives
Sort two things out in advance, because both are awkward to solve with a courier standing in your hallway.
Getting the box inside. Shipping crates for full-size dolls are large and heavy, and stairs are the usual problem. If you are on an upper floor with no lift, arrange help before delivery day.
Somewhere private to open it. Not the shared hallway. Not the living room if you have housemates. Somewhere you can leave everything spread out for an hour.
The First Hour: Inspect and Document
Open carefully — box cutters and soft material are a bad combination, so cut shallow and away from the contents.
Before anything else, photograph her as she came out of the box, from several angles, in decent light. If there is transit damage, photos taken in the first hour are worth vastly more than a description written a week later.
Then check her over: skin surface for scuffs or tears, joints through their range without forcing anything, the head and neck connection, and the accessories against the packing list. Wig, comb, cleaning tools and underwear are normally included.
If something is wrong, message us that day with the photos.
The First Clean
Yes, before first use. She has been through casting, assembly, packing and international transit.
- Mild, fragrance-free antibacterial soap and warm, never hot water
- Soft cloth, gentle circular motions, no scrubbing
- Rinse thoroughly so no soap residue is left on the skin
- Pat dry with a lint-free towel, then let her air dry completely
- Once fully dry, powder TPE and STPE dolls. Silicone does not need powdering
Do not rush the drying. Powder on damp skin turns into a paste that is unpleasant to remove.
The Three Mistakes of Day Two
Dressing her in new, dark clothes immediately. This is the big one. TPE and STPE both absorb dye, and the stain is often permanent. Wash new clothing two or three times before it touches her, and be careful with black, navy and cheap denim on light skin tones.
Using the wrong lubricant. Water-based only. Silicone-based lubricant degrades some doll materials, and the damage is not reversible.
Posing beyond the joint range. The skeleton has limits and the skin around a joint is the thinnest part of the doll. Move slowly, support the limb you are moving, and stop at resistance rather than pushing through it.
Week One Habits Worth Starting
Clean after each use rather than letting it wait. Keep her out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Reposition her every few weeks if she is stored lying down, so no single area carries weight permanently. Full detail in our care and maintenance guide and storage guide.
The Part Nobody Mentions
Plenty of first-time owners describe the first days as slightly strange. A large, human-shaped object is in your home and it takes some adjusting to. That reaction is common enough that it comes up constantly in owner communities, and it generally passes within a couple of weeks.
If you want to compare notes, our Discord has an #introductions channel where new owners land, and the honest answer to "is this normal" is usually yes.
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