A quiet truth about vinyl care that most collectors never hear.
If you’re a pool toy enthusiast, you’ve probably heard the word plasticizer floating around. Maybe you’ve even seen it sold in collector circles or restoration kits. And you might’ve asked yourself:
Do I really need this?
Isn’t that just for rubberizers or serious repairs?
My toys are fine — why would I treat them with something like that?
Those are fair questions. A lot of collectors assume that as long as they keep their toys clean and avoid things like oils or sun damage, they’re in the clear. And honestly? That kind of care is important — it goes a long way.
But there’s something most people don’t realize.
Something that isn’t often talked about outside of deep vinyl science circles:
Vinyl slowly loses plasticizer over time — even in perfect conditions.
You could wash a toy with gentle soap, dry them carefully, and store them in a cool, dark room — and they would still be losing plasticizer. That’s because plasticizer evaporates. It leaches out over the years in small, invisible amounts, just by nature of being vinyl.
That loss shows up in subtle ways first. A toy that used to feel soft might feel a little stiffer. A little louder when you touch them. Their curves may hold creases more, or their surface might start to dull.
But plasticizer isn’t just about softness.
It’s about stability.
Plasticizer is what keeps vinyl flexible and chemically intact. When plasticizer levels drop too low, it opens the door to something more serious — a process called dehydrochlorination. That’s when heat, light, and age start breaking down the vinyl itself on a molecular level. The material becomes brittle. The surface starts flaking or powdering. Flexibility turns to fragility.
Once a toy reaches that point, there’s often damage hiding deeper than we can see. And while we believe restoration is always worth trying, it’s much easier — and much kinder — to treat them before things get to that stage.
That’s where having plasticizer on hand makes a difference.
You don’t need to soak your toys. You don’t need to rubberize them. In fact, many of the options we offer at Vinyl Vibe Studio — like DOTP and DINCH — are gentle, beginner-friendly, and designed for light surface use. A small treatment every now and then can preserve the softness and bounce you love. It can help a toy feel right again — like themselves.
And more than anything, it’s a way of showing care.
Not because something’s wrong.
But because they matter to you.
Care isn’t only for the broken. It’s for the cherished.
It’s a way of saying, “I want you to last.”
💚🩷🩵
Mesci & the VVS team