Playhouse Vintage

So you are wondering how to clean your vintage clothing? This can be tough sometimes. Most vintage items do not have fabric tags which keeps us guessing on how to properly care for these gems. When it comes to the unkown it is always best to wash by hand! Unless it is crepe, velvet, taffeta, wool, silk or rayon. These items should be handled by a dry cleaner if you aren't sure how to care for them.

In some cases there are items that are so old and delicate that it is best not to clean them at all. If you are lucky to own one of these museum pieces you should let a specialist conservator take care of your item. The older the item the less likely it will respond to any type of cleaning. This is particularly true of the dry cleaning of old silk. You may not want to remove any of your tags as well because this will devalue your garment.

When you begin your cleaning process it is always good to start with a patch test. If you are prone to doing a horrible job with your new clothes do not attempt to care for your vintage items unless you are planning on taking great care.

There are plenty of sites out there that will help you distinguish the different materials you maybe cleaning. Most linens, cotton and SOME wools can be cleaned. If the wool is mixed with nylon and acrylic it is usually ok to clean. But I suggest not figuring this out on your own and let an expert clean it. Your polyester can be cleaned like a dream if washed in warm water and rinsed in cold.

Rayon is best dry cleaned. Rayons have been known to split and shred in water along with some silks. Make sure you know your fabrics well before you wash silk or wool.

Next you will need to determine the cause of any stains.

Vintage Textile Soak is a proprietary brand that many people now consider superior to Oxyclean. You can use this on a variety of fabrics and get great results. This soap can be bought on the internet but is hard to find locally. http://vintagetextilesoak.com/

Oxyclean can be used on cotton and linen. But you have to make sure you fully dissolve all the oxyclean in warm water before putting your clothes in the mixture. Some items can soak for up to 24 hours if you are ready to take a risk! I only recommend this to you folks that have a lot of experience in handling vintage garments. This product is great on the collars and necklines and is great for many different stains. You can use a fine brush like a tooth brush to clean dingy collars and necklines. I find that if you have an extra durable or thicker textile you can use Soil Love(99 cent store) on it and it gets about everything out of anything. It once removed magig marker off a dress! True story! But you have to really know your fabrics and fabric dyes before attempting this harsher method of cleaning. Zout, Shout and Dryel stain removers can all be used on stains before washing as well.

Things you will need:

1. Mild detergent

2. Towels

3. Stain Remover

4. Rubber Gloves

5. Padded Hangers

6. Drying racks

Preparation of the Clothing

1. Zip up all the zippers

2. Spot check for color- fastness by wetting a hidden corner of fabric with water and detergent

3. Make sure the sink is clean. Use cold water for natural fabrics, like cotton and warm water for synthetic fabrics like polyester

4. Slip on your rubber gloves to protect your pretty hands. Then swish the water and soap until dissolved

5. Some suggest to wash one item at a time but I feel a 2 or 3 is ok depending on how delicate of items you are washing.

6. Add the clothing to the sink and gently move with your hands for a few minutes. If it is cotton or linen let it soak for about 15 to 30 minutes if it needs more than just a freshening wash. Don't over soak it if wool, as that will cause excess shrinkage

7. Drain the water and refill the sink and rinse the soap off your clothes. The secret of a good washing is a good rinsing.

8. If the garment is wool use a plastic tray to slip under the sweater and support the now very heavy weight of it without causing it to stretch. If it's cotton or linen move it into your clean bowl and let residual water drain away. Wrap it carefully in a big bath towel and get rid of that excess water. Use another bath towel if it helps get rid of more water.

9. Repeat if necessary

10. * sometime depending on the fabric I will use a fabric softeners to give your vintage that fresh smell*

Hang the items on a padded hanger or lay over towel or rack.

Tips and Warnings

A. Hang recently worn vintage items inside out for awhile before you wash them to allow any perspiration to dry.

B. Underarm stains from deodorant can be removed by using white vinegar or lemon juice dabbed on a white towel.

C. If you take your clothing to a dry cleaner, make sure that he or she has experience with vintage fabrics.

D. Vintage fabrics are susceptible to fraying, tearing and unraveling during the washing process, so be extra careful.