The Cleaning Clothes (vintage or other) Thread

[Gracie Lee]

LOL MaryMary! That's actually been suggested to me by fellow enthusiasts in the past to protect vintage clothes. I was wondering if it'd come up here. I've been told to try panty liners, as they're thinner than full on pads. Can't say I've tried it since I wear mostly repros that I don't worry about washing, though.

 

[KittyT]

Oh...and to add...in a pinch, I have actually used maxi pads....LOL don't judge me, they actually work! Well, I mean the good name-brand ones that have a better adhesive...I stuck them in there and no one knew the wiser! Of course...I wouldn't recommend it unless it really is in a pinch. I kept thinking the whole night about what I would say if maxi pads began spontaneously dropping out of the bottom of my dress!

I've actually seen recommendations for this before. I would recommend securing them with small safety pins at the top, bottom and sides to the seams of the dress. If there's no set in sleeve, I would use garment/fashion tape for additional security.

 

[MaryMary]

Gracie: hahaha it's true and I cannot believe I am saying this on the internet...but I have tried panty liners as well and they don't give great protection...I guess because they are designed for "light flow" days....hahahaha omg I am ridiculous

Kitty: pins are a great idea! That definitely would have prevented my anxiety!

 

[Miss Sis]

Thanks ladies! I recently shrunk a rayon crepe dress by handwashing in cold, because I'd washed others before that were fine, so am a bit nervous. But I'll google the burn test and see what happens. Learning lots on here every day

Did you try steaming it back into shape on the reverse when it was still quite damp? That often does the trick. You have to be a bit gentle though as the fabric can weaken if it's too wet.

 

[swinggal]

I've actually seen recommendations for this before. I would recommend securing them with small safety pins at the top, bottom and sides to the seams of the dress. If there's no set in sleeve, I would use garment/fashion tape for additional security.

Hehe! I love it!

 

[Drappa]

Did you try steaming it back into shape on the reverse when it was still quite damp? That often does the trick. You have to be a bit gentle though as the fabric can weaken if it's too wet.

I did that, but the only problem are these folds that are all over the front bust und since they are doubled were hard to iron. They shrunk shorter so that you can see the seams where they are attached instead of them overlapping each other. Also, the arms got tight, but other than that it fits me well. I'll try and dampen the flaps again maybe and iron them again, because I love that dress.

 

[Miss Sis]

Using an ironing cloth ontop of the right side will help. You can get them in the right place and iron over the damp cloth.

Perhaps you could baste the folds to hold them whilst re-pressing. I hate it when something happens to fabric you've never had a problem with before!

 

[Drappa]

So I just got back from a charity shop and today I actually found a really great 50's black lace dress with only minor repairs. It fits like a glove and doesn't smell bad at all, but it has several layers and I don't know how to clean it.
There is the top layer of black lace, a layer of netting under that, then a lining that looks like it could be some form of acetate, but I am not sure. And finally a layer of something I have never seen, but it looks like black waxed muslin or interfacing, if that makes sense? It is commercially made but has no care tags.
I took this to the dry cleaners just now and they said they have dry-cleaned vintage before, but because there are no care labels I would have to sign a form acceping the risk, and they also didn't know what the innermost lining could be. There were two old ladies in the dry cleaner's and I asked them for advice, but they didn't understand what I meant nor knew what the lining was either.
The dry cleaning lady said since it looks new and didn't smell, I should just air it out and wear it. But it will need to be cleaned at some point anyway.

I have another lace dress in cream with only the lining that I have handwashed and line-dried with no problems.
Any advice?

 

[Miss Golightly]

Help with cleaning circle skirt!!!!!!

Good afternoon ladies - I'm really hoping that someone could give me some tips on how to clean a skirt that I purchased recently. I just came back from the dry cleaners who unfortunately won't clean the skirt for me. The skirt is made of what I think is polished cotton and has a kind of soft quilting fabric underneath - they felt if they dry cleaned it that it would wreck the outside of the skirt and if they washed it the inside would be destroyed.

Here's the skirt:

And here's a close up of the fabric underneath:

I was really hoping to wear it tomorrow night as it's our second wedding anniversary and we're heading out!

Should I wipe it down and use something like Fabreeze for the inside or risk washing it by hand? So afraid that I might destroy it! The skirt is not stained and doesn't even look dirty - I just wanted to freshen it up....

Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[KittyT]

Your dry cleaners is full of sh!t. Cleaning that skirt is no different than cleaning a quilt, which I'm sure they would do. They're just nervous about it because it's old.

I have a quilted circle skirt and I'll admit it's a pain to clean - I hand wash pretty much everything. I've washed this skirt before but beware - it will take FOREVER to dry.

If it's clean and just needs freshening, you could use Febreze, if you don't mind the smell of it. I personally find the smell of Febreze really obvious and feel like other people might notice and just assume I was too lazy to wash my clothes lol

If you have a clothes dryer with a cool air/no heat setting, I'd toss it in here for few minutes with a fabric softener sheet. Otherwise, I'd put it in a bag with a softener sheet and just let it sit til you're ready to wear it.

 

[Grant Fan]

I agree wit Kitty T they can to do it they are just afraid. You could do the at home dry-cleaning thing you just need the kit and your dryer.

 

[Miss Golightly]

Thank you so much KittyT! I think you're right about the dry cleaners - there are so many things that they won't touch nowadays so like you I end up having to handwash a lot of stuff which is a complete pain - especially when room in your kitchen is tight!!!!!!!!!!! There's always the tub in the bathroom though I suppose!

I'll maybe do the tumble dryer option for tomorrow night - thankfully the skirt doesn't smell in the slightest so that should do the trick till I handwash it.

Thanks again!

 

[Foofoogal]

I personally would not want a cleaners that was scared to clean to touch a vintage garment of mine. Reminds me of how hard it is to find a hairdresser not afraid to cut hair.

I would do as all of the above have stated. Hand wash it. It is very lovely. :eusa_clap
Possibly let it dry outside away from sun laid flat. Airing of the quilts is done. lol

 

[Puzzicato]

I agree wit Kitty T they can to do it they are just afraid. You could do the at home dry-cleaning thing you just need the kit and your dryer.

I love those kits! I do my winter coats with them, and just sponge any mud splashes on the hem.

 

[Miss Golightly]

Thanks again for all the tips ladies - I put the skirt into a bag, inside out, with two sheets of Bounce and it's smelling positively delightful already!!!!!!

 

[RodeoRose]

Dry chiffon

Hello! I'm looking for some advice about my "new" 1920s chiffon day dress. I found it scrunched up in a box of rags in the attic of an 1860s house my mother just bought (along with a once-gorgeous shredded and shattered silk dropwaist dress ). This house has been neglected for decades, so as you can imagine, the dress is not in good shape at all. Oddly enough, it's structurally sound, but it smells awful from sitting in a filthy attic for decades. I'd like to keep it as a study piece, at least, but it really smells too bad to hang in my house and it's kind of grimy. I don't have any pics because it's at home and I'm at school, but it's a similar material and pattern as these dresses:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/5530420...ge=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

http://www.etsy.com/listing/5222280...ge=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

(Mods, I hope these links are OK!)

I'm terrified to wash it, though, because it's made of this sheer chiffon (I think???), and that material is really dry. It's also blue with a floral design, so I should also test it to see if it's color safe. I know chiffon (or whatever this material is) can be a tricky thing to wash, especially when it's 80 or 90 years old... any ideas?

 

[dandelion-vint]

RodeoRose,
For the smell you can spray it with Lysol and hang it outside to get rid of musty/mildewy smells. Don't use Fabreeze or anything like that because it won't kill the germs that cause the smell, and the smell will just come back. Lysol will kill the germs.

If you are afraid to dunk it and it only has surface dust, try laying it on a towel and lightly blotting it with a slightly damp towel to remove light dust.

 

[RodeoRose]

RodeoRose,
For the smell you can spray it with Lysol and hang it outside to get rid of musty/mildewy smells. Don't use Fabreeze or anything like that because it won't kill the germs that cause the smell, and the smell will just come back. Lysol will kill the germs.

If you are afraid to dunk it and it only has surface dust, try laying it on a towel and lightly blotting it with a slightly damp towel to remove light dust.

Ahh, thanks a million! When I go home at the end of the month I'm going to crack out the Lysol and see if that doesn't help. Yes, spot cleaning like you described is probably the best way to go. It's so delicate and ethereal.... I will have to post some pictures once it's cleaned up, it's the prettiest dress!

 

[de-stressed]

Hello! I'm looking for some advice about my "new" 1920s chiffon day dress. I found it scrunched up in a box of rags in the attic of an 1860s house my mother just bought (along with a once-gorgeous shredded and shattered silk dropwaist dress ). This house has been neglected for decades, so as you can imagine, the dress is not in good shape at all. Oddly enough, it's structurally sound, but it smells awful from sitting in a filthy attic for decades. I'd like to keep it as a study piece, at least, but it really smells too bad to hang in my house and it's kind of grimy. I don't have any pics because it's at home and I'm at school, but it's a similar material and pattern as these dresses:

RodeoRose, I was just reading a book called "Sewing with Fabulous Vintage Fabrics" by Arden Franklin. She states that if you soak overnight a vintage piece in sodium perborate (a mild oxidizing agent) in its purest form is the best. I checked (quickly) if anyone had mentioned it here in this thread before, but if I missed it, well, I hope I'm not repeating something everyone already knows. I've never tried it but would consider trying it on a piece that isn't of any value first, just to be sure.

 

[jillybeanlynn]

fabric steamer

Hello all! So I've retired my iron and am ready to buy a fabric steamer. All the reviews I see online are conflicting as to quality with a lot of models and brands, so I thought I'd ask you guys what you like to use with vintage clothes. Any favorites? Any that are rugged and will last and be worth the money?

~jillybean