How to Care for Your Vintage Clothing

Have you ever wonder after you bought a vintage piece of clothing, how you would clean it? Vintage clothing isn’t like regular clothing it’s clothing that is 25 years or old. It’s from andifferent era then the one we are in now, but they represent the era they are from. Here are some tips on how to care for vintage clothing.

When in doubt hand wash the clothing and never put then in a dryer or washing machine.  This is the best advice I can give you. Or you can get them dry cleaned as well. But it all depends on the type of fabric. Here are some quick tips that are helpful depending on the type of fabric....

·         Fabrics suitable to be washed are cotton, linen and some wool’s usually when mixed with nylon and acrylics.

·         If the fabric is rayon then it is best dry cleaned. Some rayon’s many disintegrate and split/shred from the water.

·         Many older fabrics are not color fast, but dye fastness has improved enormously.

·         Many modern moiré fabrics wash easily, older versions and other taffeta like fabrics if washed will lose all body, but may shrink, lose color and distort.

·         Certain wools and silks will wash, but many will not.

·         More importantly many trims will collapse if washed.

·         Lace will frequently lose crispness and some trims may shrink and pull along a facing edge distorting the neckline.

·         You can also hang the fabrics to air dry or if they have a bad smell to them.

·         Don't hang white or creamy wools or silks in the sun because they can turn yellow by direct sunlight very easy.

·         Whenever you wear your vintage outfits make sure you clean it right after it is worn or used. This way you can avoid stains.

·         NEVER use wire hangers because they can rust and they rust will damage the clothing.

·         Don’t store vintage clothing in a plastic bag because it needs to breathe and that can cause damage to the outfit as well.

·         You could always check the label of the garment if it has a label to see what the manufactures suggest on cleaning the garment.

What Fabrics Should be Ironed and Which Ones Should be Steamed…or Both?

·         Cotton and linen garments can be steamed or ironed.

·         Some rayon can be steamed or ironed on a low synthetic setting, but others need to avoid the steamer.

·         Never use an iron on velvet.

·         Silk is best ironed on a low silk setting and a damp clean white wash cloth placed in between the iron and the garment.

·         Acetate can be ironed or steamed

o   The acetates used as a lining in 50s prom dresses will change colors if submerged in water. It usually can be steamed, but ironing is probably the better method. You can use a lightly damp white wash cloth in between the iron and the material like with silk.

·         Polyester can be steamed or ironed, but on a low or synthetic setting.

·         Nylon can be steamed very nicely and can be ironed too, but on a low setting.

·         Always dry clean rayon, silk, wool, velvet, and any garment with beading. Be sure that your dry cleaner is experienced in vintage fabrics.

The Rules of Hand Washing

1. Only wash one item at a time.

2. Fill either a bathtub or sink with lukewarm water.

3. Start your cleaning by using the most gentle of products; some examples are Woolite or Dreft or Lux soapflakes.

·         Dissolve one of these products in a jug of hot water and add the completely dissolved solution to the bathtub.

4. Lay the garment in the tub and pat it flat with your hands letting the solution run through the garment as it floats in the water. NEVER AGITATE THE GARMENT.

·         You could use a sponge and just press the suds through the garment with the sponge.

·         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.

5. Prepare to rinse.

·         Get a clean large baby bath or similar bowl ready nearby.

·         Let water out of the tub leaving the soapy garment in the tub.

·         Wool will be much weaker wet than when dry, so handle it carefully when you need to lift it out.

6. The secret of good washing is good rinsing.

·         Use the shower head attachment and spray rinse the garment moving the fabric folds gently if needed.

·         An alternative to the conservation method is rinsing the garment either by running fresh cold water into the bath 5 or 6 times until the water runs clear.

·         Do make sure you do this stage THROUGHLY as you do not want to leave any residue in the garment.

7. 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

8. Avoid putting it in a spin drier, but if you cannot resist spinning it, put the garment inside a pillowslip and close it up, or use a specialist lingerie bag to protect the fabric.

9. Use a suit weight strong plastic hanger and let the item drip dry over the bath if it is cotton or linen.

·         Be careful not to use a fancy padded hanger or a wooden hanger at this stage, which might transfer wood or dye stains to the item. You could use a hanger covered with soft bulked plastic or bubble wrap.

·         If there are shoulder pads squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can.

·         If the skirt is unusually heavy, support the garment skirt weight.

10. DO NOT TUMBLE DRY THE ITEM.

11. When the garment is dry or damp dry, press it carefully

·         Having first tested pressing on an inside facing.

12. Hang the item on a padded hanger. Allow about 8 hours minimum or more if possible.

I hope this helped all of you vintage lovers!

-Allison