How to Clean Vintage Clothes
Depending on the quality of garment you buy depends on whether it will last the test of a further modern era. Please read this guide on the best ways to clean vintage clothing.
After all if it’s in fantastic condition and it’s from the 60’s then someone has taken great care of it and it’s your job to continue the good job. Remember that it is second hand and all second-hand garments have by definition been worn before. As such you should always check particular stress points such as under the arms, zips, fastenings and look out for tears, moth holes and other problems. Some damage is perfectly repairable, but if the material is too worn, it will eventually disintegrate into nothing.
Please read this guide on the best ways to clean vintage clothing:
Vintage clothes often need to be professionally cleaned, this may turn out to be more costly than the clothes you purchased in the first place. Try your best not to allow them to get stained with substances like grease and liquids like red wine or in fact anything that today’s biological detergent would have no problems removing. Where you can wash, but be careful when using a delicate hand wash liquid as they usually contain chemicals that can increase the deterioration of vintage materials. Wash and rinse rinse, and rinse again.
When it comes to our trusted washing machines, again, common sense is a needed. Wash on “delicate” at a warm to cold temperature, and hang out to dry, never, never, never tumble dry. It may be possible to remove small spots but be careful not to damage the fabric. Before attempting to remove any spot you should always test the fabric, whether it’s spot cleaner, alcohol, water etc. Test in an area that is not noticeable. The removal of a stain successfully usual depends on the stability of the dye and it’s good to remember that red is the least stable colour so be extra careful with this colour. I wouldn’t advise one of the more modern stain removers as who knows what kind of effect that the chemicals used in these may have on your piece of vintage history.
Rayon, velvet, acetate and weighted silk all of these fabrics, especially in older clothing can be quite fragile. You should not try to clean weighted silk in any way, take it to a professional cleaner. Older rayon and acetate become very weak when in contact with water. Alcohol can make dyes run in rayon and acetates. Cleaning fluid is your best bet for removing spots from these fabrics, be kind and gentle with all cleaning methods. Wringing and scrubbing fabric weakens it so it is best to press water and cleaners through the fabric with the flat of your hands.
Sometimes the clothes you buy may not need extensive cleaning but they have an overwhelming and totally undesirable musty smell, An air ionizer works great at getting odors out of otherwise clean clothing. Just put the clothing in a fairly sealed room with the machine for a day or so and the problem is solved. This is especially good if it has a smoky odor to it. Be careful, do not put items with rubber or elastic, or vinyl in with the ionizer. It will cause those materials to disintegrate!