Vintage fashion is popular among people nowadays. Maybe you already have one or have some thrifted clothes bought from a thrifted store. But you are not sure how to take good care of your vintage clothes.
You can dry clean your vintage clothes if they are not older than 1940. But it is a good idea not to dry clean them. You can hand wash or machine wash your vintage linens or other fabrics with a mild detergent in cool water or warm water. Hot water can hurt your vintage piece.
And when it comes to storing them you must not use dry-cleaning plastic bags. Chemicals can damage your favorite vintage item.
In this article, we will be covering details about how to wash vintage clothes, machine wash, hand washing vintage clothes, and remove sweat stains or rust stains from them.
Vintage Clothes Washing Process
According to fabric and laundry experts, “most thrift stores do not clean clothes before they offer them for sale,”. So it’s best to store your new vintage or second-hand purchases in a separate area until you’ve given them a good wash.
Put your thrift clothes in a plastic bag and freeze them for at least three days if you’re worried about pests. This strategy can eliminate bed bugs, silverfish, and moths.
Restoring Vintage Clothes by Machine Washing
You shouldn’t put vintage clothes in the washing machine. There are, however, several cases where this isn’t the case.
If the care label on your vintage garment specifies that it can be washed in the washing machine, go for it!
Vintage clothing can be washed in a washing machine. But only in a delicate setting and with care, either alone or with other items of the same color. Ensure all buttons are buttoned and zippers are zipped to prevent garments from becoming entangled.
You can still give your delicates a good wash in the machine while protecting them from snags, yanking, and twisting by placing them in a mesh laundry bag.
However much we may have grown to rely on our washing machines in the present day. You’ll discover that most vintage fashion garments are better off being washed by hand. Vintage silk, linen, nylon, cotton, polyester, spandex, and other synthetic fabric garments may fare well in a washing machine, though.
Washing Vintage Clothes by Hand
As we’ve discussed, above, it’s recommended that vintage or thrifted garments should be washed by hand in cold water whenever possible. When it comes to vintage materials, the cleaning cycle of a washing machine can be overly harsh and inflict irreparable harm. The risk of permanent damage to your priceless heirlooms isn’t worth the time saved.
When hand-washing vintage clothing, a brand new basin or tub is recommended. When washing large items of clothes, a large wash basin is preferable; but, if you don’t have one, you can use the bathtub or sink, provided that you give it a good cleaning first.
You can use some hot water and mild detergent to clean it. After dissolving the detergent in hot water, you can switch to cold or warm water, depending on the garment’s care recommendations.
Step 1
Once the basin is filled, place one item of clothes inside and gently agitate it in the water. To guarantee a spotless washout, immerse the entire garment in the water. Let the garment soak in the tub for a while. When the water becomes yellow, you’ll know the rust stains are gone and it’s done.
After submerging an article of clothing in a tub or basin, excess water must be drained and the item wrung out. If you need to clean an antique garment, do so carefully by pressing on it rather than wringing it out.
Step 2
Carefully lift the clothing out of the sink. Avoid the temptation to grab the item by one of its legs or arms, since this could cause it to stretch. Then, refill the tub with fresh, cold water. To ensure that all of the soap has been removed, you should repeat the process of rinsing the garment in water, letting the water drain, and squeezing off the excess water. It may take more or fewer rinses to get rid of the soap, depending on the type of clothing you’re washing.
Avoid the temptation to save time by washing all of your hand-washable items together. One of your belongings could be ruined if the colors bleed or if the textiles brush against one other too much. If you mess up the clothes, it is not worth it. When laundering old garments, it’s better to do so individually.
Rayon with a plain weave, cotton blends, polyester blends, linens, silk, and vintage garments with embroidery or other complex detailing all fare best when washed by hand.
Make sure all buttons and zippers are fastened before hand washing an item of clothing, just as you would before throwing it in the washing machine. You should also check the item for shrinkage before using it. If you want to check for puckering in a concealed seam, try placing a little water on it and see what happens. If the seam is puckering, it means that the garment will shrink when exposed to water.
Eliminating Stains
One of the biggest pet peeves is stains. Inconvenient stains like wine, age, or sauce can spoil an otherwise excellent blouse or pair of trousers. One vintage product that can be used to get rid of stains is the usage of stain solution is possible. Many of your old t-shirts, pants, and dresses have been preserved because of it. You should follow these steps if you ever develop a stain:
To remove a stain, simply pour some stain solution onto a clean, dry cloth and rub it in. For at least two hours, soak in cold water. Wash it in clean water (getting rid of any remaining solution) and then lay it flat to dry. If you want to wash something, you can pick from a variety of options.
Tips for Authentic Silk Vintage Clothes
You could try gently hand washing your garment if it isn’t made of a crepe-textured, knit, or loosely woven fabric, but first, you should check for color bleed. Before adding white vinegar to the clean rinse water, soak the garment in cool to tepid water with very light soap or a soft shampoo, then rinse well in cold water.
To restore the delicate vintage item made of silk sheen and remove any lingering soap, simply soak it in vinegar. If the vinegar smell persists, rinse it off and roll the item in a clean towel to absorb the water. And finally, dry any delicates flat and any robust items on padded hangers.
Tips for Genuine Cotton Vintage
You can wash them in warm water with any detergent and they hold up well. Cotton can cause colors and prints to run and shrink. It’s possible that the glaze or sizing on some varieties of cotton will come off in the wash. Vintage finishes composed of glue, starch, resin, gelatin, or paraffin may not be as lasting as current synthetic finishes.
Ironing cotton when it is still a little moist makes it easier to iron and also makes the cotton crisper and smoother. Cotton can be washed in warm water, but using hot water or drying it in a hot dryer can cause the fibers to shrink, fade, and become weaker.
Even strong cotton suffers damage when exposed to chlorine bleach (not to mention the other fibers). The fibers will become brittle, the colors will fade, and any synthetic fibers will become a dreadful shade of yellow. You can bleach cotton in a non-chlorine bleach like Oxyclean or Biz, but you shouldn’t wash silk or wool in it.
Tips for Wool Clothes
No rinse detergent should be used on unadorned knitwear in lukewarm water. Wool loses some of its strength while wet, so it’s important to be gentle with it (avoid wringing and twisting) to prevent it from becoming damaged. After shaping the knit, roll it in a dry towel to absorb any extra moisture, then let it air dry flat, apart from any heat sources.
As a result, clothes manufactured from woven wool are generally designed pieces that benefit from professional pressing after dry cleaning to prevent shrinkage.
Final Words
Now you should have a clear idea about how to wash vintage clothes. When it comes to washing vintage items it’s always better to avoid dry cleaning and apply hand washing as it will help you to protect your clothes for a long period. So let us know how you are enjoying vintage clothes with a clean and germ-free surface.
Read More Garments Care Articles On:
How To Make A Shirt Look Vintage?
Steaming Clothes Instead Of Washing
Why Do Cloth Diapers Stink? How To Remove And Maintenance
Grey Sludge On Clothes From Washing Machine
How To Use Laundry Bar Soap In A Washing Machine
