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Vintage Clothing
How To Clean
Vintage Clothing
Because vintage clothes have been
around for many years, they are more
prone to disintegration. One act of
negligence and you are likely to
jeopardize their condition and value.
But how do you actually maintain and
clean vintage clothing? Many people end
up ruining their vintage clothes because
they know little about the fabric,
cleaning chemicals and solutions, and
procedures. If there’s one thing you
have to keep in mind when cleaning
vintage items it is to be extra careful.
Some are not naturally good at washing;
they cannot even be trusted with their
ordinary clothes. If you are one of
them, it’s better not to attempt washing
your vintage items. It would do you
better if you bring them to a cleaning
specialist. Washing vintage clothes is
unlike washing your ordinary clothes,
for one, because they require special
effort—you need to handwash them one at
a time. Remember that the fabrics have
aged and weakened considerably and
subjecting them to rigid rotation inside
a washing machine may cause damages.
Same is true with the dyer, so to be on
the safe side, consider air or drip
drying your garments. Only make sure to
use padded hangers instead of wood and
metal, as these kinds may cause stains.
Take note, however, that washing is good
only to certain fabrics such as cotton,
nylon, and some wools and silks. Others
may shrink, lose their body and finish,
and get distorted, thus requiring dry
cleaning. Examples are rayon and lace.
In some cases, though, they only need to
be aired. For instance, if the garment
is relatively clean but has a persisting
odor, hang it outside. But keep in mind
that some fabrics, such as white and
cream wools and silks, may be prone to
discoloration if put under direct
sunlight. To preserve their color, hang
them in a room with a bowl of vinegar
for some days to remove the odor.
For some reasons, stains and undesirable
marks manage to settle in vintage
clothes, and usually they appear in the
most exposed areas. Whether they are
caused by storing conditions or constant
use, you need to get rid of them. To
remove stains, you can either use
commercial cleaning solutions or simple
household ingredients. Lemon juice and
white vinegar, for instance, can work
well in removing deodorant, rust, and
mildew stains.
For deodorant stains, use pure lemon
juice or white vinegar and dab the
stained area with a clean white cloth.
Rust stains, on the other hand, can be
removed with a mixture of salt and lemon
juice. For mildew stains, mix lemon
juice or white vinegar and water in
equal amounts and spray the mixture on
the stain. You are likely to kill the
mildew this way and therefore prevent it
from reappearing.
Check the care label of your garment to
see if there are additional or special
maintenance procedures. After cleaning
your vintage clothes, make sure to store
them properly. You can even put moth
holes in your closet to prevent moth
damages.
Cleaning vintage clothes on your own
assures you they receive proper care,
but you should also know when it is more
appropriate to bring them to a cleaning
specialist. It may cost you some amount,
yet doing so guarantees you not only
clean vintage clothing pieces but also
pieces that are in undeniably good
shape. In the end, it’s a good
investment.
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