Vintage Clothes Cleaning Tips

Give your Vintage Dresses a Long and Happy Life...

Lucky ol' you - you've found that fabulous vintage frock and now you want to keep it that way!

Taking care of vintage clothes, especially those that are several decades old, can be difficult because as with any piece of vintage clothing that's lived a little, they can start to look a bit tired and worn.

There are a few tips on how to take care of vintage but treating your vintage garments with loving care in between wears is one of the most important things you can do to keep them beautiful.

For cleaning vintage clothing at home, the best advice we can give is to BE VERY CAREFUL.

First you need to understand the risk you take when cleaning vintage. For antique items, that delicate fabric could disintegrate. Old silks and chiffons are especially fragile and should be treated with extreme care.

We advise investigating the fabric first to ensure it can swim... Once it has been established that the fabric is washable, check for colorfastness.

If the fabric has holes, the holes may worsen - sad but true... Rust stains are difficult to remove and can grow up to become holes when cleaned. Wash those rare pieces yourself only if you are confident with your fabric knowledge.

Remember that repeated washing can damage the delicate fibres so to keep your vintage clothes tip top, wash them as little as possible.

A simple airing often does the trick especially when it comes to natural fabrics. As for dry cleaning...we advise that you talk to the dry cleaner about the fabric, ask questions about their machinery - for eg many dry cleaners use equipment that exposes clothing to extremely high temperatures. This can melt buttons and beads, break down fragile fabrics, etc...sad but true - so get a reputable dry cleaners advice first!

Try to clean any recent spots before storage as stains can set over time and be little buggers to remove later. In some cases stains can even cause disintegration.

Unfortunately, many stains that have set cannot be removed without professional care - so back to that wonderful dry cleaner with you. For washable fabrics, Gentle Woolite or similar can be helpful. Please do not attempt to clean out spots without first investigating the fabric - it may be best to just leave it alone.

Storage

Hang your vintage clothing in a dry and dust-free wardrobe. Protect those delicate fibres of vintage garments by keeping them away from any direct sunlight because this will help to prevent discolouring of the fabrics.

Just like us vintage clothes need protection from UV but love fresh air! so let your clothes breathe. Be creative - you could use a cheap storage rail to display your items - why hide that gorgeous outfit in your wardrobe when you could use it as an interior feature on the side of your wardrobe - what a talking piece!

Important things you can do to help maintain their original good looks are:

Store fragile items flat. Storing any type of item on a hanger can be harmful, but especially for old silks and chiffons.

The force of gravity stretches the fabric and can lead to tears and rips over time, often the hangers will poke through shoulders and tear fabric. NEVER store a beaded dress on a hanger. The weight of the beads will stress shoulder fabric and lead to tears.

You can store items flat in boxes. The best, but most expensive way to store clothing flat is to purchase an acid-free archival textile box. Normal cardboard boxes can damage your clothing.

Most cardboard boxes have harmful acids that eat fabric, yellow it and break down the fibres. Plastic boxes may be a good alternative if the clothing is fully wrapped in acid-free tissue or cloth and stored in a climate controlled area. With plastic boxes you do run the risk of mildew. Do not store clothing in humid environments.

And last but not least, try to resist the temptation of wearing your vintage gem two days in a row - even if it is party season. Airing allows the garment's fibres to breathe and restores it for the next wear.

By following these tips your vintage treasure will love you and allow you to wear it for many more years to come!