CLEANING VINTAGE CLOTHING: PART 4
Welcome to part 4 of our series on cleaning vintage clothing.
You’ve got vintage clothing with miscellaneous stains. Here’s how to clean them.
This stain removal guide is primarily for old stains found on vintage fabrics. When handling vintage fabrics, you may be dealing with stains that have been set in the fabric over time. Items of clothing were most likely washed or cleaned in the past and may be musty from long years of storage as well.
For general stain removal, keep an arsenal of the following items on hand to tackle various stains on fabrics. Here is a handy chart of our must haves.
Before you start, remember to check the type of fabric you have as well as try to determine the type of stain you are working with.
Here are some common stains and their remedies:
Blood stains:
Place an absorbent towel underneath the stain and dab with Hydrogen Peroxide. The peroxide may bubble. If it does, your stain is coming out. Continue to keep the stain damp until it is gone. Then rinse thoroughly with mild soap and water.
Collar stains:
Mix a paste of baking soda, with a bit of laundry detergent and water to make a paste. Using a toothbrush rub it on to the stain and let set for ½ hour before washing.
Deodorant stains:
For non-washable fabrics use rubbing alcohol to loosen the stain before sending to the dry cleaners.
For washable fabrics use white vinegar on the fabric to break up the stain before laundering.
Unknown food stains:
Soak the stained area with an enzyme stain remover such as Biz to break up the stain then rinse with a degreaser such as a good quality dish soap and launder as usual.
Next time we look at cleaning whites and linens.