Whether it’s your favourite 80s Mum jeans, an expensive couture dress or a $2 op-shop find, how you wash and treat your clothes item after each wear is everything. Put a delicate 1930s velvet dress in the washing machine and there’s a good chance it will be ruined forever.
Like all vintage-lovers, I have made many mistakes with cleaning my clothes collection. It’s these momentary bad decisions that never cease to haunt me, especially when I go to soak a new item of clothing. There was this stunning white 1940s dress with fabric buttons down that back that turned into a rust-coloured mess after a few minutes in the water. And I’ll never forget that vibrant novelty print rayon number that’s dye didn’t like even the tiniest drop of cold water. But, anyway.
These mistakes have taught me the first lesson of cleaning vintage: Stop. Think. Don’t do it, if you don’t absolutely have to. And if you decide cleaning action is necessary, proceed with caution! Because when it’s ruined, it’s usually not reversible.
So, if you’re decided to proceed with cleaning a piece of clothing, here’s my step-by-step guide to get the best results
1) Survey your item – tags, fabric, clasps and zips
If your item was made after about 1970 it may have a “care label” which will solve most of your problems and tell you how and what temperature to wash your vintage item. Most times, you can follow the instructions on this tag. However, to be extra careful and to keep the item in the best condition for longer, maybe consider hand-washing the item even if it says it can be machine washed.
Generally, heavy cottons, polyesters, nylon and other synthetic fabric should withstand being put in a gentle washing machine. Although, consider hand washing.
What not to wash – dry clean only:
- Velvet.
- Painted, glazed or coated fabrics.
- Clothes with sequins, embellishments, old metal buttons or zips (rust can ruin fabrics), older shoulder pads – these can disintegrate.
- Clothes with two types of fabrics or linings, think coats and jackets.
- Animal derived fabrics ie. fur, suede and leather – go to a professional.
2) Preparing your item for hand-washing
Before handwashing any item, especially those with vibrant dyes or designs, you need to test the colour fastness. To do this, use a wet Q-tip, cotton ball or a small piece of white towel to gently blot the fabric in an inconspicuous place. If the dye doesn’t transfer, try this method with a bit or water and the detergent or cleaning powder you will be using.
Next, get the item ready to be soaked. Zip up any zips and fasten all the fasteners, as they can damage the fabric in the water. Also, if it is an older piece, remove all fabric covered buttons, shoulder pads, and metal clasps – again, rust can ruin clothes!
3) Let the soaking begin
Choose a suitably sized plastic container or a bath or laundry tub for your item. Make sure it has enough room to spread out. Then fill it with lukewarm or so water.
Add some gentle detergent or powder. This will depend on what you are cleaning. I usually go for Napisan powder (I think it might just be an Australian thing). Retro Clean is good as well. Just make sure it’s gentle, can be used on most fabrics and is colour-free/ fragrance-free. Also, if you are washing wool items, find something specifically for wool, eg. “Wool Wash”.
Gently place the item in the water and make sure it’s completely covered and let it soak. This could be 30 minutes or more, depending on the type or amount of soiling. You may need to drain the water and repeat the process if the item is very dirty.
4) Rinse and dry
Next is to drain the dirty water and thoroughly rinse the piece under more lukewarm water until it flows clear. Remember to be gentle as wet fabric can be more fragile.
Lightly press the fabric to remove excess water. Delicate fabrics may benefit from having a towel laid over the top to remove more of the water.
I think with more modern fabrics, you should be fine to hang out on the clothesline. But be careful with the type of pegs you use – don’t use any if you can help it. I usually use a fold-out clothes line (pretty cheap from Kmart) and place the items flat on top of it. I like to put it somewhere outside or near outside if possible to aid in the drying process. White fabrics will benefit from the extra “bleaching effect” of sunlight.
Good luck!
