1.] Use WARM water for natural fabrics (such as cotton), not hot.
2.] Use COLD water for synthetic fabrics (such as polyester)
3.] Polyester (and poly blend) clothes look better if they are hung to dry. I don't really know why, they just do from my experience.
4.] Make sure the sink/tub is clean before you wash your clothes in it! (I know, this seems obvious...)
5.] COLD water will keep colors from bleeding (if the fabric is colorfast) and also a bit of vinegar. I've used vinegar when washing 1940s printed fabrics to keep colors from bleeding.
6.] Only wash one garment at a time. Even if the colors are similar. It's better to be safe than sorry.
7.] Dissolve detergent in warm/hot water first, THEN add to your rinse water. I once put detergent in when the (white antique) dress I was washing was already in the water and the dye from the detergent left blue spots on the dress. I then had to wash again and soak in bleach.
8.] Don't agitate the fabric too much (or at all if you can help it). Usually I sort of just pat and carefully "knead" (sorry, I can't think of a better way to describe it) the fabric. For dresses I will try to flatten it in the tub and gently "pat" the detergent in. If it's a sturdier fabric, I agitate the fabric just a bit.
9.] Rinse vintage garments in cool water. Make sure to rinse them well. You don't want any detergent residue! Most detergents have chemicals that are fairly harmful to vintage fibers, make sure you rinse well, do it twice!
10.] If in doubt LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS. I am by no means a professional washer/restorer of vintage clothing, so the more delicate items I let air out on my clothesline instead of risking damaging it forever.
BONUS TIP!
Sometimes you can get away with throwing vintage clothing in the washing machine, after all they did have washing machines as far back as the late 1900s... Generally I only machine wash clothing from the 1960s and later.
]]>1.] Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rainwater.
2.] Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.
3.] Shave one hole cake lie soap in boilin water.
4.] Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.
5.] To make starch stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with boilin water.
6.] Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then boil. Rub cullord but don’t boil — just rench and starch.
7.] Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.
8.] Spred tee towels on grass.
9.] Hang old rags on fence.
10.] Pour rench water in flower bed.
11.] Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
12.] Turn tubs upside down.
13.] Go put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee — set and rest a spell and count your blessins.
Oh goodness, can you imagine if THIS was how we had to do laundry now?! Although as a vintage shop owner, many many of the vintage garments from my shop are hand washed by yours truly and sometimes a few soakings are required! I just can't imagine having to boil water in a kettle and using a broomstick to take out laundry!
note: this post was originally posted on my old blog here.
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