Mending (3)

Vintage Clothes

I would like to wear my vintage clothing and use my vintage housewares for as long as I can and if possible pass them on to my children. I try my best to care for them and if I could, I'd plastic wrap them like a 70's sofa's. I have a couple guidelines that I use to care for my vintage and maybe they will help you out as well.

Clothing-

• Washing-I wash sturdy cotton by hand with 1/2 a teaspoon of Woolite in a tub filled with enough cold water to cover the garment. Swish it around gently and rinse twice, pushing the water out by hand. Do not wring, it may weaken the fibers and will add creases.
• Drying-Gently pull into shape. You can place on sweater rack, hang at the waist on rounded plastic hanger indoors or hang upside down at the seam on outside wash line. Make sure you clean off the line before hanging,weather could dirty the line and you'll end up washing all over again. Be careful not to hang in direct sunlight, it's nature's natural bleaching system. If it's all white..Perfect! I do hang my kitchen cloths to lighten stains. Due to my allergies, I do not hang my clothes outdoors.
• Ironing- I check on the inside seam how it will take the iron. I put on lowest setting possible, iron inside out, & only spray lite starch on pleats. If you still have concerns try a light cotton cloth between the garment and the iron. While I iron, I do a search  and sew. I look for any mending that needs to be done, loose buttons, small holes or uneven seams, etc.. 
• Storing- If you hang in the closet, use rounded, non-slip hanger. Use pant hanger, bring together the seam on the pants if it has one and then clip at the waist. Fold sweater, so they don't lose shape or end up with hanger crease at the shoulders. 
• Silk,Rayon,Crepe or Chiffon- I will take these to the dry cleaners. If you do take them to the cleaners. speak to them before hand and express any concerns you may have. It's your clothing after all, just keep in mind that they may refuse to take the garments and avoid the risk. If they don't take the garment, ask them what they would recommend for cleaning. If you are able to go back to the vendor you purchased the garment from ask them how they cared for it.
• Wool, Angora,Cashmere-Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about how to care for them. My allergies prevents me from wearing them, which is annoying, since I've had to walkaway from some beautiful sweaters.

Handbags-

• Patent- I use a drop or two of Woolite in a cup of water. Dampen a soft cloth, lightly scrub and dry. I do use a hand lotion(Perfect Purity advanced lubricating lotion is very light & costs a $1)  to keep the bag from drying out. Do a patch test & make sure that if you do wish to try the lotion, that it has no Vaseline or heavy oils or it will get sticky.
• Straw or wooden-I usually make a homemade olive oil furniture cleaner, but I don't use it here due to the lack of scent. I use a light colored soft cloth with lemon oil and wipe till no dirt is visible on cloth. lemon oil will also freshen up the look and smell.
• Beaded-If it's sturdy, then use a baby hairbrush very lightly dampened with warm water & pat dry. The baby brush bristles are soft and you'll cover a wider area than with a toothbrush, so you won't loosen beads with excessive brushing.
• Cloth-I know some say to spot clean, but I have had some trouble with this. The area that I spot clean will be brighter than the rest of the purse, so I'll clean the whole thing.Use the baby brush and Woolite mix to  wash the area. Then immediately dry with towel and stuff the purse, not too tightly with a towel to retain its shape while drying.
• Storing-I roll my scarves that are out of season and place inside my handbags to help them retain their shape. I will also color coordinate my scarves to the purse, this way I can find them easily when needed. if you prefer to use paper, make sure it's white tissue & not newspaper.The ink could stain the purse

Hats- There are some hats that can be tricky to clean since some can have very intricate folds or pleats. If you don't wish to risk it, you could try a flower, veil, feathers or a big flashy brooch to hide a stain or a small hole.

• Cleaning-I use a q-tip on tiny spots or I spray a cloth with plain tepid water and dry immediately. I did read that placing the hat at a distance from a steam machine while lightly rubbing a cloth will loosen dirt. I don't have a steam machine yet, I will try this as soon as I can.
• Storing-If you plan on using a hat box make sure to use white tissue paper to help keep its shape. No newspaper, ink will stain. Don't stuff too many inside a box, let them breathe.If you plan on displaying them on the wall or shelf make sure you bring them down from time to time. Dust with a soft bristle brush and keep out of direct sunlight to avoid fading.

Shoes-

• Patent-I use a magic eraser on scuff marks or I place a little lotion on the spot and scrub in a circular motion till it's gone.
• Cloth- Use Woolite solution, a brush and then pat dry with towel till all water is absorbed. If they get a little more soaked than you would have wanted, stuff the shoe with wash cloths & place upside down on a towel in front of a fan or on top of the dryer.
• Leather-I use a cleaner that's made especially for leather shoes.
• Storage-I separate my shoes from light to dark in 3 different areas in my bedroom to know exactly where a certain shoe will be. I place my older more fragile shoes that I only wear on a special occasion in a vintage suitcase. In a long see thru. plastic container under my bed, I will place my favorite shoes that I know go with my outfits.The closet holds my everyday casual shoes that wear around the house or do yard work in. I use the closet for these shoes,because it makes it easier for the hubs and I to just toss them in and not care what they touch. If you want to stop shoes from caving in, use shoe retainers or rolled hand towels. 

Gloves, Scarves & Stockings-

• Cleaning-These should definitely be washed by hand. They are made of very fragile fibers and are used almost everyday, so they won't stand up to a harsh wash. A quick swishing around in a tub and hang dry on a laundry octopus(available at IKEA) or on a sweater rack. Don't forget to do a search and sew.
• Storing-Gently roll the stockings from the toe to the thigh and place in drawer  lined with tissue paper to avoid getting caught on anything. Scarves fold in half, roll and so that if it has a design you will be able to see it and avoid tossing about.
• Gloves have specially made hangers the go inside the gloves to keep their shape and hang. I have a three turtle clip tree that I use for my gloves, I'm not sure if it's supposed to be for gloves, but it works.I also place my gloves over a matching handbag, so that I can just grab and go.

  

  Turtle clips

  
  

  The things that I do to care for my vintage items have worked for me and some may work for you. Maybe not all, but they could be a starting point for you. Remember, you know your items better than anyone else, so what you choose to do to them is your decision. 
  
  
  Read everything- Clothing labels, books, other blogs, soap instructions, etc.. The more information you have, the more you have to fall back on if something were to come up unexpectedly.
   
  Test run- Always do a patch test. Try to remove a small piece from your vintage item and test how it will handle. If you can buy a similar piece of material at the local fabric store, then use that to try the  method of your choice on it. Just remember that it will not react in the exact way as the vintage material. The older one has years of wear and possibly tear, so you must consider that as well.
  
  
  Decide- It's your it decision in what to do, how to do it or even if you want to do anything at all. You bought the the item and you know what its value means to you. It may be financial value or it maybe an emotional value. Either one, it will be difficult to decide or maybe you just take a deep breath and go for it.
   
  Whatever method you may choose to care for your vintage items, just remember that the things you do are so that you may be able to enjoy them for as long as you can.