All of our items are either hand washed or dry cleaned, tagged, then put away into storage. They may arrive wrinkled when you receive them. If your item has any odors just hang outside in the shade to air out for about an hour.
To hand wash a garment: Clean the container or sink you will be using very thoroughly, and wipe it down with a white towel to be sure its surface is clean. We recommend using a portable plastic tub to conserve water usage instead of the entire sink.
Run the water until it's temperature is right (usually lukewarm), then mix a drop or two of detergent in a small pool of water at the bottom of the container. Touch this to a hidden seam, let it dry, and then check it for bleeding or puckering. If nothing occurs, it's passed the pretest. If it bleeds, try very cold water. If it puckers around the edge of the once-wet area, it needs to be dry cleaned.
Fill the container with water at the right temperature, leaving enough physical space for the garment to be submerged and not overflow the container.
Add liquid detergent after the water is done, from a few drops for a lightly used garment to two tablespoons for a heavily soiled garment. This amount is used for an eight quart container.
We recommend using Liquid Ivory Snow, not Woolite. Woolite has been shown to cause long-term damage to vintage fabrics.
Mix the liquid detergent into the water thoroughly.
Add the garment in a coil or swirl shape, & gently push and move the garment to allow detergent to penetrate the entire garment.
Be alert for any bleeding, shrinkage, or other adverse problems.
Watch for the water to change from clear to cloudy or dirty. When it does, let the water drain out & gently press out excess water from the garment. Never wring, twist, or pull the garment. Also, always pick up the garment in total, not by a sleeve or a part. Fabric is often weakest when wet.
After the water is drained, refill the container with water & repeat the process. If the water continues to turn cloudy, repeat this sequence until fresh water remains clear. You can add detergent each time (usually in smaller amounts) if the fabric is stained or dingy.
When the water does remain clear, then you can begin looking at the amount of detergent in the water. If there are any suds in the water, repeat the emptying & refilling sequence until no suds show on the surface.
When the detergent is completely removed, be gentle in squeezing out the water from the garment. Let it dry by hanging it folded in half over a towel rack, with a white towel hung between the garment & the rack. You can also lay the garment flat on a white towel, which is better for heavy or knit garments, or anything that could stretch out of shape if hung. Remember that the fabric is much heavier when saturated with water. Tumble dry anything that is okay for a machine drying. Never hang your items in the sun as this could damage the fiber. You can lightly press on a very low setting to remove wrinkles if needed.
Most of these steps are common sense, but it's easy to make a mistake, even if you have experience. Usually we find that it's common to put too much detergent in the water, to leave too much detergent in the garment, or to scrub & agitate too roughly. Be observant and use your sensibility to keep your garments in an improved condition after they're washed.
Dry Cleaning ~ if you take your item to the dry cleaners be sure to mention that your item is Vintage & may need special care. Take items ONLY to a reputable cleaner. Call ahead to make sure they can assist you with Vintage items.
