Need cleaning advice for antique pieces
Old House Stitchery
found a box of old embroidered linens under the house in question. Most of
the things packed under there were put there in the 1940's. Most of the
pieces are done on muslin, I believe. There are several tablecloths,
napkins, pillowcases, etc. They are really dirty and some are stained. Do
you think it is safe to try the washing machine on the ones in good shape? I
just feel that they would get cleaner in it than by hand, but wanted to get
some opinions before I did anything to them. Thanks in advance,
Sandra--
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hgrei...@fastransit.net.uk
<san...@oldhousestitchery.com> wrote:
>We are soon going to launch into another house renovation project and we
>found a box of old embroidered linens under the house in question. Most of
>the things packed under there were put there in the 1940's. Most of the
>pieces are done on muslin, I believe. There are several tablecloths,
>napkins, pillowcases, etc. They are really dirty and some are stained. Do
>you think it is safe to try the washing machine on the ones in good shape? I
>just feel that they would get cleaner in it than by hand, but wanted to get
>some opinions before I did anything to them. Thanks in advance,
>Sandra--
Wow! How lucky! I think I would just fill a bathtub with cool
water and some Orvus and set them in to soak. Might have to change
the water & Orvus several times, but it would be a lot gentler that
putting them in a machine. JMHO
Anne/NC
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MQSsews
>We are soon going to launch into another house renovation project and we
>found a box of old embroidered linens under the house in question. Most of
>the things packed under there were put there in the 1940's. Most of the
>pieces are done on muslin, I believe. There are several tablecloths,
>napkins, pillowcases, etc. They are really dirty and some are stained. Do
>you think it is safe to try the washing machine on the ones in good shape? I
>just feel that they would get cleaner in it than by hand, but wanted to get
>some opinions before I did anything to them. Thanks in advance,
>Sandra--
Sandra,
I have many antique linens and crocheted doilies and table cloths which I have
inhertied from my mother, grandmothers and my great aunt. My great aunt, who
died 3 years ago at age 98, was the family expert on caring for these things.
You just won't believe what she did or told me to do. She still used a wringer
washer and used to put ALL her linens (antique and modern) into the wringer
washer and run the regular cycle (she always used TIDE for everything. Then
they just got pulled throught the wringer, hung to dry and pressed with an
extremely hot iron. If there were stains on them Mamie would lay them on the
grass in the sun so the sunlight would bleach out the stain. She insisted they
had to lay on the grass because it was the combination of grass and sunlight
that worked. Her linens, including the antique ones I inherited (many over 100
years old and still being used), were in imaculate condition and looked
beautiful.
My dear Aunt Mamie told me to use the washing machine and soak them first then
use the gentle cycle and then into the dryer. I use very gentle laundry
detergent...the kind for baby clothes and soak for 1/2 hour then run it through
the cycle. I put them in the dryer on permanant press and take them out still
damp and iron them with a hot iron. They are all made from Scottish or Irish
linen or 100% cotton thread (in the case of the doilies).
I have about 6 or 8 linen table cloths of various sizes and about 75 napkins.
Then the table runners and table scarfs and doilies of linen (about 50) in
various sizes and then about 100+ crocheted doilies. And about 3 dozen pillow
cases, pillow shams, other bed linen and towels. Nothing is less than 50 years
old and most are almost double that in age. The table linen is used frequently
as are the doilies and they look lovely...not worn and old... and wash
beautifully.
I know this goes against all "conservation" techniques but it worked for my
aunt and seems to work for me.
Mairi
cross1
<hgrei...@fastransit.net.uk> wrote in message
news:37faafad...@news.fastransit.net...
> On Tue, 5 Oct 1999 18:38:24 -0500, "Old House Stitchery"
> <san...@oldhousestitchery.com> wrote:
>
> >We are soon going to launch into another house renovation project and we
> >found a box of old embroidered linens under the house in question. Most
of
> >the things packed under there were put there in the 1940's. Most of the
> >pieces are done on muslin, I believe. There are several tablecloths,
> >napkins, pillowcases, etc. They are really dirty and some are stained. Do
> >you think it is safe to try the washing machine on the ones in good
shape? I
> >just feel that they would get cleaner in it than by hand, but wanted to
get
> >some opinions before I did anything to them. Thanks in advance,
> >Sandra--
>
Karen Thompson
>On Tue, 5 Oct 1999 18:38:24 -0500, "Old House Stitchery"
><san...@oldhousestitchery.com> wrote:
>
>>We are soon going to launch into another house renovation project and we
>>found a box of old embroidered linens under the house in question. Most of
>>the things packed under there were put there in the 1940's. Most of the
>>pieces are done on muslin, I believe. There are several tablecloths,
>>napkins, pillowcases, etc. They are really dirty and some are stained. Do
>>you think it is safe to try the washing machine on the ones in good shape? I
>>just feel that they would get cleaner in it than by hand, but wanted to get
>>some opinions before I did anything to them. Thanks in advance,
>>Sandra--
>
>Wow! How lucky! I think I would just fill a bathtub with cool
>water and some Orvus and set them in to soak. Might have to change
>the water & Orvus several times, but it would be a lot gentler that
>putting them in a machine. JMHO
>Anne/NC
>
If you do want to do them in a machine, I'd probably take them to a
laudromat and use the front loading machines; these are supposed to be
gentler than the regular agitator types most of us have at home.
Someone else posted about laying them out on the grass in the sun to
bleach out stains, and this really does work. I"ve done it several
times with stained baby items, etc. It definitely does have to be
*on* the grass - the chlorophyll in the grass is supposed to be part
of the magic secret!
Karen