How to Clean Vintage Clothing Safely

Many vintage garments can be cleaned safely, but antique ones often should not be washed at all. Conservators start with the gentlest method that works, which is usually low-suction vacuuming through a screen, and treat wet cleaning as a last resort because it cannot be undone. Sturdy cotton and linen in sound condition can usually be hand-washed; silk, wool, early synthetics, knits, bias cuts and anything beaded, lined or fragile should be surface-cleaned only or taken to a professional.

Quick answer

• Start with surface cleaning: airing, soft brushing, and vacuuming on low suction through a nylon screen.
• Hand-wash only sturdy, colourfast cotton and linen (plain whites are the safest), in lukewarm water with a small amount of gentle detergent, supported flat.
• Do not wash silk, wool, early man-made fibres, knits, bias-cut garments, lined garments, or anything with beads, sequins, feathers or trims, and never wash weighted or shattering silk.
• Never use a washing machine, tumble dryer, chlorine bleach or a hot iron on antique textiles.
• Test every fabric for colourfastness first; if dye moves, do not wash it.
• For valuable or fragile pieces, consult a textile conservator.

Why cleaning old clothes is different

Old fibres are weaker than new ones, dyes may not be stable, and many garments combine materials (silk shell, cotton lining, metal fasteners, glass beads) that react differently to water. The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) points out that any cleaning is irreversible, and that textiles are weaker when wet. The textile conservation literature makes the same point: because wet cleaning is a chemical process that cannot be reversed, it should be used only when absolutely necessary.

There is also a value question. Washing can remove original finishes (CCI gives the glaze on chintz as an example), cause linings and facings to shrink and pucker the outer fabric, and lift evidence collectors use to date a piece. If a garment is valuable, read repair or leave it and get a second opinion before you clean.

Step 1: identify the fibre and assess condition

Before choosing a method, know what the garment is made of and how strong it is. Our guide to identifying fabrics covers burn tests and visual clues; care labels help on post-1971 American garments (care labels).

Then check condition in good light:

• Does the fabric split, powder or crack when gently flexed? That points to shattering or degraded fibre: do not wet clean.
• Are there beads, sequins, metal threads, painted areas or glued trims?
• Is there a lining or interfacing that could shrink differently?
• Is the colour fast? (see the test below)

Step 2: surface cleaning (safe for almost everything)

Surface cleaning removes the dust and grit that abrade fibres and attract insects. CCI recommends it before any storage, and notes that unless textiles are very fragile, they can be surface-cleaned by gentle brushing and by vacuuming through a screen.

How to vacuum a garment the conservation way:

1. Lay the garment flat on a clean, white sheet.
2. Cover a section with a piece of nylon or fibreglass screen (window screen with taped edges works; nylon mesh screen).
3. Use a vacuum with adjustable suction on its lowest setting, with a small brush or upholstery nozzle.
4. Pass the nozzle over the screen, not directly on the fabric, then move the screen to the next section.
5. Turn the garment and repeat on the back and inside, since dust filters through.
6. For seams and pockets, cover the nozzle itself with screen.

A soft, clean brush (a natural-bristle make-up or photography brush) lifts dust from velvet pile and embroidery. Brush in one direction, gently.

Airing a garment for a few hours in a shaded, dry, well-ventilated spot can reduce storage odours. Keep it out of direct sunlight, which fades and weakens fibres. For persistent smells see stain and odour removal.

Step 3: should it be washed?

CCI's guidance on washing historic textiles lists the categories where washing is not recommended. Combined with general conservation practice, the decision looks like this:

Modern-era vintage (roughly 1960s onward) in sturdy cotton, denim or polyester is a different case: most of it can be washed gently, following any care label, by hand or on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag. The cautions in this guide are aimed at older and more fragile pieces.

Test for colourfastness

Dye that bleeds will ruin a garment in seconds. The conservation test is simple: put a drop of water on an inconspicuous area (inside a seam allowance or hem), then blot it with a clean white cloth or cotton bud. If any colour transfers, the textile should not be washed. Test every colour in a print or multicolour piece, and repeat with your detergent solution.

How museums wash sturdy cotton and linen

This is a home-scale version of CCI's method for non-coloured textiles in sound condition. Do not use it for anything in the "No" or "Never" rows above.

1. Document. Photograph front, back and any stains or repairs first.
2. Surface clean by vacuuming through a screen.
3. Remove attachments that cannot get wet (painted, metal, bone or wooden buttons, gilt trims), marking their positions with coloured thread.
4. Support the textile. It is weaker wet. Sandwich it between two pieces of nylon screen or net, loosely basted together, so you never lift wet fabric by itself.
5. Soak flat in a basin large enough to hold it unfolded, in distilled water at room temperature to slightly warm (CCI gives 25 to 35°C). Soak for about 10 minutes. If the water discolours badly, repeat in fresh water.
6. Wash in a weak detergent bath. CCI uses an anionic detergent at about 5 mL per litre (1 teaspoon per quart). Press gently with a natural sponge for a few minutes. Never rub, wring or squeeze.
7. Rinse four to six times, until the rinse water stops foaming. A simple check: shake a jar of the last rinse water beside a jar of plain distilled water; they should look the same.
8. Shape and dry flat on white towels, easing lace and gathers into shape with your fingers. Dry quickly with a fan or a hair dryer on cool, aimed above the textile, not at it.
9. Never store it damp. Make sure it is completely dry first.

CCI is explicit that machine washers, dryers and irons should never be used on museum textiles. Conservation practice also avoids ordinary commercial laundry detergents on antique textiles, however gentle they claim to be, which is why conservators work with distilled water and a simple anionic detergent (look for a neutral, additive-free textile detergent such as anionic textile detergent quilt wash).

Dry cleaning vintage

Commercial dry cleaning uses solvents rather than water, most commonly perchloroethylene, and can suit some sound later garments, particularly wool suits and coats and some silk. It is not gentle for fragile pieces: garments are tumbled, pressed and steamed. Before using a dry cleaner:

• Only consider it for structurally sound garments.
• Choose a cleaner who handles wedding gowns or couture, and ask whether they hand-clean.
• Point out beads, sequins, buttons and any weak areas.
• Never send weighted silk, shattering fabric, painted textiles or pieces with glued trims.

Not sure what you have? Appraise a photo

What not to do

• No chlorine bleach. It destroys silk and attacks other fibres.
• No oxygen bleach soaks on silk or wool. Oxygen bleaches (sodium percarbonate, the active ingredient in OxiClean-type powders) release hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate, an alkaline mix that protein fibres tolerate poorly. Read the product's own fibre warnings, and test on cotton or linen only.
• No washing machine or tumble dryer for antique textiles.
• No hot iron directly on old fabric. If you must press sturdy cotton or linen, use a low setting through a pressing cloth; steam others carefully or not at all.
• No hanging wet garments. Wet fabric stretches and tears under its own weight; dry flat.
• No household spot removers on valuable pieces without testing; they can leave tide lines and strip dye.
• No drying in direct sun. Light damage is cumulative and irreversible.

When to call a conservator

Get professional help for anything valuable, fragile, historically important, or made of mixed materials. In the US, the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) has a searchable directory of professional members; in the UK, the Institute of Conservation (Icon) is the professional body for conservators. A conservator will tell you if a garment can be cleaned safely at all, and sometimes the answer is that it should not be.

After cleaning, store the piece properly so it stays clean: see how to store vintage clothing.

Sources

• Canadian Conservation Institute — Washing Non-coloured Textiles (CCI Notes 13/7)
• Canadian Conservation Institute — Hanging Storage for Costumes (CCI Notes 13/5)
• Canadian Conservation Institute — Textiles and the Environment (CCI Notes 13/1)
• Wikipedia — Conservation and restoration of textiles
• Wikipedia — Weighted silk
• Wikipedia — Silk
• Wikipedia — Sodium percarbonate
• Wikipedia — Dry cleaning
• American Institute for Conservation — Find a Professional Member
• Wikipedia — Institute of Conservation