Lone Star T's - Drip Pan

GARMENT CARE
Claire Crofts

One of the most frequent complaints heard when an old dress, blouse, or other white cotton or linen garment is found is, "But it’s so yellow and dirty-looking!" Well, after fifty or sixty years of lying forgotten in the musty confines of a trunk in someone’s attic, it’s no wonder. Fortunately, whitening of such items is not really such a problem, and offers an interesting challenge that gives a real sense of accomplishment when one sees the dramatic change from dingy brown to sparkling white. After some twenty years of experimentation, the following methods have been found most satisfactory. Check entire article for places requiring mending, as washing may sometimes aggravate the tears or weak spots. Mend neatly, reinforcing weak places with additional material if necessary. A recent innovation, at least for me, is a product called Stitch Witchery, available at most fabric stores – it is a bonding agent that looks like a thick cobweb, not an iron-on material, and must be used between two layers of fabric – an ideal situation for the antique clothes mender! On very delicate, sheer old materials, a thin fabric is the best choice for the "back-up" material. Somewhat heavier cloth may be used on heavier clothing, but generally to avoid undue stiffness, do not use anything too heavy. One of the best things I have found to use under very thin materials are the ordinary nylon headscarves so popular now – they can be had in a wide variety of colors, and are the sheerest fabric without holes, such as tulle has, that I have located. It may be desirable when using these scarves with Stitch Witchery, to press for a shorter period of time, to prevent bleed-though of the bonding material. Otherwise, just use as the Stitch Witchery directions indicate. If you have not used Stitch Witchery before, it may be helpful to practice a little with a scrap piece of torn cloth, similar to what you wish to mend. It is generally best to use old fabrics to mend in places that the fabric will show, or in replacing trim or other portions that are beyond repair, to avoid the "new" look. A used clothing store is usually an excellent source for such materials.		Wash gently by hand using a good mild liquid detergent – I find Palmolive to be the best. Change the soapy water at least twice, and let soak if extremely soiled. Rinse thoroughly numerous times, to remove all traces of soap. Do not wring, just gently squeeze the water out. Be very careful at all times in handling the wet garment, as wet material is particularly weak and the weight of the water is very hard on the fabric. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look too white yet! Spread on the grass in the sun (the hotter and sunnier the day, the better). Keep wetting and turning the article over, exposing all surfaces to the sun. Sometimes, if the spots are particularly stubborn, this sunning process must be repeated for a number of days until the article is satisfactorily whitened. Bleach (chlorine type) is very hard on old fabrics and should never be used until all other methods have been tried. The newer sodium perborate bleach, Clorox 2, and such products as Axion, Biz, and Spray ‘n Wash may be used with caution, according to package directions, if the sun treatment fails, which happens only rarely. Of course, never use any of these methods on anything colored without trying on a hidden portion first, as the old dyes were none to stable. For rust spots on white washables, try using lemon juice and salt sprinkled on the spots and place in the sun. If this fails, the spots may be made less noticeable by dampening them and rubbing with chalk after ironing. After whitening, once again wash and rinse thoroughly. Garment may be rolled in several dry towels to absorb excess moisture. Dry garment, but do not hang up – a sling may be rigged between two clotheslines, using a sheet, and the garment laid on this to dry, thus preventing strain on the wet fabric.

DRY CLEANING NON-WASHABLES Cleaning of non-washable fabrics at home is not much more difficult than doing the washable ones, and is much to be preferred over taking to the cleaners, either professional or do-it-yourself, due to the rough handling received at these places. Varsol, a cleaning fluid produced by Exxon, is excellent for any type of dry cleaning, and may be purchased at some of their service stations or at a local distributor. Be sure to get enough to completely immerse the garment without crowding. If afraid the garment might fade, dip an unobtrusive corner or hidden portion as a test. Non-washable fabrics trimmed with cottons or other washables will look much fresher if the trim is removed and laundered, since dry cleaning will not clean very soiled or yellowed washable fabrics anywhere nearly as well as washing. Clean light-colored garments first, darkest last. Fluid may be saved and used again if dirt is allowed to settle and clean portion is returned to can. Work must be done out of doors and away from any type of flame, using plastic gloves to protect the hands. Rubber gloves will swell if they are in the fluid for any length of time. A plastic or porcelain basin may be used. Check garment for spots and put a safety pin in each one so they may be located after the garment is wet. Immerse the article, squeezing the fluid through the fabric gently, keeping in mind wet fabrics are weak. Let soak a while, then gently squish and rub the placed marked by the safety pins, removing each pin as you go. Squeeze fluid from article and hang in the shade to drip dry – do this over concrete, as it will kill the grass. Heavy skirts and weaker fabrics may be hung over several hangers to keep the strain off the material as much as possible. Heavy drippings may be caught in the event it is desired to save the fluid for another time. Several days are usually required for the odor of the cleaning fluid to subside after the garment is dry. Press with a steam iron on the wrong side, or use a press cloth. If unsure about cleaning an article trimmed with beads or sequins (some were made with non-cleanable coating) try to locate a sequin, etc., that won’t be missed, snip off and drop in a small amount of the cleaning fluid to test. If the coating comes off, you’ll just have to wear it dirty or take off the trim!

Yesterday's Closet

How to Tips from Lone Star T Newsletters and the Newsletters of other Model T Clubs passing on personal experience of enthusiast/restorers