VINTAGE LOW DOWN

Cleaning Vintage

Depending on your definition of vintage, each item has generally been around for rather a long time, and as its latest custodian, you have a bit of a responsibility to keep it around for quite some time more. We are fans of wearing and loving our vintage, as well as collecting and appreciating it, and that means you need to gen up on how to clean your vintage.
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Generally items older than the 1970s should not go in a washing machine! Sorry. But honestly, when you get used to it, a quick bit of hand-washing every week does not take you that long and your clothes will thank you for it. The agitation of a washing machine will usually be too much for older items and the seams have a tendency to go, particularly if they were sewn with cotton thread. So many items can be happily hand-washed, even this 1950s prom dress and 1960s jacket and dress were hand-washed; it's better for the environment and your wallet than dry-cleaning. If you are not sure how to clean your new purchase from us, please just get in touch because we have cleaned every item before its sold so we know how best to care for it.

We wash our clothes a lot these days compared to the past, so one of your tactics can be to wear an item more than once before it goes for a bath. Just remember not to store it for a long time without washing it and that those pesky moths prefer unwashed clothes. Anything you put away will be best to be cleaned thoroughly first.

To hand-wash, all you need is a large basin or bath and some hand-wash specific liquid.  It is generally best to use a delicate detergent, such as one designed for wool and silk, of which there are a plethora of brands. Use a spot of this in warm, but not even hand hot water, and gently wet the garment, taking care to neither agitate it too much or soak it too long. Rinse it in clean water until it runs clean - detergent left in garments can be just as damaging as body oils - and then hang it up to dry or dry flat depending on what it needs. Wool and cashmere should be dried flat for example, but most cottons are fine to be hung to drip dry at a sturdy point such as the waist seam.

1950s Pink Prom Dress

1960s Blue Silk Dress & Jacket