How to Clean Vintage Doll Clothes
Dust and grime cause vintage doll clothes to become dull and dirty. The old fabric can be difficult to clean because it may be fragile and fall apart in a washing machine, ruining the value of your heirloom piece. Clean the vintage fabric by hand so that it will retain its color, and bring back the beauty of your vintage doll clothes.
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Instructions
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If the clothes are on the doll, remove the clothes from the doll.
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Find a container that is big enough to hold the doll clothes, such as an empty gallon ice-cream bucket. Fill with cold water.
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Add 1/8 cup Woolite or 1/4 cup Dreft per gallon of water. Woolite and Dreft are recommended because both of these are gentle on colors. Stronger laundry detergents may cause the colors to bleed or fade.
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Test the fabric. To be sure the solution will not remove the color in your vintage doll clothes, rub a little of the solution on the doll clothes in an inconspicuous spot, for example, the back of a hem on the back of a dress. Rinse gently with cold water and allow to dry. If the color did not bleed, continue with the next step.
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Soak each piece separately as you would with any load of delicate laundry. Wash colors in one batch, lights in another batch and dark pieces in another batch of solution.
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Using your hands, gently swish the solution through the doll clothes. Allow to soak for an hour and repeat.
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Rinse thoroughly in cold water.
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Use a towel to blot excess water from the doll clothes. Allow to dry out of direct sunlight, because it can cause the colors to fade. Do not use the dryer. The heat and the stress of the tumbling in the dryer can cause the threads to break.
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Iron on a medium setting to press out any wrinkles before storing or replacing on the doll.
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Tips & Warnings
If the clothes cannot be removed from the doll, use a cloth saturated with the Woolite and water solution and rinse with a cloth saturated with clear water. Use a dry towel to blot any excess water before laying the doll flat to dry. Rotate the doll frequently to be sure the clothes are thoroughly dry.
Do not use bleach or OxyClean on vintage doll clothes that have colors. The use of these products can remove the colors from the fabrics or cause the colors to bleed. OxyClean or a mild bleach solution of one tablespoon of bleach in one cup of water can be used for whites, such as socks.
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Comments
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jgwright
Nov 13, 2010
Woolite. Please I do not know any person who works with fine fabric that would expose it to Woolite. You want to use Orvis soap. It can be found at quilting web sites. I is used to wash horses and can be bought any place where one buys horse food. A large container has lasted me close to a decade. One only needs a small amount.
