How to Wash Vintage Lace
When Grandma passes down her antique or vintage lace tablecloth, curtains or doilies to you and they may need to be washed before you can put them to use adding charm to your space. Don't just toss them in the machines with your whites -- you could ruin delicate fabric that has made it through generations. You can wash the lace, but it needs to be done very carefully. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- White cotton fabric
- White cotton thread
- Hand-sewing needle
- Pillowcase
- Borax
- Bucket
- White sheet
Instructions
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Lay a length of thin white cotton fabric on a flat surface. The fabric should be slightly larger than your small lace items, such as doilies or handkerchiefs. Never use a colored fabric because the dye may run and ruin the lace.
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Lay your lace item on top of the white fabric.
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Loosely sew the lace to the fabric. Use only white cotton thread.
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For large lace pieces: Place the lace tablecloth, curtains, or other item into a white cotton pillowcase. Tie a knot in the end of the pillowcase.
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Dissolve Borax in a clean bucket of warm water.
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Place the fabric with the tacked on lace or the pillowcase contain the lace into the bucket and submerge. Dip in and out. Use care to only handle the fabric, not the lace.
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Fill another bucket with lukewarm water. Dip the fabric in and out to rinse. If very dirty repeat with fresh Borax and water and fresh rinse water.
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Lay down a plastic tablecloth or sheet, use plastic so the lace does not become stuck to the surface. Lay the fabric on a flat even surface with the lace facing down. Snip the threads and remove the fabric from the lace. For large pieces, use care not to lift the wet lace because the weight of the water can break the fibers and create holes or tears. Place your pillowcase on the plastic. Carefully, slowly and gently remove the lace and flatten. Be sure the surface is large enough to accommodate the entire piece and none of the wet lace hangs. Do not pull or tug to flatten, use your hands to only smooth it out.
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For stained or yellowed lace, lay flat to dry in the sun, right in the grass.
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Tips & Warnings
Sun bleaching should be limited as the sun's rays, and any other bleaching process, can damage delicate fibers. Once, in an initial cleaning, should not be too deleterious to your antique lace.
References
- A Dictionary of Lace; Pat Earnshaw
- Em's Heart: How to Care for Fine Antique and Vintage Linens
- Photo Credit Bec Parsons/Digital Vision/Getty Images
