Thanks for all these great tips, laundry skills and habits can really make or break the lifespan of clothes. I remember I'd hand-washed a wool gauze dress for ages, and finally I decided to try washing it in the machine, thinking it would wash like my tropical wool pieces, but it felted and shrank! I managed to "unfelt" it somewhat by steaming it, but it remained too small, and I had to give it away. I was so sad, it was a fantastic dress.
On a related note, I would recommend running the drum clean mode on washing machines once a month, because build-up in the drum (from undissolved detergent or moisture accumulating) can stain laundry and you may also notice a musty smell. I neglected to do this for a few months, and as a result I got some really unsightly stains on my whites :(
That sucks about your dress! I hate when that happens. My husband washed a Marimekko cashmere scarf in the washing machine (wool setting and all) and it felted so badly, it was like a doll's scarf afterward. Some wools can shrink like crazy if you get the temperature even slightly wrong. The wool cycle of my washing machine picks the water temperature at 30 degrees Celcius but I sometimes drop it to 20, or cold, just to be sure.
A definite thumbs up to using the drum clean mode regularly! We do ours a few times a month because we do so much laundry for the shop. Cleaning the lint trap is also really important.
Great article! Love your tips and details descriptions. I too wash many dry cleaning only garments. Knowing the fabrics! Viscose I wash on low spin, I had once a shirt that came out completely torn. It was my sister's, I felt bad but learned my lesson. The Dries van Noten mesh top might have a dry cleaning label because of the high percentage elastane, this can lose elasticiteit in the washing machine. I would use a low spin. Thanks!
Yes, you're right re: the DVN mesh tops. I wash mine in the delicate cycle and no spin -- basically the same way I was tights.
Viscose crepe, especially vintage, is super interesting and always a little scary to wash. I've heard of very old vintage viscose crepe dissolving in water, but I've never seen it myself. Makes sense that old cellulose reacts with water in unusual ways.
Oops never knew this about elastane (: my DVN mesh top has survived so far with the rest of my laundry in the washing machine but I might be more careful from now on
This comment is really only for those who have dryers.
If you do have a dryer, Dryel sheets in the bag that comes with them is a wonderful alternative for dry clean only items including many that are lined ( I have even used with items with a leather trim although use your judgement). You can order Dryel though Amazon.
I also use the ‘ steam fresh cycle’ for all my sweaters at the end of the season.
I spilled a bit of sauce on an fluffy Isabel Marant sweater the other evening. I spot cleaned with a bit of club soda on a rag and popped it into dryer on steam clean with a bath towel ( using bath towels in dryer helps keep from excessive, or any!,wrinkling).
And for jeans, or nice sweats or leggings, that have stretched out in the bottom or knees but otherwise don’t need a wash, I spray those areas with plain water and pop them in the dryer with a bath towel and voila - back to their proper shape.
Someone else sent me a DM asking about Dryel sheets, but since I have no experience with them, I couldn't comment. I'm glad that they work for you so well!
And another caveat besides the worthless stain remover thingy - I don’t wear a lot of silk, or silky stuff so not much experience with Dryel there. I mostly use it with lined wool or cashmere skirts and jackets and knits.
This is so helpful! I’ll definitely bookmark this one. What about polyester pleated pieces like Pleats Please… so far, I’ve hand washed mine, but I’m wondering if gentle machine wash would be ok?
I've followed the care tag instructions on my Pleats Please pieces: mine say to wash them inside a mesh bag and to use the permanent press cycle (the one with the bar underneath the tub symbol), and dry flat. So far everything has come out of the wash looking great!
I have washed mine in mesh bags in hand wash cycle and dried flat. They look great. But now I am curious if perm press might be better? Laundering these pieces is so easy, it makes me love them more ♥️
Tiia, this is great! Clarified so many things I had not understood previously!! Thank you!
And of course, with more knowledge, more questions! You sent me down an Amazon rabbit hole looking for gall soap! Is it basically palm oil soap? Looking at this Sonett Organic Traditional Stain Removers Gall Soap https://a.co/d/0vlgxk9
and Buncha Farmers All Natural 100% Biodegradable Environmentally Friendly Stain Remover Stick (Made in Canada) https://a.co/d/j3NrK0h. Are they same? And can you use it on the stain and then throw it in the washing machine? I am now using this spray: Puracy Laundry Stain Remover Refill - Perfect Laundry, Pure Ingredients - with 6 SuperPlant Enzymes for Easy Removal of Fresh and Set-In Clothing Stains, 98.95% from Mother Nature, 48 Oz https://a.co/d/0Vw7fTZ. But it does not get out ink stains and “laundry bleed” stains.
Also, I need your candid assessment of steaming. I am on my second steamer and find them to be nearly useless. When I am done the garment still looks wrinkly or not quite there and for 5 min more I could have ironed which I hate. Am I doing something wrong or is steaming just for “freshening up” something that has already been dry cieaned or ironed?
Last question, “laundry bleed”... I was colors separately and mostly in cold but occasionally there is bleed. How do you get those stains out?
Gall soap is usually manufactured with palm oil soap or coconut oil soap as a base, but they have bovine gall (aka fel bovinum) in them -- hence the name 'gall soap'. The Sonett gall soap is the real deal. You put it on the stain and then throw it in the washing machine. When using it for the first time, it's a good idea to check how the fabric reacts first (somewhere where it's not noticeable). Gall soap is potent stuff and it can remove dye from delicate fabrics. I use it on silk blouses though, and they always come out fine!
Re: laundry bleed -- usually colors bleed if the washing temperature is wrong or if some part of the garment is over-dyed or dyed incorrectly by the manufacturer. Some vintage cottons might bleed if washed at a cool temperature -- the dye fixing agents used back in the day require a hot water temperature to keep the dye in place. I try to tackle color bleeding by soaking rather than treating the bleed like a stain, and a longer soak with a good regular detergent typically solves the problem. Be prepared to rinse a lot! I'd definitely try gall soap, too.
Re: steamers -- I haven't found a steamer I'm happy with. I've tried heavy-duty professional ones too and I don't like them either. The end result is just never quite crispy or neat enough for me. I don't think you're doing anything wrong; you just have higher standards like I do! So yeah, my opinion is that steamers are basically just for freshening up the garments, or getting rid of the most offensive wrinkles.
What a wonderful and useful article! It reminded me of Cheryl Mendelson's excellent book “Home Comforts” (1999), a comprehensive guide to all sorts of housekeeping tasks. I hand-wash a lot of garments (bras always, sweaters usually), but on your advice—and now that I have a spiffy new washer—I may try machine-washing more items on the delicate cycle.
I'm curious — do you clean most (all?) of your shop's vintage garments before you put them out for sale?
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes re: 'dry clean only' & recent clothes. Manufacturers try to avoid taking responsibility for clothes that people don't know how to wash properly, or things that get ruined in the wash, so they put the 'dry clean only' label on clothes even when it's not needed. I get it, but it's really annoying!
Thanks for all these great tips, laundry skills and habits can really make or break the lifespan of clothes. I remember I'd hand-washed a wool gauze dress for ages, and finally I decided to try washing it in the machine, thinking it would wash like my tropical wool pieces, but it felted and shrank! I managed to "unfelt" it somewhat by steaming it, but it remained too small, and I had to give it away. I was so sad, it was a fantastic dress.
On a related note, I would recommend running the drum clean mode on washing machines once a month, because build-up in the drum (from undissolved detergent or moisture accumulating) can stain laundry and you may also notice a musty smell. I neglected to do this for a few months, and as a result I got some really unsightly stains on my whites :(
That sucks about your dress! I hate when that happens. My husband washed a Marimekko cashmere scarf in the washing machine (wool setting and all) and it felted so badly, it was like a doll's scarf afterward. Some wools can shrink like crazy if you get the temperature even slightly wrong. The wool cycle of my washing machine picks the water temperature at 30 degrees Celcius but I sometimes drop it to 20, or cold, just to be sure.
A definite thumbs up to using the drum clean mode regularly! We do ours a few times a month because we do so much laundry for the shop. Cleaning the lint trap is also really important.
There is a product called Affresh that I pop in my washer with extra tub clean setting on the 1st of every month!
Great article! Love your tips and details descriptions. I too wash many dry cleaning only garments. Knowing the fabrics! Viscose I wash on low spin, I had once a shirt that came out completely torn. It was my sister's, I felt bad but learned my lesson. The Dries van Noten mesh top might have a dry cleaning label because of the high percentage elastane, this can lose elasticiteit in the washing machine. I would use a low spin. Thanks!
Yes, you're right re: the DVN mesh tops. I wash mine in the delicate cycle and no spin -- basically the same way I was tights.
Viscose crepe, especially vintage, is super interesting and always a little scary to wash. I've heard of very old vintage viscose crepe dissolving in water, but I've never seen it myself. Makes sense that old cellulose reacts with water in unusual ways.
Oops never knew this about elastane (: my DVN mesh top has survived so far with the rest of my laundry in the washing machine but I might be more careful from now on
The spinning can be a problem, no or low spin. Good te hear you didn't have a problem so far!
This comment is really only for those who have dryers.
If you do have a dryer, Dryel sheets in the bag that comes with them is a wonderful alternative for dry clean only items including many that are lined ( I have even used with items with a leather trim although use your judgement). You can order Dryel though Amazon.
I also use the ‘ steam fresh cycle’ for all my sweaters at the end of the season.
I spilled a bit of sauce on an fluffy Isabel Marant sweater the other evening. I spot cleaned with a bit of club soda on a rag and popped it into dryer on steam clean with a bath towel ( using bath towels in dryer helps keep from excessive, or any!,wrinkling).
And for jeans, or nice sweats or leggings, that have stretched out in the bottom or knees but otherwise don’t need a wash, I spray those areas with plain water and pop them in the dryer with a bath towel and voila - back to their proper shape.
Someone else sent me a DM asking about Dryel sheets, but since I have no experience with them, I couldn't comment. I'm glad that they work for you so well!
And another caveat besides the worthless stain remover thingy - I don’t wear a lot of silk, or silky stuff so not much experience with Dryel there. I mostly use it with lined wool or cashmere skirts and jackets and knits.
This is so helpful! I’ll definitely bookmark this one. What about polyester pleated pieces like Pleats Please… so far, I’ve hand washed mine, but I’m wondering if gentle machine wash would be ok?
I've followed the care tag instructions on my Pleats Please pieces: mine say to wash them inside a mesh bag and to use the permanent press cycle (the one with the bar underneath the tub symbol), and dry flat. So far everything has come out of the wash looking great!
Thanks, Tiia!
I have washed mine in mesh bags in hand wash cycle and dried flat. They look great. But now I am curious if perm press might be better? Laundering these pieces is so easy, it makes me love them more ♥️
Yeah, sounds like I've been doing it the hard way. Thanks for the feedback!
I've used the permanent press cycle just because it says it on the label, but good to know that the hand wash cycle also works!
Tiia, this is great! Clarified so many things I had not understood previously!! Thank you!
And of course, with more knowledge, more questions! You sent me down an Amazon rabbit hole looking for gall soap! Is it basically palm oil soap? Looking at this Sonett Organic Traditional Stain Removers Gall Soap https://a.co/d/0vlgxk9
and Buncha Farmers All Natural 100% Biodegradable Environmentally Friendly Stain Remover Stick (Made in Canada) https://a.co/d/j3NrK0h. Are they same? And can you use it on the stain and then throw it in the washing machine? I am now using this spray: Puracy Laundry Stain Remover Refill - Perfect Laundry, Pure Ingredients - with 6 SuperPlant Enzymes for Easy Removal of Fresh and Set-In Clothing Stains, 98.95% from Mother Nature, 48 Oz https://a.co/d/0Vw7fTZ. But it does not get out ink stains and “laundry bleed” stains.
Also, I need your candid assessment of steaming. I am on my second steamer and find them to be nearly useless. When I am done the garment still looks wrinkly or not quite there and for 5 min more I could have ironed which I hate. Am I doing something wrong or is steaming just for “freshening up” something that has already been dry cieaned or ironed?
Last question, “laundry bleed”... I was colors separately and mostly in cold but occasionally there is bleed. How do you get those stains out?
🙏🏻😍
Gall soap is usually manufactured with palm oil soap or coconut oil soap as a base, but they have bovine gall (aka fel bovinum) in them -- hence the name 'gall soap'. The Sonett gall soap is the real deal. You put it on the stain and then throw it in the washing machine. When using it for the first time, it's a good idea to check how the fabric reacts first (somewhere where it's not noticeable). Gall soap is potent stuff and it can remove dye from delicate fabrics. I use it on silk blouses though, and they always come out fine!
Re: laundry bleed -- usually colors bleed if the washing temperature is wrong or if some part of the garment is over-dyed or dyed incorrectly by the manufacturer. Some vintage cottons might bleed if washed at a cool temperature -- the dye fixing agents used back in the day require a hot water temperature to keep the dye in place. I try to tackle color bleeding by soaking rather than treating the bleed like a stain, and a longer soak with a good regular detergent typically solves the problem. Be prepared to rinse a lot! I'd definitely try gall soap, too.
Re: steamers -- I haven't found a steamer I'm happy with. I've tried heavy-duty professional ones too and I don't like them either. The end result is just never quite crispy or neat enough for me. I don't think you're doing anything wrong; you just have higher standards like I do! So yeah, my opinion is that steamers are basically just for freshening up the garments, or getting rid of the most offensive wrinkles.
Thank you Tiia! So helpful! 🙏🏻Can’t wait to try the gall soap!
This was extremely helpful!! I’m looking forward to more in this laundry series
What a wonderful and useful article! It reminded me of Cheryl Mendelson's excellent book “Home Comforts” (1999), a comprehensive guide to all sorts of housekeeping tasks. I hand-wash a lot of garments (bras always, sweaters usually), but on your advice—and now that I have a spiffy new washer—I may try machine-washing more items on the delicate cycle.
I'm curious — do you clean most (all?) of your shop's vintage garments before you put them out for sale?
Almost NEVER go to dry cleaner anymore (and I am talking years) unless there is a stain I can’t tackle.
One caveat - the stain remover thingy that comes with the Dryel kit is worthless.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes re: 'dry clean only' & recent clothes. Manufacturers try to avoid taking responsibility for clothes that people don't know how to wash properly, or things that get ruined in the wash, so they put the 'dry clean only' label on clothes even when it's not needed. I get it, but it's really annoying!