Silk ? Trousseau from 1940 - How To Clean

Somehow DH and I became the keepers of many items that belonged to our parents. Now that we're getting older, I'm trying to clean out some of them.

I have my MIL's trousseau items. She was married in 1940. Overall, they're in good condition because she wrapped them in fabric and stored them in a closet. However, some of the items have little orange-y specks on them. I'm posting the bloomers that went with a lovely nightgown. They appear to have been custom made.

The fabric is silky. I'm not sure if they're satin or maybe silk charmeuse? The lace is exquisite.

Is there a way to safely clean these items? Any help is appreciated!

Janice

 

That looks permanent.
Soak in Woolite maybe?
I know that soaking in Spic & Span used to work well on clothes too but I would wait for more info here or search out info on this on the net.
NO dryer!!!! Lay out to dry on white thick towel.

 

I'd wait until someone who deals mostly in textiles comes along. I remember my mother using a very pure soap powder - was it Dreft? The trouble with a lot of modern products is they've been chemically changed over the years. Is it silk or is it satin?

I did find this one product online: http://www.vintagetextilesoak.com/

 

Dreft sounds right too.
And also to not be rough with it while wet and drying

 

You want to make sure because some fabrics can't be wet. They get ruined.

 

Indeed!!!!
Sorry I didn't say so!!!
They can just fall apart.

 

Years ago a friend gave me a light blue evening dress that had belonged to her grandmother. It looks like it is from the 1930s. My friend said it had been on somebody's basement floor for a while.

It had some of those rusty types of spots on it. I'm sure they are still there because I was afraid to try anything on it. It is made of a satin-y material, but not exactly satin. The dress is still hanging in a closet somewhere. I probably should store it a box in acid-free paper. But I don't really know what to do with it.

 

Put it in a box because its own weight is probably pulling it apart.

 

Good point! I don't have an appropriate box right now but at least I should get it off the hanger. Will do that tonight.

 

I don't know if the fabric is silk or satin--is there a way to tell? I'm inclined to think silk, but wdik?

I have another similar pair of bloomers (is that what this style is called?), a slip, and a beautiful nightgown with lace that matches the bloomers. The nightgown and slip only have one or 2 specks on them.

I'll wait and see if a textile expert comes along. Thanks everyone for the good information!

 

Wedding dress box maybe, if it's that big that is, but you could add to it.

 

Hi,
Write to the textile experts at the Met Museum in NY. We called them in when I was dealing with the church fire. They gave us such wonderful advise on saving all the silk and other fabric of the church vestments. The gold cope set had 2 thousand red round circles with a saints name and the profile plus the instrument of their torture or death the size of a quarter. It was a beast to clean but we lost the red silk linings, which were shattered but replaced them with new ones. Their experts had no charges for information. Most of the vestments were from the 1910s. We saved 98% of them totally.
greg

 

I am not an expert in materials. I did not read every post.

However my 2 cents:

DO NOT use Woolite. I know we were taught to use it on our better items, but over the years I have heard it is not the best choice. Someone once told me it was petroleum based so I stopped using it years and years ago.

Remember that in the 1930s - 40s, not every one had washers, many many items were washed by hand. A dry cleaners for everyday items would have been too expensive. So whether satin or silk they were once washed, and then probably ironed.

Material does deteriorate over time.

If it were mine, I would consider the bloomers to be in As Is condition, and would probably soak them in a mixture of Borax and water. A small bowl with maybe 1 Tablespoon of Borax dissolved in warm water and let sit for at least a day, and probably more.

If you really care about these, and do not want to chance ruining them. Wait for someone more experienced to answer.

 

Thanks for all the responses! Since I have 2 pairs of bloomers, I think I'll risk washing one. I have some Borax, so I'll try a soak for a day or two.

I'll come back and let everyone know what happened.

 

Borax is old school, and probably what these were designed for. My go-to for really delicate stuff is shampoo. Baby shampoo ought to be OK. If it's safe to put directly on a baby, most textiles will like it OK too.

 

There are acid-free boxes available in different sizes, as well as acid-free tissue, that are meant for storing paper items. I think they should work well for vintage and antique textiles as well.

Brodart sells these things, and there are other companies, too.

 

I have used Vintage Soak quite a bit when dealing with vintage lingerie - love it! I am not telling you to use it until you at least test a spot or two. If you use borax or any other chemical, do not use hot water, but slighty warm and lay items in the water to soak - no rubbing. If they do not fall to pieces when touching the water you are probably good to go. Be Gentle!

 

Silk is a noun; satin is an adjective. From what I can see, your bloomers are silk, and probably not charmeuse. (Charmeuse feels soft -- like a bunny's tummy.)

Some years ago, the expert we are looking for here, told us what made those spots, and I can't remember! However, I do know that my grandmother who actually made such things for her family, used Dreft. Whatever you use, soaking the items, rather than washing them in the usual way, is preferred!

If push comes to shove, and you are fearless, a bit of bleach will remove the stains. I always use it for antique baby clothes.

Oddly enough I remember all my grandmother's soaps: Sweetheart at the bathroom sink, Lifebuoy at the tub (and Ivory for me), Dreft for fine silks and satins, Tide or Ivory Snow at the washer, and her homemade soap (which also floated) at the kitchen sink.

 

Hi, Mansons!

 

Hi, Ascot!
I always referred to these type of bloomers as 'tap pants' or even 'tap shorts' .... but ... I'm not a clothing expert or anything ... It's just what Mother and her sisters called them ... so I follow suit.

Also, I just want to add that chlorine bleach dissolves silk fibers rather quickly (it is one of my destructive methods to figure out the composition of mystery cloth). I do not know if any dilution of bleach is safe for use on silk- you might want to avoid chlorine bleach until you know what type of cloth they are.