Brightening vintage linens

[sarahperdue]

Hi All,

I've started using my great grandmother's linens and washing them on the hand wash cycle of my Speed Queen. When I pulled them out of storage, I gave them a good long soak in Oxyclean which took most of the brown spots out, but they--especially the towels--still look dingy. How can I brighten them up?

Best,
Sarah

 

[frigilux]

Calling Launderess!

She has a lot of experience with laundering vintage linens. It's at times like this I wish I had a Batmanesque beacon to shine into the night sky, LOL.

 

[whirlcool]

I think our Laundress is over at Daisy's trying to get Daisy, Onslow and Rose to cleanup their lounge. Well you have to start somewhere.

 

[aamassther]

It first and most importantly depends on the fragility of the piecework. If very delicate, conservators use Orvus paste and minimal agitation and water temp.
Most vintage piecework can tolerate more aggressive treatment. Many people have had good luck with using Biz. I prefer to use Shaklee Nature Bright. Though its not as readily available as Biz, you have to order from their website or a distributor. If the linen is white don't be afraid to use hot water and let it soak for a couple of days, changing the solution in between, as oxygen bleach loses its efficacy pretty quickly. I also use two scoops to half a bucket of water. Rinsing is very important. I rinse a couple of times in running water before washing in the washer on delicate with detergent and more Nature Bright, on hot if white. I rinse til clear, at least three or four times. Sometimes I'll put vinegar in the next to last rinse to help remove soap residue.
Never use chlorine bleach on vintage linens, it compromises the integrity of the fabric and can react with the minerals in the water and yellow the fabric.
I try to use a pretty neutral detergent. Meaning, not allot of additives to it. I like Shaklee powder or Cheer powder. Optical brighteners tend to change the hue of vintage linens, so good to limit the amount in your washing solution. Biz has quite a bit added, Nature Bright and Shaklee powders are more limited. Cheer powder has none added.
Line or lay flat to dry. Do not dry in the dryer, ever. I store mine unironed, starch causes yellowing over time. Often the yellow spots we see on vintage linen is starch or food residue that's been redeposited from inadequate rinsing.
Good luck, it's labour intensive, but te results are worth it.
Todd

 

[mikeklondon]

Vintage Linen removing 100 years of old gunk

I have a friend with a vintage linen business who taught me that the most important part of the process is removing the old soap / starch and hard water residues. To do this 1st sock in Luke warm water adding a cup of vinegar and a cup of soda, Next wash at the hottest temperature possible depending on the fabric usually 95c. adding usual powder for whites, but never FS. Then at the end of the cycle reset the machine to a hot wash again but do not add and additives of any kind, you will be surprised at how much old soap ECT. Comes out in the 2nd cycle as soon as the water starts to get above 60c. I would add that this process works best in a FL washer with cold fill. In any machine with a hot fill you run the risk of setting the stain and not removing them. This works for more robust fabric IE bed / table linens but if you need to restore antique lace ECT it’s best to do by hand following a similar process. One last thing NEVER ever use bleach.

 

[westie2]

From Laundress

Here is the thread I finall found they she worte on how to handle stains and dingy linen.  She has lots of old linen and goes in depth on how to clean. 

 

BTW have not seen her posting for awhile.  I hope not ill.

 

CALLING DR. LAUNDRESS!

Dr. Laundress, I need some advice. I have lots of white sheets, kitchen towels and such that need a good bleach wash. My washer is a Miele W1930. Have you ever done a bleach wash in your Miele? The biggest concern I have detergent/bleach ratio and should I use American detergent instead of...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[sarahperdue]

Thanks!

Why not machine dry?

I've already done it to most of them at least once when I washed them last week. I confess that I might continue to do so on the ones that I put into regular rotation.

I'll continue to "baby" some of them, but it finally occurred to me that I could carefully store them for my future daughters in law who could then carefully store them for their daughters...or I could enjoy them daily as my great grandmother intended when she made them.

Sarah

 

[aamassther]

Machine drying can cause premature wear, shrinkage and can permanently set stains not removed the first time.

 

[alr2903]

Sarah, try some of the liquid "Vivid". Some of my family members swear by the stuff. alr2903

 

[whirlpolf]

Nuclear Blanc

hey Sarah,

I hope you can get hold of Euro detergents: Try Nuclear Blanc (made in France)

It is fantastic: When the washer is slowly heating up, several ingredients will activate in succession to wash out old grime and yellowing, then coming to life to whiten the fibres. You just add it to the normal detergent during a regular hot wash (which is some 60° to 95° here, starting up from cold).

Yet I am afraid that with direct-filling (meaning: hot-filling) American washers it might not work. (The direct heat burning those old residues right "into" the fibres for good).

Whatever, getting out the old sunlight yellowing and that "vanilla tint" setting in from leaving them folded in the cupboard for too long, getting out smoke yellowing and all that: Nuclear Blanc does a tremendous job.
(Provided your washer has that rising-heat ramp-up technology, which I do not know.)

The smell is somewhat between pure white soap and oxygen bleach. it will add some "old-style" laundry scent to whatever detergent you have been using. I just love it, cannot recommend it more than all over again.

But good luck with your old linens!
Hope this helps.
Joe

 

[vintagekitchen]

brightening

Though it's still a bit chilly for this to work, let the sun do the hard work for you. Into 3 gallons warm water, mix 1 to 2 cups Oxyclean or other brand oxygen (not chlorine) bleach. Stir in an entire bottle peroxide, and dip in your items. Don't wring them out at all, simply spread them directly on the grass in your lawn, in bright sunshine. Leave the items there until dry, if needed repeat.

The bleaching effect of the sun, combined with the oxygen from the grass and the oxygen from the cleaning mixture should have them bright enough to cause envy from the neighbors.

 

[vintagekitchen]

Prevent yellowing

My grandmother's method was that any item going into long term storage was washed, rinsed, sun dried, no starch used, and as the item was folded it was wrapped in blue tissue paper. The blue tissue paper somehow prevents the items from yellowing in storage, not sure how but it seemed to work.

 

[westingman123]

blue tissue paper

I don't know how it works, but it is GREAT for keeping linens from yellowing. It also keeps mildew away in the more humid circumstances.

Where have you been, vintagekitchen? Glad to see you back.

 

[dj-gabriele]

CIT. "I have a friend with a vintage linen business who taught me that the most important part of the process is removing the old soap / starch and hard water residues. To do this 1st sock in Luke warm water adding a cup of vinegar and a cup of soda, Next wash at the hottest temperature possible depending on the fabric usually 95c. adding usual powder for whites, but never FS. Then at the end of the cycle reset the machine to a hot wash again but do not add and additives of any kind, you will be surprised at how much old soap ECT. Comes out in the 2nd cycle as soon as the water starts to get above 60c. I would add that this process works best in a FL washer with cold fill. In any machine with a hot fill you run the risk of setting the stain and not removing them. This works for more robust fabric IE bed / table linens but if you need to restore antique lace ECT it’s best to do by hand following a similar process. One last thing NEVER ever use bleach."

I TOTALLY SECOND THIS!
We do lots of old linen restorations at the laundry and this is the way to go!
Of course the treatment is to be calibrated to the textile you're facing!

 

[rpms]

What kind of soda baking or washing?

 

[vintagekitchen]

Where have I been..

Oh, round and about, lol. Classes, homework, small to middling social life, occasional family obligations, and did I mention homework? lol..

Should be around much more often now, classes are getting a bit easier.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Good advice here

And where is our dear Laundress?

Laundress, Dear come over for some tea in my new Correll Ware with the. . . ok they have nothing on them. They're white. Not even a Royal mark of any kind.

Laundress come over for a cup of coffee, I have Styrofoam.

Following the advice here, what is the best way to clean old bed linens that have been embroidered. I have no doubt the linens could stand the cleaning, I was wondering about the embroidered items, is the embroidery floss pretty color fast?

 

[vintagekitchen]

Vintage Embroidery

Well, my trick has never cause fading or bleeding to the embroidery on any of my vintage linens, but your mileage may vary. Its impssible to say for sure, since embroidery thread was once a much less specialized product.

If it was especially fine work it could be silk thread, and my methoud would actually run therisk of dissolving the thread itself.

If its basic work, it could be cotton thread, and then your only worry would be bleeding, or fading, unlikely at this late date, but possible.

If its only semi-vintage, it could be polyester/man made product type thread, and basically indestructible.

I would advise you check on a TINY inconspicuous spot, about the size of a dime, and see how it goes, before risking the entire item.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The grass has to be green for whitening to take place and the sun has to be strong. The photosynthesis causes the green leaf to give off oxygen for mild bleaching when in such close contact with the fabric.