How do I clean a cream 70 year old crepe christening shawl. It has some light shading stains.
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Old stains may be impossible to remove. After decades, stains may have been set through repeated washing and drying. If your shawl is silk, do not go any further. Washing will be very detrimental to the fabric. If the shawl is cotton & in stable condition, you can wash it by hand very carefully in a mild detergent such as Orvus. Textiles are markedly weaker though when wet and therefore much easier to damage or tear. In some cases, light finger pressure when trying to manipulate or handle a wet historic textile is enough to split the fabric & many textiles also shrink and distort as they dry. For all these reasons, wet cleaning of historic textiles really should only be undertaken by a textiles conservator. Information for the care of vintage textiles:
If you are sure that your Christening shawl is crepe then please, please do some research on how to wash this material before you do any experiments.
Perhaps you have already checked this out, but here are some comments from 'experts' for you to review.
"Most crêpe needs to be dry cleaned and will shrink significantly when washed in a washing machine. In a few cases, crêpe can be washed by hand in cold water and then laid flat to dry."
If you decide to try washing, baby shampoo or Woolite may be the safest solution to use. I have washed a few small crepe items but I laid the item out flat on a counter, slowly poured water that had a very small amount of Woolite over the entire piece and gently rubbed my hands over the item to cover the entire item.
Thankyou for your reply. This garment does not and never had a label. I finally gently washed it in a very gentle skin sensitive wool and silk wash in cold water as I was frightened it might shrink. I laid it out on thick white bath towels over a flat maiden and white towel on top to help soak up the water and dried it naturally in a warm room over 3 days.
Thanks for letting us know how it turned out.
This is good information for someone else who is looking for the same solution.
I'm very glad this ended well for you.
Crepe may be made of silk, wool, or synthetic fibers.
I found How to clean crepe:
www.thelaundress.com/
Crepe and silk
www.thelaundress.com/
1. Perform a water test.
2. Treat stains with Stain Solution or the Wash & Stain Bar.
3. Handwashing is always the safest method for cleaning silk and/or crepe pieces.
Add 2 capfuls or a squirt of Delicate Wash to a washbasin or sink filled with cool water.
4. Submerge the item. Gently agitate with your hands so the piece is sufficiently treated with the soapy mixture.
5. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
6. Rinse your piece with cool water. Gently press the water out, do not wring or overstress the item.
7. Lay your item flat in its natural shape to dry on a drying rack. Do not use a dryer.
8. Most crepe items will be wrinkled after laundering. Steaming will be the best and safest finish, but if you don't have a steamer, you can use the iron by hovering over the item and using the steam setting.
I would take it to a professional. They would tell you if it will fall apart during cleaning. If you want to take a chance, you can clean it yourself with baby shampoo
I've tried a professional they wouldn't touch it because of the beautiful silk tassels. The shawl is crape so I think if I try just a corner, not the tassels, in cold water with baby shampoo.
Thanku for your ideas
I found this: Tips on Cleaning and Storing Vintage Clothing
"Vintage 1940s crepe rayon dresses should be dry cleaned but it is possible to wash these at home provided you have a lot of time on your hands as the garment needs to be stretched and ironed back to it's original shape while it's still very damp."
www.adoredvintage.com/
I think you can gently wash your own by hand in cold water with delicate laundry detergent.
Rinse and allow the shawl to air dry.
Use a cool iron because there is silk embroidery. Iron on the underside of the crepe and place a thin towel between the crepe and iron.
Crepe is a fabric that undergoes a special weaving treatment method to create a unique three-dimensional and rippled texture. blog.treasurie.com/
It seems to me that these are water stains and a wash will help get rid of them. Garments and other textiles made from this fabric are delicate. Therefore, use only hand wash.
If it's greasy stains, add a small amount of Dawn dish soap to the area, rinse then with clean water.
www.hometalk.com/
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