I have several cotton crocheted doilies and bedspreads from my great grandmother. They were stored in an attic for 40 years and have small dark brownish stains that do not come out in simple handwashing.
There are several things you can try. I would choose one of them only to test these on to see which one works best for you. Find just one and try these solutions to see how it works:
1 part Dawn to 2 parts Peroxide - soak in the solution - rinse and lay flat to dry or hang out in the sun to dry.
Handwash/soak in the sink with Oxi - this one works great too.
Nappy soaker solution is a good cleaner.
Soak in a dilution of 2 parts water to 1 part milk of magnesia, then put into a garment bag and wash on low.
It is expensive, but if you purchase a bottle of Zout and a package of Oxiclean powder, follow the instructions on both and add them together and place the items in the bathtub to soak for several hours, then line dry them in the sun, the stains may come out.
Swish them around periodically (GENTLY). Carefully rinse out all of the soap and water (gently squeeze).
If there are stubborn stains, mix up another batch and this time take a soft bristle tooth brush and rub it into the stains (do not soak). Let the mix sit on the stains for a few hours, then rinse, and again, sun dry
This often works to remove most if not all of the stains. You just have to be so careful since 40 years in storage is bound to have caused dry rot and the threads will be very fragile.
I hope you can restore them!
Post back with updates!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I received a hand-crocheted baby blanket as a gift. Somehow it has this brown spot on it. The blanket itself is white. I'm not sure what this spot is, as it was there when I received it, but I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea how to clean it without ruining the beautiful blanket?
Request:
How does one wash and block a large, hand crocheted tablecloth? It is 100% cotton, #10 bedspread weight. Also, is starching appropriate for this item?
thistleneedle
Answers:
I've made several crocheted tablecloths. I wash them in my washer on gentle cycle using cold water. You need a flat, clean surface that won't be harmed by moisture on which to dry the tablecloth. I use my picnic table. Spread the cloth out and then "pull" the cloth back into shape before it dries. I sort of start in the middle of the cloth and smooth/pull it into shape while working outward. When it's back in shape (square, oval, round, etc.) just let it dry. I don't use starch as I've found it doesn't drape well over the edges of the table. I'd also avoid drying the cloth in direct sunshine. Good luck!
Post by ShellyE (Guest Post)
Sabrina,
If you are afraid to try washing it, take it to your local drycleaner. They have all kinds of things to remove spots. It does help if you know what caused the stain, because they know what things to try first.
I have a crocheted church that is probably 20 years old and is yellowing. How can I clean it without losing the shape?
Since your church undoubtedly has some sort of "stiffener" making it hold its shape it would be difficult to wash and still retain the shape.
I have these 3 beaded crochet works with seed beads. They look very old and one has a large stain. Optimally, I would like to clean all three for uniform white background, no stains, without damaging the beading.
Any good tips?
Perhaps a baking soda paste and rinse? Do you know what they're made of? Sometimes I take such items to my cleaners to ask.
If you are not afraid to damage them, you could try a mix of 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup peroxide and 1 cup warm water and soaking them in it. The challenge is can the threads used for beading stand up to the water. If you are not game to try, it would be best to ask a dry cleaner, but even for small things, it will probably be very costly to clean (at least in my town). Plus they always put a disclaimer on them no guarantee when there are serious stains.
You can do this yourself if you do not have a dry cleaners around you. Here on the islands they do not offer this service so we need to figure a way to do it ourselves. I've had to clean feathers and beaded costumes in the past when the costumes got wet. You will need an old toothbrush, some peroxide, and some water. Mix the peroxide with the water in a small bowl. Dip the toothbrush in the mixture and gently clean the area. You can repeat this as often as necessary to get the stains out and whitten the item. After rinsing it in water if they are beaded like yours. Put them in the sun to dry.
Thank you Poehere,
My town is too small for a drycleaner and I like your idea of the peroxide as I can get that locally, as well as a cleaning brush. I will try this out and post back my results.::smiles::
How can I safely get stains out of a white, 30 year old crocheted baby afghan? They appear to be just yellowing from age.
You can wash as usual, and set out in the sun to dry
I add a bit of baking soda in my wash then sun-dry
Use oxyclean to soak and lift the stains I used it on my lace table cloth and it worked great!!
I would suggest washing it in a large lingerie bag for sure so as to not twist it as the threads may be weakened from age.
Use a gentle or delicate cycle and use plenty of water (full load) so the agitation will not damage the fibers. You can add other light colored items but hot too many - slow gentle swish is what you need.
Use mild soap (Liquid Woolite is good) and add some baking soda. Let soak for several hours (maybe turning machine on once in a while for a couple of minutes). Wash for only a few minutes and double rinse - add a cup of vinegar on second rinse.
Find a nice flat surface where sunshine will be for several hours and shape your afghan so it will dry in the proper shape.
This should work but if any yellow remains just pour water on the spot and let the sunshine (and even dew overnight) do the work for you.
I have had to do this many times over the years and it usually always worked.
Store in a cotton pillow case and never in plastic.
My daughter is expecting twins and would like to use the shawls that her grandmother crocheted for her as a baby. They have yellowed with age and were knitted in what we call Bri-Nylon. Any ideas on how to get back to that lovely white color back?
Rit Dye makes several products for removing color and stains. I have used one called "color remover" or "whitener" (can't remember which) to whiten nylon undergarments that had gotten yellow.
Have you tried vinegar?
I've used color-safe bleach(gentler than regular bleach) with good results. But why not keep that beautiful yellowed color? It's so precious, it says, "this was handed down with love".
How can I remove rust from an afghan?
I would use a cleaner like Oxyclean.
You don't mention the fabric.
I have had some luck getting rust off of cotton with a white vinegar and salt rub. Lay the item on the washer or other clean surface....best if you have a white rag/towel under.
Make a paste with a tablespoon of salt and enough vinegar to make it like grainy frosting and use a clean old toothbrush to gently work it into the stain.
Test on a very small section first!!!!
It usually works.
If it is yarn or polyester, I have had no luck. It seems most successful on old linens. Especially if you sun dry it.
Never put the item in the dryer until the stain is totally gone.
I'd use salt and lemon juice and scrub in circles.
How do I get a dried orange tea stain out of a red and white afghan?
Put some vinegar on it, then pour boiling water over it.
Since you do not state the type of material then you will have to adjust cleaners and temperature of water to fit your material. Some afghan materials cannot take hot water.
This is a lovely top I purchased at a Vinnies store today. It has an unknown stain on it. I have done a quick hand wash to see if it will come out, to no avail.
Any suggestions are welcomed.
Try dish detergent, which is very safe. Be careful if you try peroxide, as it might take color out of adjacent areas. See if there's a hidden portion you can test first.
I have my baby dress give to me by my grandma. A friend of her's made it in purple and white from crochet thread. It has yellowed after nearly 60 years. All of my daughters had baby pictures taken in it. I now have a granddaughter. I want her to have her picture taken in it.
I want to clean it. I've found a recipe using Dawn and Biz, which I substituted for Oxiclean. Is this safe or is there something else I should try? Please help!
By Yvonne H. from DFW, TX
OxyClean works wonders. It is an oxygen bleach and will not eat the threads like clorox would. I've used it on many crocheted items
How much Oxyclean would I use with how much water to soak crocheted item?
How can I remove a "rusty" stain, i.e. orangish, from a baby blanket crocheted by my grandmother. I think it is wool. The colors of blanket are bands of pink, blue and white.
How do I remove stains from a 60 year old crocheted baby christening shawl?
By T from Belfast
To answer that, we would need to know the color and what type of yarn. To clean something wool would be much different than if it were of cotton yarn. And if it were white, it would be different than if it were a pale pastel.
However, I would start by soaking in a solution of cool water with some Dawn in it. Swish and squeeze it, and change water if needed until the water is clear. Rinse the same way and lay flat to dry. If it has any color in it or is wool, do not put in the sun. If it is white and has no wool yarn, you could lay flat in the sunlight to dry.
Any additional cleaners used on it would be determined by the type and color of the yarn.
How can I remove wine stains from a really old crocheted table cloth? Grandma made it, probably 60 years ago and it has lain in my aunt's dresser drawer for at least 40 years. I've soaked it regular laundry soap. Now soaking in lemon juice/water. Help!
By Ly
I would try Oxyclean and keep noticing it if it works. If it does remove immediately and rinse because you do not want to keep it longer than necessary in the solution in case it gets damaged If you have followed directions and stain does not disappear in the time stated, then remove and wash. Good luck!
I have some angels that are startched that I've had for awhile and they are very dusty. I tried the can of spray air, but it didn't work. Anyone have a suggestion?
By Julie G.
