How to Clean and Store your Vintage Clothing

One of the biggest obstacles I hear from shoppers about buying vintage clothing is their trepidation about cleaning it.  I totally get it.  Why would you want to buy something that you might ruin before you wear it or use it?  My first tip for taking care of your vintage whether you collect vintage personally, have your own collection, or if you sell vintage is to read the care labels on the item. There are charts online that you can reference that have laundering symbols if you can’t identify the symbol on the label. You just have to put in the effort to go online and research.

I realize that not all of us are super well-versed in fabrics and fabric care and that's totally understandable. But there is a wealth of information on the internet and that can give you the answer you are looking for in seconds.  What If you bought an item from another country? If don't speak that language or understand what the label says, I would suggest using Google translate. They have a really handy tool where they ask you for access to your camera and you can take a picture and it will translate it, or you can just type it in and it'll translate it.  Again, super quick information right at your fingertips!

Some other cleaning vintage items tips:

1. Don't leave your items that you took to the dry cleaners sitting in the plastic bag. It is absolutely terrible for your clothes and really bad for the fibers.  Make it a habit of removing the plastic bag once you get home.

2. My suggestion for washing vintage items that don’t have to be dry cleaned is washing them in cold water. You may think the item is extra dirty and will be tempted to use hot water. Don't wash anything in hot water or warm water, and most of all don't put them in the dryer. I highly recommend using eco-friendly laundry products or Woolite. Don't use anything with harsh chemicals.

3. If you're collecting items from the twenties or thirties era that have a lot of beading work, sequins or intricate stitching, using acid free tissue paper might be a good idea to store those items in. You can also use it in vintage purses or vintage shoes, which helps them maintain their shape over time.

4.Using cedar products is a must-have for closets.  It is great for repelling moths, which if you're    like me and you have vintage items in your home and you see a moth in your house, you immediately enter panic mode.  Believe me, your favorite vintage sweater will thank you.

5. Steaming.  Not every item can be steam cleaned.  If it can, one of my best suggestions is, and this is a favorite stylist secret that I learned in the fashion industry is to put a sock over the head of the steamer because a lot of times steamers spit out extra water onto the item you are steaming!  You don't want to get water stains on the new vintage item you just bought.  The sock acts as barrier to absorb that extra water and steam.

6. If you want to clean some leather items whether it is shoes, handbags, wallets, or even belts use a leather conditioner or balm that will clean up the item while still keeping its vintage charm.

I hope these vintage care and storage tips removes any doubt about buying vintage!