cleaning a 50s hand-painted and sequined skirt?

[cloudsofviolet]

Do I need to bring to some sort of specialist?

Or will the freeze method be fine?

 

[retro ruth]

Does it have stains or obvious dirt? Or are you just trying to freshen it up?

 

[anothertimevintageapparel]

I am curious what you mean by "freeze method" ?

 

[cloudsofviolet]

no stains or dirt, just wanna freshen /wash it.

Freeze method: putting it in a freezer to kill moth cycles and germs.

 

[MagsRags]

Freezing can be effective for moths, but only if you drop the temperature rapidly down to zero, and keep it there for at least 72 hours. But most of the painted circle skirts are cotton, and moths primarily go after wool.

 

[retro ruth]

yes freezing doesn't really clean or freshen, but it's excellent for moths. It's always worth doing as a precaution, but as Maggie says, I don't usually bother for cotton.

Do you have a steamer? That's my usual method for freshening anything I don't want to wash, from the wrong side if the surface is fragile. But I should say I've never had a sequined hand-painted 50s skirt. I don't think it would be damaged by steam from the wrong side, but perhaps someone else can comment on that.

And then there is simply airing, hanging outside, will help.

You might like to read this article https://vintagefashionguild.org/care-and-cleaning/part-3-sorting-and-cleaning/

 

[anothertimevintageapparel]

That is what threw me. Freezing is for wool fur etc that could harbor moths or larva.
It wont do anything for cotton.

You could put it in a bag and put in a non heated tumble only dryer for a few minutes to remove dust.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Need to be careful to not melt the sequins with a steamer. From the inside it should be OK, just do one small area to be sure the sequin does not melt.

 

[cloudsofviolet]

thanks all! I will think about what to do. I do love cleaning everything