Cleaning an Art Deco Lame Piano Shawl

E

Elyssia

Registered Guest
Hi Everyone,

I am new and hoping for your experienced assistance. I have been coveting an art deco lame piano shawl for years and finally found one, in poor condition that I would like to salvage for display or wear.

It's gorgeous black and blue with silver and gold lame woven flowers, and blue and black ombre fringe. The real problem is it smells strongly of mildew, so much so that I couldn't display it in my house. There are a few minor mold stains but it's black so they don't matter - I'm mostly concerned about the smell and maybe killing the mildew before it gets worse.

This is a holy grail purchase for me that I was so pleased to rescue so I would love any advice. I once gave a 30s white and gold lame dress to a friend, which became her wedding dress - to my horror she handwashed it beforehand, but nothing went wrong. Would this suffice to attack the mildew? Is there any safe to use cleaner?

I will try to post pics sometime soon. Thanks in advance for all of your help!
 
To kill the mildew, place it in a well sealed plastic bag then freeze it. It needs to freeze quickly and thoroughly. Then you can air it out.

Does it have fringe? If so, I would not get the fringe wet - I ruined a shawl that way myself. Dye run is a real possibility , too.

Hollis
 
Thank you so much! Yes, it has fringe - ombre fringe. How long should I freeze it for? Do I have to be worried about condensation in the bag?

So once the mildew is killed, will airing out get out all of the smell? Or are there other methods of odor removal?
 
For removing smell, the suggestions I've collected are:

1. Airing out - preferably outside but not in the sun.

2. Kitty litter (clean obviously!) or baking soda to absorb the odors. Perhaps packing gently in a box that also contains an open container of baking soda; or wrapping the shawl in cotton fabric to protect it from dust and putting it in a box with kitty litter. I've also heard of people making solutions with baking soda and soaking the material, but then you would be getting your shawl wet.

3. Spraying with vodka. Since there's so much alcohol in vodka, it's not quite like getting the shawl wet with water. It will all evaporate away, taking some of the odor with it. This is especially recommended for stubborn body odor, but I imagine it might work with any odors. I would certainly test this on an hidden patch of your shawl before trying this.

I have some items that I've done ALL of the above to, plus actual laundering (I personally find that laundering is better for removing odors than dry-cleaning, if you can launder a garment) and the odor remains (mothballs are the hardest I find. I hate 'em.) So, no guarantees that you can get rid of everything, but it's definitely worth trying!

Things to avoid:

1. Heat, like driers or irons. This can set the odor. Not to mention be harsh on a fragile fabric.

2. Febreeze and other spray or dab-on odor absorbers. I just find they make things worse in the long run - like they're sitting on the material storing up the odor for inopportune moments... I also don't like the idea of the chemicals on the fabric.

Good luck :)

Jen
 
This is great advice, and not just for piano shawls! I'm taking notes. :)

Good luck with your gorgeous sounding shawl, Elyssia. Looking forward to seeing the pictures of it.

Sarah
 
Thank you all so much. I have to make some room in my freezer and find a nonsnowy time to air the shawl out!

Laughingmagpie, I really appreciate all of your suggestions and advice. I'm actually allergic to perfume and solvents, and I really am glad to have other people suggest not to use febreeze, etc but rather things I can use. I also have a lot of vintage kimono I got in Japan, where mothball smell is rampant - I tried to buy only non-odiferous ones, but when they are 500 yen at the temple market it's hard to pass up.

I will post pics soon, it's sadly in poor condition - there is a rip, but I was so excited I didn't care. It looks like it has been cut in half as it would have originally been square, I think.
 
Originally posted by Elyssia

I will post pics soon, it's sadly in poor condition - there is a rip, but I was so excited I didn't care. It looks like it has been cut in half as it would have originally been square, I think.
Click to expand...

That may be no big deal when creatively gathering it and draping it over something.
 
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