Cleaning suggestions for an early 1920s tulle dress?

Adoredvintage

Adoredvintage

Registered Guest
I have been holding off on cleaning some of my older antique items because I'm not as well versed on really old fabrics.

My assumption is that tulle will be ok to soak with Woolite since it's not quite as delicate as silk or crepe. There are some rather oldish stains (not sure if its blood?) on the back of the dress and armpit stains.

Will the white vinegar trick work on 1920s tulle for armpit stains? Are there any precautions I should take prior?

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Have you tried to simply dab with a soft cloth dampened with just water first?

On delicates, I usually try this first just to be sure the fabric will hold up with just water being used.

I now use eucalan soap for my delicate items it's very mild.

I am sure some others will join you here with some tips!
 
I once made the mistake of thinking that '20s tulle was strong enough to be washed - I was very gentle and it ended up in ribbons. We painstakingly pieced it all together but it's no good, the dress was ruined.

Hollis wrote an excellent workshop on cleaning - if you read her reply at # 22, she has good suggestions on washing delicate fabrics. I wish that I had read this before I ruined my '20s tulle dress.
 
Well I decided to just do a quick soak in cool water and just a hint of oxy clean and tried the underarm stain suggestion from another board and it's basically all gone! Hooray!

The BAD news is the blue silk ribbons are no longer blue. The color didn't bleed, it's like it just evaporated or something! What's left is a beautiful pale green which I adore more than the blue. :) The fabric is still very sturdy, but I wasn't able to completely get rid of the stains on the skirt. I was worried about agitating the fabric too much.
 
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