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Fabric ID and cleaning/wrinkle advice

Discussion in 'PUBLIC Vintage Fashion - Ask Questions Get Answers' started by kittenteethvintage, Aug 10, 2020.

  1. kittenteethvintage

    kittenteethvintage VFG Member

    Hello!

    I've got two items that I'm pretty sure are taffeta and need to remove wrinkles from both of them but don't want to destroy the fabric.. I would also like to wash the black circle skirt shown below, but the last (presumed) taffeta item I washed (the wrinkly striped dress in photo) dried with a million wrinkles that took a long time to gently iron into a slightly less wrinkled state. :(

    Does anyone have any amazing tips to 1- wash taffeta without getting it all wrinkly, and 2. get any already occurring wrinkles out?

    I've done a lot of wash-and-see experiments with different materials but given my experience with the striped
    dress I'm pretty hesitant to attempt it with this black skirt. Help!

    I added the second, closer photo in case someone can tell if maybe these are not taffeta and can point me in the right direction?


    20200810_172548 (1).jpg 20200810_172349.jpg
     
    kittenteethvintage, Aug 10, 2020
    #1
  2. denisebrain

    denisebrain VFG Vice President Staff Member VFG Past President

    These are almost certainly both made of acetate taffeta. Some acetate fabrics can be washed better than others, and in my experience, crisp taffeta made of acetate is not washable. I dry clean this fabric because when washed it loses its crisp structure, its glossy appearance, and it can become covered in the tiny wrinkles you are seeing. That said, if dry cleaning hasn't worked on spots, a Hail Mary pass would involve washing. Acetate is extremely heat-sensitive, so if you wash it, always use cool water and no dryer. Ironing can scorch and discolor the fabric, so use a press cloth, lower heat and no steam or water. Good luck with these—they look beautiful!
     
    denisebrain, Aug 10, 2020
    #2
    kittenteethvintage and MagsRags like this.
  3. kittenteethvintage

    kittenteethvintage VFG Member

    Thanks Maggie! That's what I was thinking....tricky material. :/ The striped one needed a cleaning so even with the wrinkles it's better than it was. The black skirt isn't dirty necessarily, just needs a little freshening up. Hopefully I can gently iron it as you described. :)
     
    kittenteethvintage, Aug 11, 2020
    #3
    denisebrain likes this.

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