Hand Washing a 1970s Wedding Dress

[BGVintage]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 1970s chiffon wedding dress with an organza lining underneath the chiffon. The dress was stored in a preservation box with tissue paper and brown cardboard. The dress is in great condition but the organza lining absorbed some of the color from the cardboard/ aged darker in areas. I've had luck with removing yellowing and age from wedding dresses, however, I am worried about the organza. I have a strong dislike for this fabric due to its fragility. I'm worried that the organza will start splitting when washing. I also thought about removing the organza since it is only the second layer between the chiffon and lining. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I attached some pictures below. Thanks so much!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi BGVintage, the method to remove the staining will vary depending on the fabric composition: if it's a synthetic organza (likely with '70s) there's one product and a different product if it's a silk organza. You speak of the fragility, but my experience is that it's a strong material unless quite old, which '70s is not. It looks like a cotton voile on my monitor, which should benefit from soaking in an oxygen bleach.

If you're not sure about the fabric I'd start with handwashing in mild detergent, luke warm water and see if that improves it.

 

[Elle Miles]

Hi BGVintage, the method to remove the staining will vary depending on the fabric composition: if it's a synthetic organza (likely with '70s) there's one product and a different product if it's a silk organza. You speak of the fragility, but my experience is that it's a strong material unless quite old, which '70s is not. It looks like a cotton voile on my monitor, which should benefit from soaking in an oxygen bleach.

If you're not sure about the fabric I'd start with handwashing in mild detergent, luke warm water and see if that improves it.

I’ve been wondering about things like this too. Would Shout stain remover spray help with garments like this, do you think?

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I’ve been wondering about things like this too. Would Shout stain remover spray help with garments like this, do you think?

I'm not familiar with that product, it may not be available in my country. As mentioned, start with determining fibre content. The products should list the materials they are suitable for.

In general, I avoid spot removers though, and apply any treatment to the whole garment because sometimes you can cause more problems when trying to remove a stain.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

good morning.

if the dress is stained to the point that it really can't be worn the way it is? then it's easier on the mind to try to clean it.

A couple of summers ago I invested in a hard plastic kiddy pool (not the blow up kind, the kind that can stand up on it's own). I had about 7 stained vintage wedding gowns that I had acquired from a theater group, and they were all beyond wearing the way they were; drycleaners estimated between $50 to $200 per dress to handle them. So, I tried "Retro Clean" in the pool to soak them, and did each one on a bright sun shiny day, continuing to stir them throughout the day. I had a clothes rack that I also took outside, and placed a blue plastic tarp underneath it to protect the hems and trains and for the excess water to run off away from the dresses safely. I was happily surprised at how well it worked!

You can experiment with other cleaning products as well...I remember the stains on one dress didn't come out completely in the first soak, so i made a bath of oxyclean, but (apparenty) some of the little blue granules didn't completely dissolve, and now i have a dress that has a few little blue dots on it, which, is annoying, but it still looks way better than it did before trying anything. So, it depends partly on your expectations, too.

oh, and about using shout? if it's completely wet in a pool/bathtub, I would (I did) spray on some shout, too. It worked well for me, but depending on the fabric, it might just eat right through it...so you might want to try it on a seam allowance or someplace inconspicuous before you try it on the dress itself.

good luck!