Washing 30s lace dress

[violentpink]

I have a lovely 30s dress that's in great shape except for a few stains (most notably the spot at the front and under the arms, but some faint others throughout.) In my last thread, I inquired about washing cotton Edwardian stuff and had success with a total of around 7-8 pieces. I soaked and hand washed them with Orvus soap and Oxiclean. I definitely have a routine down and this dress seems like it may benefit from a similar wash, but I haven't tried anything that's full-on lace yet. It feels stiff and sturdy in a good way and I'm sure it's probably cotton. The body of the dress has different lace than the collar, sleeves, and bottom skirt (all of those are the same lace) and I have a tiny concern that one of the laces could shrink or something. I'm pretty confident to wash it but I thought I'd ask here first. It also has a matching belt with the same lace as the body that I could wash first to test out, but it has a celluloid buckle - should I remove that before washing? Let me know what you think.

 

[bycinbyhand]

Oh, that's gorgeous. I would definitely give it a soak in H2O and Orvus. Even treating the stains on their own and soaking in water would pull a lot of age and soiling out of it. And, yes, I'd remove the buckle before cleaning.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

keep in mind that if your lace is "stiff and sturdy" that washing it may well make the lace soft and pliable. Sizing was used to help fabrics hold and keep shape, but it does wash out.

 

[Jonathan]

The only thing I would be worried about is that stain is large, dark, and set. It looks like it might be an old sugar stain (oxidized champagne most likely), and they don't like being removed. As is, it is distracting, and you may lighten it, but I'm not sure that will come out with oxyclean - it may, but I wouldn't hold my breath. You may need a plan B, like a white floral corsage...

 

[violentpink]

Thanks everyone!!! I haven't washed it yet but will update when I do. I hadn't considered the lace could get softer after washing - I actually think it might look a bit better when worn if it does. I won't be too disappointed if the stain doesn't come out because it's pretty easy to cover with a necklace. I wore it out and took photos in it yesterday wearing one and it worked out great. A floral corsage or a brooch would be cute too if I end up wanting something more stationary.

 

[violentpink]

Sorry it's been so long since an update, my life has been all over the place. But I did wash and soak the dress and it looks so much better! Overall it's brighter and the stains are about 85% gone...I think I could pull off wearing it without a necklace or anything covering the main stain. I didn't notice any changes with the feel of the dress afterwards and I ended up using a bit of OxiClean when soaking. I forgot to take photos before storing it but here's one I took of myself before I washed it so you can see how pretty the skirt looks with some movement!

 

[Pinkcoke]

What a great photo! I love how you got the light to shine through the lace at the hem.

 

[Kevin Miller]

Wow! This photo is stunning! Anyway, where did you take this spot? Haha... I would also prefer you H2O and Orvus soak. It should do the trick! But also take a note that every item wears and you can't expect to be in perfect shape as it was in the beginning!

 

[Midge]

Wow, it looks great!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Lovely dress....the stains may well come out altogether the 2nd time around in the wash.