Washing vintage housecoat 50's

[vintage_valerie]

Hi Everyone,

I know you should launder your clothes before selling them on ebay, etc. I found this great 50's silk housecoat. I soaked it in water to wash it by hand as it is a gentle garment. I noticed the water turned blue, is it common for vintage items to have color wash out when you launder them? Should they be washed if they are this delicate? Thanks!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

I have often seen the color of the water change when I hand wash an old garment as the dye can run.
I always use cold water and for hand washing I use a product called Eucalan which is very gentle.

 

[retro ruth]

You should assess each garment individually to decide whether or not it can washed. Some are too delicate, others not, and a great many factors come in to deciding, the kind of fabric, the kind of trims, and so on.

Yes, dye running is quite common, and doesn't mean you shouldn't wash it. However it can cause problems if another part of the garment is a different, paler colour, as the colour may 'bleed' from one part to another.

As MJ says, cold water is best for minimising dye-run, with a gentle detergent. Don't leave things to soak if you don't have to, start with a short-wash as that may be enough.

Sometimes modern garments will also have colour bleed, it just depends how 'fast' the dyeing process was.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Don't leave things to soak if you don't have to, start with a short-wash as that may be enough

Ruth has made an excellent point about the "quick wash".

 

[Pinkcoke]

You can also add a dash of white vinegar to the water to minimalise colour run.

 

[vintage_valerie]

Thanks everyone! I'll try the short wash in cold next time ;)