08/Oct/2009
Care and Preservation of Heirloom Linens
By
Elizabeth Libbers
Heirlooms By
Elizabeth
The family was preparing to baptize another baby, and all
the other babies in the family had been christened in the same family
heirloom dress. The family’s home had been under water, but when the
waters receded, the dress was miraculously found. It had oil and
who-knows-what on it, and parts of it had turned pink
.
The woman took the dress to
Dee
at Rome Cleaners to get the stains out of the fabric.
Dee
sent her customer to me to work on getting the stains out of the lace.
The woman’s mother had embroidered this
dress, and that made it even more of a keepsake. Fortunately, I was able
to replace the lace and make needed repairs, and she was very pleased.
In the case of this dress, the lady had taken good care of
the garment, but nature turned against her. In most cases, if a garment
is put away properly, it can be taken out of storage and used just as it is with
no problem.
Here are a few tips for preserving heirloom linens:
-
Always clean an heirloom garment before it is stored.
-
Pre-treat any spots with a non-bleach spray like Shout or Oxiclean. If you are afraid of a commercial spot remover, blot lemon juice with a cotton ball and lay the garment on a white towel in the sun to naturally bleach away the stain.
-
Hand-wash the dress in a mild baby detergent like Dreft or Ivory Snow, barely squishing the dress in the suds .Do not put a strain on the fabric by rubbing hard or twisting. Some fabrics are very delicate and cannot tolerate this kind of abuse.
-
To clean delicate fabric you need to get someone to help you. First place the garment on a white towel and together, hold the dress under the bathtub faucet while barely running the cold water over it.
-
Be sure to rinse the dress until all of the soap comes out.
-
Place the dress on a dry white bath towel and lay it out flat to dry. I usually lay out clothing on my kitchen counter and turn on the ceiling fan. It is usually dry in about an hour.
-
When the garment is completely dry, it can be wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and stored in a drawer that is mold and pest free. Do not put up clothing with starch because bugs, like earwigs, love to feed on starch and they can make holes and ruin a garment. (Acid-free tissue can be found online at a place such as www.marthapullen.com )
-
Natural fibers have to breathe. Do not store them in plastic or they will yellow.
The lady’s dress was restored, but she had to have a new
slip made. She had all of the names and dates of the children who wore
the dress hand embroidered on it.
This
made the slip a very special record of all the children her mother had lovingly
sewn for in the family.
Being able to help people like this makes me very happy
because I know I have made them happy.
Editor’s Note:
For
more information on storing or restoring heirlooms call
Elizabeth
Libbers at 769-2397.
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