Growing up I was always under the impression that vintage clothing was very fragile. After 7 years of working in vintage and processing thousands of pieces using a washing machine, I can say that most 20-60 year old items are as sturdy if not sturdier than modern clothes. Let’s see someone try to wash a piece from Zara or Shein in 20 to 30 years. It would be a shame to have someone shy away from buying a vintage piece just because they’re afraid of it being difficult, and then turn to fast fashion as a result. I want to help make vintage clothing more accessible, so I’m sharing my top 10 tips for washing vintage.
Number 1 – Check the Fabric
Fabric dictates a lot about how to treat a garment. Most items made post 1971 will have the fabric or washing instructions noted on the tag, but often we will have to make a relative guess based off the year and feel. Every piece in our store has its actual material or our best guess (“feels like”) noted in the listing for easy reference. Here are the basic washing instructions per fabric type:
- Cotton and cotton blends: machine wash & dryer safe. Any shrinking that would have occurred has likely already happened
- Rayon: wash in cold water and lay flat to dry
- Wool: hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry
- Acetate and Silk: dry clean only
- Nylon, Polyester and Acrylic: machine wash & dryer safe
- Leather: spot clean or professional leather clean only
- Furs: professional dry clean only
Number 2 – Mind the color
Colorfastness can vary in vintage clothing depending on the dye. Here’s a breakdown of my experience washing different colors:
- Blue, Green, Purple, and Black: wash cold, generally doesn’t bleed badly
- White, Grey, and Heather Grey: wash hot (unless it’s a ringer tee or has fabric of a different color on it), then follow that fabric’s color instructions in this list
- Red: extreme color bleed danger; wash on cold
- Yellow, Orange, and Pink: wash in cold to warm water
Number 3 – Isolate your first wash
When you first buy a vintage item you won’t know for sure how the color will hold up in the wash. With older and more delicate pieces without a care tag, you’ll want to test a small hidden area with a wet cloth or cotton swab to check for color transfer. For other mysterious items you can wash them separately, which will let you test their colorfastness without risking your other clothing. After you’ve determined whether or not your piece will color bleed you’ll be able to safely wash it normally with like colors/fabrics.
Number 4 – Shout Color Catching Sheets
Color catchers are little sheets of paper you throw into your laundry load that absorb any dye that bleeds into the water. These are the best insurance policy, especially for your first wash. These are essential for washing reds as they bleed the most.
Number 5 – Regarding Age
While it’s true that some pieces will be too fragile to withstand a washing machine, this is usually visibly evident. A garment should be hand-soaked if it is tattered, has loose seams, or has thin delicate-feeling fabric. If your gut is telling you something shouldn’t be put in the washing machine, listen to it!
Number 6 - Avoid Agitator Rods
This may be unavoidable depending on your washer, but my preferred washing machines for vintage clothing are called impeller washers. Agitator rods (the rod in with propellors on it in the middle of the washing machine) can be a bit rough on clothes as they turn. Instead of an agitator rod, impellers have a rounded mound at the bottom of the washer that is gentler on clothes.
Number 7 – Dry Cleaning Sheets
If you have something that cannot be washed, a fantastic product is the Woolite at home dry cleaning sheets. You can throw up to five of your dry clean items (of similar type) in the dryer with one of these sheets and set it to medium heat for 20 minutes. It’s a great value if you have more than a few pieces to dry clean at once. We use these for acetate, wool, silk, and garments we think will bleed.
Number 8 – Soaking particularly dirty items in OxiClean
Soaking clothing in a mix of Oxi can refresh extremely filthy clothes. If you have a washing machine with a soak setting, place 2-3 scoops of Oxi in the machine before putting your clothes in. You can use a large bucket (ie. the orange Home Depot buckets) to soak your clothing if your washer doesn’t have this feature. Fill the bucket half way with water, and one scoop of Oxi powder. If you’re using the bucket method, you’ll need to stir the water as you add the powder to make sure it dissolves. The length of time you soak it for and the temperature of the water will depend on the item (see tips 1 & 2). After you soak your piece throw it in the wash or hand wash it. Here are my general timing rules for soaking:
- Denim: soak in cold water for 30 minutes to an hour
- Colors: soak for 30 mins in cold water
- Whites: soak in hot water for 30 mins to an hour
Number 9 – Vinegar for fabric softness
The best natural fabric softener is distilled white vinegar. Add a cup of vinegar to the drum during your machine’s rinse cycle. The vinegar’s acidity helps break down the detergents so they wash out of your clothing fully, which leaves them much softer.
Number 10 – Dryer Balls and essential oils
If you have a dryer, you can further soften your clothes by using wool dryer balls. They’re a great alternative to dryer sheets which can cover your clothing in a film of chemicals that make them only appear softer. Dab the dryer balls with an essential oil before tossing them in if you’d like to add a scent to your laundry.
Now that you have some basic care tips under your belt, I hope you can feel more confident incorporating vintage clothing into your everyday wardrobe. If you ever have a question about a piece, please feel free to reach out over email at shop@flyingapplevintage.com or DM us on Instagram @flyingapplevintage.