Everything you need to know about caring for your vintage collection

Oh what a wonderful resource! I very much enjoyed reading it.

My mother gave me some dubbin many years ago for vintage leather (it used to be used regularly in the 40s & 50s and probably even before then). It works particularly well for dry and cracked leathers, shoes, handbags, belts etc. Not for use on suede or nubuck though. It is oil based so any leather that will spoil with a drop of oily liquid is a no go.
 
Your compliment is music to our ears, @Bilal kk ! The VFG offers many amazing resources for Vintage fashion lovers.

Our mission? To be "the leading online resource for vintage fashion - fostering knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of vintage fashion through our international community of members".

And welcome to the VFG forums!
 
so regarding spot cleaning ... I have had good success with that depending on the fabrics of course. Also I'm talking mid century to modern seldom earlier unless it is sturdy colorfast wool. I blot with a clean, white, absorbent cotton cloth and whatever cleaning solution is best suited to the textile. I feather out quite a ways which seriously reduces or eliminates the "ring" issue and I often spot clean in stages letting it dry before the next round. Spot cleaning before laundering makes a big difference for me. Indeed some stains and spots are permanent but some are not. I can sometimes tell by pressing a damp Q-tip to the spot and seeing if it lifts off anything. Fingers crossed, I have never ruined anything with careful spot cleaning but I have saved a number of things. Having said all that I Never spot clean items that are delicate, old, have a pile finish or an "industry" finish, no leather, silks are generally off limits and I always test for dye fastness. I defiantly apply the when in doubt rule.
 
Hi there. I'm new. I already introduced myself.
I am having trouble posting images when I start a new thread. It asks for URL/LINK all.i want is to post an image
 
Retro Ruth said:
aka "A down and dirty guide to care and cleaning for the vintage seller"

Some years back, the wonderful Hollis Jenkins-Evans of Past Perfect Vintage, took the time to share her knowledge on how she cares for her amazing inventory. It began life as a forum workshop, and morphed into an article on the VFG website.

We've given this piece a make-over and made it easier to navigate. There's a wealth of useful information, and I certainly learnt a thing or two.

Take a look and tell us what you think. Did you learn anything new? Let us know in this thread.

Care and Cleaning for the Vintage Seller
Click to expand...
Thanks you Hollis and Ruth, I'm sure I'll be referring to this often for help and guidance.
 
I just reread this whole resource - and I still stand by it!
I would add an option I had not used at the time I wrote this:
If your item is smelly/musty, I have had great success with my local drycleaners who provide an Ozone treatment that did wonders.
No water, no fluid, no handling. They hung my 1920s dresses in a room and did the ozone thing, and the smell was gone!
 
Not sure if this is the place to put this or not, someone please let me know if there's somewhere better. But I wanted to share an experience I had so someone can learn from my mistakes. I've recently had a major issue with excess moisture in the house I'm currently renting. All of the items I have for sale are stored in plastic bins. Unfortunately, a few got mouldy. Some others thankfully did not get mould, but had a terrible acrid chemically stink. After thinking about what they all might have in common, I realized they were all lined with acetate. A bit of googling revealed that acetate can break down under excess heat or moisture and create a bad smell.

Some of the items were worse than others. I washed some and others I sprayed with vinegar, and hung everything to dry and air. Some were quickly restored to normal, others continued with that terrible smell. I hung the worst outside, thinking I would have to discard them, but after hanging for a few days the smell is basically gone, which seems like a miracle given how bad it was.

So I've learned something, and from now on will either avoid items lined in acetate or store them hanging in a closet, which isn't terribly convenient but better than that awful stink. I've also bought silica packs to put in the bins where I store everything else to absorb excess humidity.

Does anyone else have experience of this, or any other tips for dealing with it?
 
Interesting. I haven't noticed that, but will think about it going forward. Most of my stock is stored in cardboard banker-style boxes, which breathe a bit. The moisture level in the room is ;pretty even and that seems to work OK.
 
Yes this house has a particular issue, which is another story in itself. I never noticed it till moving here, so maybe in homes with normal moisture levels it wouldn't happen.
 
I guess the longest would be about a year, maybe. It's been 4 months since I moved to this house and I speculate that's when the problem really began.
 
I have found that moisture doesn't tend to build up in 6 months, but wouldn't leave items in closed plastic bins without airing beyond that. However, you say you have a overly damp home, so moisture absorbers would be critical.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top