Best Tips and Practices
Thanks for your interest in Retro Clean! Here are some directions for cleaning your stained textile, whether it be a vintage quilt, linen, dress, or perhaps your favorite shirt with a wine or blood stain. Let's start here to bring it back to it's original beauty!
Test Your Fabric First!
If you haven’t washed your project in the past, it’s best to test for colorfastness prior to getting it wet. Take a Q-tip and dip it in hot water. Lightly rub your colored areas in an inconspicuous spot to see if any color transfers. Repeat, trying different temperatures of water. If even the slightest bit of color transfers, it is not stable and it will most likely bleed when immersed in water. If this is the case, we recommend using a product called Synthrapol which is formulated to remove any excess dye. Once this is done, please continue with the Retro Clean instructions.
Check Metal Features!
If you are dealing with older or vintage clothing, you want to assess any metal clasps, snaps, eyelets, zippers or fabric covered buttons, to see if any rust or deterioration is taking place. Rusting metal does not react well in water and the rust can release into your garment. We mention fabric buttons because often under the fabric cover there is a metal base. Should there be any doubt, we recommend that the metal parts be removed prior to washing or soaking. Now you're ready to proceed. We recommend a 3 part process to get the best results. Start by hand washing your piece to remove any surface dirt, then soak to remove the more stubborn stains, and finally, wash again to remove any residual. For this reason we provide two products which work well together. Here is a more complete explanation.
Let’s use a vintage quilt for an example, although these tips and techniques really apply to almost everything you might find yourself soaking in Retro Clean. The best technique we know of for treating a delicate vintage quilt is as follows:
- Wash your quilt to remove any surface dirt. If it’s large, lay a sheet in your bathtub (to use as a sling…a wet quilt can be heavy, and picking it up may pop some seams), and fill it about a third full. Mix in your laundry powder (Retro Wash is a great, gentle solution as it has no softeners, brighteners, dyes, perfumes, or residuals, yet is very concentrated...only 1 tbsp. for a half tub). Lay your quilt in the tub. Avoid twisting or wringing, but rather push the quilt through the solution. Let it soak for 10 minutes or so, push again, drain, rinse (Retro Wash will rinse clear the first time), then push as much water out of the quilt as possible into the tub. Use the sheet as a sling to lift the quilt out of the tub.
- Move the quilt into a portable container (we use a plastic 16” deep x 21” round tub, the kind you might find at your local Wal-Mart). Add enough Retro Clean solution to immerse the items and let it sit for up to 48 hours. Some of the Retro Clean granules will not release immediately, but will over time. If you're working indoors, you may want to add hot water occasionally. Some people soak smaller pieces in a crock pot set at a ‘keep warm’ setting. When available, it’s best to do this procedure in your backyard in the sunshine to keep the water warm. Make sure your project remains immersed throughout the treatment. Lay a plate on it should it have a tendency to float. It’s important that it remains immersed. When finished, empty the water (Retro Clean is biodegradable and safe for the environment) and return the quilt to the bathtub for the final step.
- Wash the quilt again using Retro Wash to remove any residual. Rinse and push as much water as possible out of the quilt and into the tub. Roll the quilt in some towels and squeeze out any excess water until it is just damp. Finally, lay the quilt on dry towels to dry. If it's sunny, lay a sheet on your grass, lay the quilt on the sheet, and cover with a second sheet to avoid direct contact with the sun or birds and let air dry. Lay weights on the corners to keep it all in place. Avoid hanging damp quilts to avoid undue stress on the seams and fabric. We hope that you will find much success and joy using our Retro Clean products and that you can restore and enjoy the beauty of your vintage items! For further instructions about using Retro Clean products, we recommend that you visit the tutorial on our homepage and view the video which explores a variety of uses of our product. Also, please feel free to call our office if you have any further questions. Happy Restoring!
All the Best!
Retro Clean
P.S. Retro Wash is great for all your hand washing and can also be used in a Standard or HE machine. It is ideal for sensitive skin and many of our customers have switched to using it for their daily washing needs. We’ve made it available in a 3 lb. bag to make it even more economical for daily use.