How to Take Care of Old Fabric

Handling the fabric

• 1

  Plan exactly how you need to handle the fabric. You want to know exactly what you're going to do and how you'll do it before ever touching the fabric.

• 2

  Remove jewelry and roll up your shirtsleeves. If you're wearing a buttoned shirt, put on an apron so that the buttons don't catch on the antique fabric.

• 3

  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling the fabric. Don't use hand sanitizers or lotions since they will leave behind a residue on the fabric.

• 4

  Lay the fabric on a flat surface that's been covered with a dust cloth.

Basic Cleaning of Old Fabric

• 5

  Fill a large plastic bowl or basin with cool water. Add a mild soap to the water, stirring it until the water become soapy.

• 6

  Place the fabric into the water and allow it to soak overnight. Swish the around lightly without rubbing it.

• 7

  Rinse the fabric out three or four times with cool water. Hold the fabric carefully under the water and rinse it out without squeezing.

• 8

  Lay the wet fabric on a thick towel and pat it dry. Keep it out of the sun while allowing it to air dry. Check the fabric over to see if any further cleaning is needed.

Stain Removal on Old Fabrics

• 9

  Dissolve OxiClean or a similar detergent into extremely hot water. Once the detergent is completely dissolved, add cold water to the mix so that it cools.

• 10

  Soak the stained area with the detergent mix for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse the detergent out with cool water.

• 11

  Lay the fabric flat to dry. Check that the stain has been removed. If it remains, repeat the process a second time.