I’ve been thinking about doing this post for a while to combine two ideas in one: how I take care of the majority of my ‘hand wash only’ wardrobe, and to include a Hills Hoist clothes line for all my ex-pat readers.
I’ve ended up with a wardrobe that consists of mainly hand wash only clothes for a couple of reasons. I wear mainly natural fibres like silk, cotton and wool and there is a decent dose of second hand or vintage clothes that simply couldn’t withstand the washing machine.
Of course I use one for everything else but when I do I:
- Only ever wash with cold water
- Use the gentle cycle for everything
- Use the same laundry liquid I would if I was hand washing
- Use a fast/quick/short cycle
To hand wash I’ve been using Martha Gardener County Homestead Wool Mix(affectionately referred to as ‘Martha’ or ‘Martha Gardener’) which Mother Melbourne has been using as long as I can remember. When I first moved to London she even sent me on my way with a bottle. These days there are plenty of alternative natural and gentle detergents and at the moment I’m using these Murchison Hume products from Miles Mason Trading Co.
So some tips for washing vintage:
- If you are unsure then try doing as much research as possible before you wash it yourself. There is loads of info online these days, or you can consult someone like Nicole from Circa Vintage who I’d say is a bit of an expert in this area.
- Always and only ever cold water. Let this be your mantra!
- If you’d like to brighten something or lift a stain you can soak the garment, but you should pay attention to the amount of time you leave it soaking. Check it every couple of hours, particularly if the fabric is delicate.
- Wash the item on its own to prevent colour or dye running.
- Depending on the age and fabric lightly squeeze out the water and drip dry. If you have a nylon dress for example you can wring it dry, if you have a delicate silk slip you’d be a little more gentle. Common sense prevails here!
I also hand wash most silk and cotton items that say ‘dry clean only’ because the fabric is so delicate. I wouldn’t dream of putting them anywhere near the harsh chemicals used and I know plenty of people with horror stories of sending their dedicates off to the dry cleaner and getting something resembling a shadow of what they delivered back.
