1700s linen with a story (aka PROVENANCE): Part 3

This is the BACK side of Janet’s unlaundered family piece; 1700s handwoven base linen with the addition of 1960s crewelwork

 

At this point, IF there are no additional holes in your piece, and IF colorfastness is not an issue, this is how I would proceed (assuming I’m willing to risk it). Remember, I’m assessing Janet’s piece as if it were my own!

 

1) Stabilize the snag by using a white thread and carefully stitching in an X-shape across the snag (without pulling too tightly); several stitches in one direction /// then in the opposite direction . This is to minimize the risk of the hole getting larger when the fibers are wet.

 

2) Gently vacuum the piece, especially the crewelwork sections, to remove any invisible dirt. It’s best to either lay a piece of screen over the fabric and vacuum through it OR put an old piece of stocking over the vacuum hose to minimize the suction.

 

3) I use Mama’s Miracle Linen Soak as my go-to for vintage linens. (I receive nothing for saying that!) Although the product uses hot water to activate the ingredients, you’ll want to mix up a batch (I recommend mixing enough for a couple of sinks full) then WAIT until the mixture cools completely.

 

4) Once the MMLS is cool, fill your sink about half full with the mixture then gently submerge the linen piece and “swish” it around. (As a secondary precaution, I think I would put a color catcher sheet in the sink as well; Carbona’s Color Grabber is my preference; I don’t get anything for saying that either!) Be sure the piece stays fairly flat and doesn’t fold onto itself; even though it tested as colorfast, you don’t want to risk color touching/rubbing off on the linen. If you see no color run, let the piece soak for 15-20 minutes, checking often to assess for any change in yarn colors (brightening of colors would be a good thing!) and/or lightening of the linen stains (another good thing!). If everything continues to look okay, continue to soak.

Example of water turning brown while soaking dirty linen

If after 20-30 minutes the water has turned dark brown, gently lift the piece out of the sink holding it flat and let the water drip through your fingers for a minute then lay it flat on an old white towel/cloth. (You don’t want any color transfer at this stage, so use only white!) The quicker you remove the water from the piece, the less chance there is of color transfer, so lay a second white cloth on top and gently press out the water one small section at a time, checking often to be sure there is no color bleed. Total honesty: This is the scary part! If colors bleed, you may wish you’d never attempted cleaning. There *may* be a possibility of using a color run remover product to alleviate some of the problem, but I’ve never tried that. Again, I recommend you make your decision based on my original question:  Will it be “the end of the world” if this family piece I may be about to wash gets ruined?

 

If all is well at this point, I suspect the linen will be significantly lighter but still stained. If so, prepare another sink of MMLS and repeat the process. If you’ve experienced no problem with color bleed to this point, the piece should be able to remain in the mixture for several hours if desired; the oxidation stains in the linen will continue to be removed. (The process can be repeated again if necessary.)

 

Once your piece is as clean as possible, drain the sink then fill it with cold water. Swish the linen piece in the water to rinse. Drain and repeat several times until all residue of the MMLS is gone. At that point, lay again on a clean white towel/cloth and press out excess water.

 

Example of the BACK side of a linen piece

 

5) When the piece is damp, prepare to iron. (For important ironing tips, read this.) Lay your piece face down on the ironing board and gently stretch it into shape. At this point you can remove the stitches where you stabilized the snag—or not. With your iron on the wool setting and using a pressing cloth, iron the back side of your piece. This will remove any wrinkles in the linen. Once wrinkles are out, it’s okay to let the piece air dry the last little bit; it’s not necessary to heat until thoroughly dry, although it’s perfectly fine to do so.

 

6) Pat yourself on the back for a job very well done — then send me “after” pics!

 

(Again) Total honesty:  Janet, if you’re reading this and feeling stressed, I absolute get that! It’s a big decision whether or not to attempt cleaning old pieces, especially family pieces with colored threads/yarns. If you feel it’s too risky, another alternative is simply to treasure the piece as it is, stains and all. Perhaps you could have the typed letter printed on archival paper then lay the paper over the circle where cleaning was previously attempted, and frame the entire piece. Not only would you protect the linen from damage, but the story of both your gggggrandmother’s and your mother’s handiwork would be there with it for all to see. That in itself is worth celebrating!

 

I know this is a lot to think about, but I hope it’s been informative and will help you make a thoughtful choice. If anything is confusing, I’ll be happy to try again.

 

I’d love to hear what you decide to do—either way. In fact, I’d love to hear how you make your decision. Weighing the options is an important part of the process.

 

All the best, and good luck!

I touched base with Janet a few months ago while preparing my Letters from Readers series and learned that—as is so often the case—Life happened at her house, and she hasn’t returned her thoughts to this project. Boy, do I understand other things taking priority! All of you do, too, yes?
 
The good news is:  Whenever Janet gets back to this project, she can now make an informed decision about how (or IF) she wants to attempt cleaning her family treasure. If she’s not comfortable with the level of risk involved in wet-cleaning her piece, she also has another option that will allow the piece to be displayed and enjoyed, not tucked away in the proverbial bottom dresser drawer.
 
Janet, if you’re reading this, I wish you the very best as you find balance in your life again. I consider it an honor that you shared your family’s story and linen care questions with me—and allowed me to share them with my readers! I hope you’ll let me know your thought process whenever you have time to think about this again. Are you willing to risk cleaning? Would you rather display the piece and story “as is”?
 

Questions for the rest of you . . .

1. If this were your family piece, what do you think you would you do? Because let’s be honest . . . It’s not your piece, so the risk isn’t the same!
2. Do you think I gave Janet good advice, or did I miss an important consideration?
3. Were you surprised by any of the “steps” in my thought process? Anything you hadn’t considered?

If you have a piece you’ve been wondering about, send your questions (and pics!) my way. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll do everything I can to help you find one.

Related posts:

1700s linen with a story (aka PROVENANCE) 1700s linen with a story (aka PROVENANCE): Part 2 New Gal in Town: Restoration Linen Cleaner has competition! WASHING: How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace