Caring for your clothes can be like caring for kids, or pets, stressful, therapeutic and sometimes fun depending on the situation. Add in that vintage factor and everything is heightened. We talk about this a lot at The Club, fast fashion isn’t as phenomenal as it once was and Tik Tok/social media has really spotlighted this uprising in vintage fashion. Even if you're not on Tik Tok creating these challenges you’ve definitely seen what we're talking about. Y2K is all over social media, and so is the 90s. We mean who doesn’t love those mini dresses with the square neck cuts, or the paisley prints? Who else thinks that Spaghetti straps are gonna make a comeback? Yes, that's the next craze, give it some time but straps are going to make a return. We are already seeing those silk 90s dresses making a splash. It's not surprising that people are moving to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. It's easy to get used to shopping vintage once you’ve learned a few basics, but what about the aftercare? Some items are tough to keep in pristine condition if you don’t know how to properly handle the material. One cycle in the washer and you're screwed. So don’t be that person and keep reading on how to keep your eco-saving finds the best they can be.
There are different levels of vintage, as we all know, but tips for the most fragile and old pieces can still be applied to all clothes. Taking those extra steps now will preserve the clothes.
- Machine washing is not your friend. This seems logical yet nonetheless –– annoying. It's important to keep your fabric as pristine as possible. Silks, Rayon, and Satin are definitely not supposed to be washed in the machine. Hand wash only ladies! Fabrics like the following can be washed but we recommend always reading the label for more info:
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Synthetics
- Spandex
- The Type of Detergent matters! We fully disclose this in our guide about laundry, which you can find here. Use the good stuff if you want your clothes to last. Each time you wash, your clothes become more faded.
- The Dryer is a sin too. Let your clothes air dry overnight if possible, or tumble on air or low heat.
- The Sun is bad. Yes, if it's bad for our skin it's extra bad for our clothes. You want to limit sun exposure. That doesn’t mean stop drying your clothes outside (if you do) or wearing your favorite stark white T once a year. Just be conscientious of your clothes when you are going out.
- Leave hemming, tears, pilling and any major handiwork to the professionals.This might mean shelling out that extra dollar for the occasional drycleaning/seamstress expense.
- Don’t store your clothes in wood or cardboard boxes but wood has acid that eventually will stain your clothes. Luckily you wont need to throw out your dresser. Just line the insides with some acid-free paper to help out.
- Have your Vodka bottle at the ready. There are some garments that just can’t be washed. On the flip side, if your pits are making your non-washables reek, it's ok because a little vodka will do the trick. Seriously just spray it on your clothes and let it dry out. Alcohol will kill the odor!
How to Wash not washer friendly clothes
Anyone seen “Little House on the Prairie?” Probably not, that show is OLD and not unlike your clothes. They didn’t have washer machines back then so you had to get out the bucket and washboard. We don’t recommend the washboard but you will have to get your hands a little wet.
Fill a tub, preferably large enough for the garment to lay flat or mostly flat, with warm to hot water and let the detergent soak through. Then lay clothes and wait for the water to turn yellow. Gently lift clothes out, no wringing and repeat the process until the water is clear. Some say you need to do this 2 times, some say three. Don't do it any more than three times.