Cleaning Delicate Clothes

Tip: Leather Gloves Cleaning
To clean your leather gloves, slip them onto your hands, then wash with cold water and mild soap. Air dry flat. You could also use either saddle soap or Murphy´s Oil Soap to clean up dirty leather.

Tip: Unshrink a Sweater
There is no guaranteed way to unshrink a sweater, but I have a few ideas for you to try. 1) Soak the sweater in hair conditioner and water solution, and pull gently to reshape, lay flat to dry. 2) Dissolve one ounce of borax in a couple of tablespoons of hot water, add the mixture to a gallon of warm water, immerse the garment. Pull the sweater gently into shape, and rinse in a gallon of warm water to which you have added 2 tablespoons of vinegar. 3) Dissolve two cups of non-iodized salt in enough hot water to cover the garment. Let cool, and leave the sweater to soak in it for three hours. Wash it in mild suds, rinse three times, roll the sweater in towels, then reshape and let dry.

Tip: Baseball Cap Cleaning
To clean a baseball cap, you can purchase a commercial product designed specifically for this purpose. It is a basket shaped to hold the cap and you wash it in the dishwasher. Or, you can scrub the cap with hair shampoo using a small brush to remove stains. If the cap is dirty all over, you can wash them in a washing machine. Spray any dirty areas with a prewash spray, wash in cold water, and hang over a large jar or similar object to dry to allow them to retain their shape.

Tip: Bathing Suits
Hand wash the bathing suit daily in lukewarm water and color safe bleach and then air dry. If it starts to get discolored, try soaking it in lukewarm water and color safe bleach for 24 hours, then rinse with vinegar and water, using one tablespoon of vinegar to one quart of water, or soak in a solution of Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate, which uses Bubble Up Technology to permanently remove stains and odors. To prevent the colors in a bathing suit from bleeding, hand wash it in cold water and air dry. You can try to set the color by soaking the bathing suit for an hour in a mix of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 gallon of water. If the rinse water shows color after an hour, repeat the process. Use this technique only for single-colored items, because multi-colored items may bleed into each other.

Tip: School Jackets with Vinyl Sleeves
You should be able to wash the jacket in the washing machine (check the labels to make sure). I would recommend turning it inside out first, and using cold water. I would not recommend drying it in the dryer however, as the heat may cause the vinyl to melt. If your dryer has an “Air Dry” or “Fluff” setting, this should be OK, since these settings don´t use heat, but I would suggest hanging it to dry, just to be on the safe side.

Tip: Rayon Cleaning
Rayon garments generally need to be either dry-cleaned or washed by hand. If you chose to hand wash, use lukewarm water and gentle detergent. If the item is labeled “Machine Washable” use warm water, the gentle cycle, and a gentle detergent. Drip dry. Iron rayon on the medium setting while the fabric is damp.

Tip: Viscose Care and Cleaning
Viscose is generally a dry-clean only fabric, but check the label to be sure. If the label says that you can hand wash, be sure to use gentle detergent, and lukewarm water, and do not dry in the dryer, but hang to dry and iron when it is still damp.

Tip: Feather Trim Cleaning
To clean feather trim, you will not be able to get the feathers wet, as this will damage them. First, I would recommend checking the label, and it likely recommends dry clean only. You should be able to spot clean the rest of the shirt by hand being careful not to get the feathers wet. You could also try the at-home dry cleaning products now available, although they are usually best only for freshening rather than actually cleaning. Or, if you are handy with a needle and thread, you could try removing the feathers, washing the shirt and reattaching the feathers, although this would be a lot more work than taking it to the dry cleaners.

Tip: Leather and Suede Stain Removal
You can spot clean leather or suede by carefully rubbing the soiled area with an artist´s eraser. A stain on leather that won´t brush or wipe off should be taken to a leather cleaner as quickly as possible. Though you can try cleaning it yourself with a leather-cleaning product, you may end up doing more harm than good. You can protect both leather and suede articles by spraying them with a silicone spray that you can purchase at most shoe stores.

Tip: Fur Cleaning
To freshen up your real fur items, rub in cornmeal, then brush it out to remove grime. Unless you wear it daily, you should not have your fur cleaned more than once every two years. The process can be very damaging on the fur.

Tip: Wedding Dress Cleaning
Wedding dress manufacturer´s recommend that wedding dresses be dry cleaned. You may be able to clean it yourself, but you would likely lose some of the lustre. It´s worth the extra money to have the dress professionally cleaned and have wonderful memories for years to come. Also, the cost of cleaning is much cheaper than replacing a ruined dress. Check at local bridal shops in your area to see if they can recommend a cleaner who specializes in bridal gowns. However, if you are willing to take a chance you can gently wash your dress in Woolite in the bathtub then let it air dry. Stuff it with acid-free tissue paper and store it in a 100% cotton garment bag or wrapped in 100% cotton sheets that have been rinsed with distilled water. If you choose to store it in an acid-free cardboard box, you’ll need to change the box every three to five years since cardboard is absorbent and even acid-free boxes can re-acidify over time. Store it in a cool, dry place (so no hot attics or damp basements).

Tip: Suede Clothing Care and Cleaning
To clean suede clothing, if ordinary brushing doesn´t do the trick, try rubbing the spot lightly with an an artist´s eraser or an emery board, then steam over a boiling kettle. A stain on suede that won´t brush or wipe off should be treated by a professional suede cleaner as quickly as possible. Though you can try cleaning it yourself with a suede-cleaning product, you may end up doing more harm than good. You can protect suede by spraying it with a silicone spray that you can purchase at most shoe stores.

Tip: Rayon Tie Cleaning
To clean a rayon tie, use Woolite and cold water. Pre-treat any stains by saturating them with full-strength Woolite and brush lightly with an old soft toothbrush. Add approximately 2 teaspoons of Woolite to 1 quart of cold water and stir. Depending upon the severity of the stain, soak the tie in the Woolite solution for anywhere from 3-30 minutes. Rinse the tie thoroughly with warm water. Roll the tie into a flat square and squeeze the excess water out carefully. Roll the tie back out and hang it to dry. Blot any remaining water from the tie with a clean white cloth. Shape the tie back into its proper shape and continue to shape, if necessary, while the tie is drying. Let the tie dry completely, preferably overnight. When the tie is thoroghly dry, iron it on a warm setting, trying not to iron it too flat. These directions are only for washing rayon, crepe and satin ties. Do not use this cleaning procedure on silk ties.

Tip: Weight Lifting Gloves Care and Cleaning
You can wash your gloves with cold water and a mild soap, then air dry them while they are laying flat. Saddle soap or Murphy´s Oil Soap are also very effective at cleaning leather, and can be used to remain any stains or odors. To keep your gloves soft and pliable, and prevent cracking, you can use a leather conditioner such as Lexol.

Tip: Silk Care and Cleaning
Before washing silk, be sure to check the label for manufacturer´s recommendations. Many silks are machine washable in cold water. Be sure to check for colorfastness before washing, to prevent fading. If it is not colorfast, you will need to have it dry cleaned. If the label says to hand wash, use a protein hair shampoo and don´t twist or pull. Handle the silk gently and hang it to dry. To spot treat stains, use color-safe bleach or a mix of one part hydrogen peroxide and eight parts water.

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