My mother-in-law recently gave me the little white outfit my husband was baptized in as an infant. I want to use it for my newborn son, but it's turned from white to yellow over the years. It's too delicate to just throw in the wash... any tips?? Thank you!!
Have you tried soaking it, rinsing it, blotting it "dry" with a clean fluffy towel then putting it in the sun? The sun is an amazing whitener.
There may be nothing that can be done, some yellowing is perminant. You can try taking it to a cleaners that specializes in antique clothes and wedding dresses. Discuss what can be done before leaving it, they may agree that it is a lost cause and notto waste time/energy on it. They also may have home remedy that thay won't' take resposibility for (in case it doesn't work)
Check the fabric and take it from there.....your local cleaners can help...they will/should let you know what could happen based on the condition of the fabric.
Blessings...
You could try hand washing it with some Oxiclean.
You could try washing it in Ivory Snow. It's a soap and not a detergent.
My mom used oxyclean and soaked mine- it was also 30 yrs old. I would never suggest that for my husband's as it is over 100 years old with handmade lace ....his grandfather first wore it around 1900! Good luck! Hope something works for you!
My baptism dress had spots on it. I was to scared to do it so my mom used hydrogen peroxide and dabbed on the spots they came out! Then she had it dry cleaned. I am not sure for all over but you could try and see how it works.
I have not tried this, BUT I have read that you can buy white dye (RIT brand name I think) and after cleaning the garment, soak it in the white dye. The problem with bleach or even Oxyclean type stuff is that it gets rid of stains, but it can also remove the white dye (the fabric must be dyed white, it is not naturally white) so you can bleach it and bleach it and it will still be yellow, even more yellow!
once you do get it clean, keep it in a chest or something sealed. We have a family bap dress that my grandma made and used for my mother 55 yrs ago and we have all used it including my kiddos, looks as good as it did when she first made it, she keeps it in a cedar chest. That's my only advice=) good luck!
