How to Take Care of Vintage Garments
Monday, March 31, 2025
When you sell vintage clothes on Etsy, it is important that your pieces are well taken care of. You want to make sure that your customers get their orders in pristine condition.
Wash Them Properly
You have to be extra careful when washing vintage pieces. Cotton or polyester vintage garments are the easiest to take care of. You can simply wash them like regular clothes. Other fabrics will require more attention.
If you see a machine-washing instruction on the garment, you have to follow it. If you can’t find one, you can hand wash the garment to make sure there will be no damage while washing it. Be gentle when handwashing the garment. You also have to check whether they are shrinking.
Rules in Hand Washing Vintage Pieces
- Was one garment at a time.
- Fill a deep basin or bathtub generously with lukewarm water.
- Use the gentlest products in cleaning the garments. If you think the garments need more thorough treatment, work up to products that are more alkaline.
- Do not agitate the garment. Just let the garment float and let the solution run through it. You can use a sponge and press the suds through the garment. If the garment is linen or cotton, you can soak it for 15-30 minutes. Never oversoak wool because it will shrink.
- Before rinsing, let water out of the tub. This will leave the soapy garment in the basin or tub. You have to carefully handle the garment when lifting it out.
- In rinsing the garment, you can use a shower head attachment and then spray rinse it moving the folds of the fabric gently. You can also rinse the garment with fresh running water up to 6 times or until the water runs clear. Rinse thoroughly because you don’t want any sort of residue because it will affect its longevity.
- Putting the garment in a spin drier is not recommended. However, if you need to do it, you can put the garment first in a pillowslip then close it up or use a lingerie bag so the fabric can be protected. Don’t include it with other garments especially clothes with hooks. Do not go beyond 400-500 rpm.
- Never tumble dry the garment.
- Hang the garment using a padded hanger. Never pack it for shipping until it’s totally dry – wait for at least 8 hours, more if possible. Never press again before packing the garment.
Properly Store Your Clothes
Vintage garments should be stored properly for them to last long. Before storing them, make sure that they are dust-free and clean.
You have to consider where you store the garments. Avoid plastic because it won’t allow the fabric to breathe. Bags made of fiber are the best ones to use. You can also use acid-free paper.
Another important factor is the kind of hanger you’ll be using. Do not use wire hangers for they can damage and distort the garments. A great choice is a padded hanger because it will help the garments maintain their shape.
You can also place a few bags of lavender to keep pests away from the garments.
Maintenance
We know that garments change over time. Properly maintaining them will increase their longevity. If you notice some damage such as a loose seam or a hole, you have to fix it right away. This will prevent further damage from occurring.
If you’re not that skilled, you can take the garment to a professional.
About Charles Curry
Charles founded his Etsy shop Wall Decal Source in 2012. He opened his decal shop and decided to create a nursery decal for his sisters new baby. Funnily enough he published the decal as an item for sale on his Etsy shop and people really liked it. Well a few years later and his shop has been almost completely taken over by nursery wall decals. He must still be a kid at heart. As Charles tested and tried all sorts of methods to expand his shop he stumbled upon a few simple formulas for consistently growing Etsy sales and views.
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