I just adore this little note that a grandmother sent to her granddaughter in 1912 as she is about to enter into marriage. I love that there are multiple misspelled words, and I just love the very last note especially!

 Laundry Advice to a 1912 Bride from her Grandmother

 1.] Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rainwater.

 2.] Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.

 3.] Shave one hole cake lie soap in boilin water.

 4.] Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.

 5.] To make starch stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with boilin water.

 6.] Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then boil. Rub cullord but don’t boil — just rench and starch.

7.] Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.

 8.] Spred tee towels on grass.

 9.] Hang old rags on fence.

 10.] Pour rench water in flower bed.

 11.] Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

 12.] Turn tubs upside down.

 13.] Go put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee — set and rest a spell and count your blessins.

---

Oh goodness, can you imagine if THIS was how we had to do laundry now?! Although as a vintage shop owner, many many of the vintage garments from my shop are hand washed by yours truly and sometimes a few soakings are required! I just can't imagine having to boil water in a kettle and using a broomstick to take out laundry! source: sugarpie farmhouse, photo from flickr

As a general rule of thumb, I hand wash all vintage clothing. Sometimes you can get away with throwing things in the washing machine (after all they did have washing machines as far back as the late 1900s...) but you can never be too careful with your lovely vintage clothes!

Tips on Washing Vintage Clothing



1.] Use WARM water for natural fabrics (such as cotton)

2.] Use COLD water for synthetic fabrics (such as polyester)

3.] Polyester (and poly blend) clothes look better if they are hung to dry. I don't really know why, they just do from my experience.

4.] Make sure the sink is clean before you wash your clothes in it! (I know, this seems obvious...)

5.] COLD water will keep colors from bleeding (if the fabric is colorfast).

6.] Only wash one garment at a time. Even if the colors are similar. It's better to be safe than sorry.

7.] Dissolve detergent in warm/hot water first, then add to your rinse water.

8.] Don't agitate the fabric too much (or at all if you can help it). Usually I sort of just pat and carefully "knead" (sorry, I can't think of a better way to describe it) the fabric. For dresses I will try to flatten it in the tub and gently "pat" the detergent in. If it's a sturdier fabric, I agitate the fabric just a bit.

9.] Rinse vintage garments in cool water. Make sure to rinse them well. You don't want any detergent residue!

10.] If in doubt LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS. I am by no means a professional washer/restorer of vintage clothing, so the more delicate items I let air out instead of risking damaging it forever.

---- More tips on washing and caring for your vintage soon!

Image source: Laundry by Nudonudo

A friend of mine recently purchased a vintage leather handbag from Ebay and wrote to me asking how to get a strong smoke odor out of it. So, I decided to take this opportunity to post a few tips and tricks on how to get smoky smells out of your vintage leather goods.

It is important to note that smoke consists of approximately 4,000 different chemicals in both gaseous and particulate forms which can seep into the pores of your vintage clothes and accessories. If it has set in after years and years, the smoke smell will not magically disappear within a couple days. Some of these may work better than others and some you may have to repeat a couple times.

If in doubt, bring your vintage goods to a professional! Don't forget there are different types of leathers as there are different types of fabrics, use your own best judgement.

TIP #1: Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with newspaper to retain shape. Leather goods should be dried away from heat and sun (if left in the heat it can crack, dry out, and ruin the leather). When leather goods are dry, clean with saddle soap. "Rinse" leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun. (By rinse I mean wipe it throughly clean so there isn't any saddle soap residue, make sure you have also wiped it dry enough to get as much of the moisture out - do not SOAK your leather!)

TIP #2: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and lightly mist the item. Vinegar eliminates odors easily. Use a clean cloth to wipe down the item and set it outside to dry, avoiding direct sunlight.

Tip #3: Clean the outside of the bag with a damp clean cloth. Gently wipe the interior clean as well. Let it air/dry out. Gather some fresh coffee grounds in a cheesecloth bag and leave inside the bag for 24-48 hours. Keep bag in cool and dry place. You can also try this with cat liter.

Tip #4: For a fresh scent (and this is for bags that do not have too strong of an odor or if you just want to "refresh" your bags) after you have done the initial wipe down/air dry... place some citrus peels in a cheesecloth bag and place in your bag (DO NOT ZIP IT UP). Leave for 24-48 hours, but use your own discretion on when to remove the peels. You don't want them to rot!

Tip #5: Use activated charcoal (you can get it at pet stores usually). You can do this in two different ways. You can either put your purse in a box next to a dish of charcoal or you can place the charcoal in your purse (make sure it's IN something, don't let it touch the leather). Activated charcoal is known to absorb carbon particles very effectively. Leave charcoal in bag/box for 24-48 hours.