Hello tea lovers,
Today we will be looking at the last item on “How to Clean Series” which is how to clean your tea linens. Tea linens are especially delicate and require special care. Especially white and antique linen and lace. Also, if you are fortunate to find a treasured vintage tea towel that is lovely, but has definitely has stains and browned with age this is the post for you. Or if you are like me and seem to stain anything that is white.
There are a lot of methods in keeping these delicate and precious items nice and clean. But from what I research, this is the tried and true way. Try to stay away from any harsh chemicals and stick to only natural at home solutions or gentle detergents.
- Start by cleaning the item as much as you can by doing a light soak. This will remove any light dirt and stains.
- Wring out the article
- On the stove, boil a gallon of water.
- Once the water is boiled, take it to the room where you will be cleaning the cloths. In the tub, but the hot water and oxy clean soap together ( you can basically use any detergent just make sure it is gentle, but there are special ones for the care of vintage material, just do a google search) . carefully put the garment into it. With a long stick or something that won’t be melted in the hot water, gently stir the cloth in the soapy water.
- Allow to soak for several hours or overnight.
- In the morning rinse out the garment and check to see if all the stains have been lifted. If there is still a slight yellowing, refill the bucket with fresh warm water and add a cupful of vinegar, and allow to soak for a few more hours.
- Your linen should look like new.
Try to stay way from the traditional cleaning methods involving lemon, salt, and sunlight. This would work with a garment that is not aged. But antique cloths are especially fragile and require more delicate handling so that permanent yellowing and tearing of the garment doesn’t arise.
Make sure to also avoid using washing and drying machines. Allow your antique linens to air dry, as this will prevent any tearing and holes in the delicate fabric.
I hope these tips will help you in getting stains out of your lovely linens, so that they are always ready for your tea hour.
Keep in mind that if you have a very special piece of antique linen, then do consider having it cleaned professionally. This will help you not ruin any cloths by making a mistake.
Have a great weekend,
Alyssa
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