How I Clean Vintage Linens [+ A Giveaway]

OK, so what do you do when you love vintage linens like I do, and you discover some at very affordable prices, but they’re stained or discolored?     If you’re like me, I’ve always avoided buying them because history had shown that “just” washing them in the washing machine failed to clean them.

Not so anymore —  I recently discovered a vintage linen cleaner that I have to tell you about.   It works incredibly well.   I even deliberately sought out horribly stained vintage fabrics to show you just how well this product works.

The product, called Retro Clean, is a gentle cleaner that safely removes brown age spots and other stains like water damage, mildew, coffee, tea, blood, wood oil, tobacco, baby formula, and perspiration.

Before I tell you more about it, let me show you some before and after photos:

Pretty incredible, huh.

The product comes packaged in two sizes — a one-pound bag and 4-ounce trial size.   Because it only takes 3-4 tablespoons of the granules in each gallon of warm water, the product is affordable, in my opinion.

The process of cleaning vintage linens takes some time, but it’s pretty simple.    The manufacturer’s instructions are listed below — I’m adding a few things that worked for me, too.

1.  Wash the item(s) in a gentle cleaner.  (Retro Clean recommends Retro Wash.)  Rinse the item in water, but do not dry the item.

2.  Dissolve 3-4 tablespoons of Retro Clean granules in each gallon of warm water.  (I used a large soup pot.)  Make enough solution to adequately immerse the item(s) you want to clean.

3.  Immerse the item in the solution.  Soak for up to 48 hours depending on the degree of staining.

4.  Soak in sunshine, if possible — it helps to keep the water warm and it will help speed up the process.  (Because I tested the product during cool, rainy weather, I did not do this.)

5.  Check and stir periodically, and make sure the item(s) stay immersed.  If they float to the top, add weights to keep the item(s) submerged.  (I used about 4 ceramic bowls.)

6.  After 48 hours, the solution will turn a greyish brown.  Check the linen(s) you’re cleaning.  If all the stains have not been removed to your satisfaction, repeat the above steps.

7.  After the linen has been cleaned, wash it once again in a gentle cleaner and rinse throughly.  (I used Retro Wash, then used my washing machine’s rinse and spin cycle.)

8.  Dry and iron your linen.

Oh, and more testimonials, more “before” and “after” photos and a tutorial are provided on Retro Clean’s website and Facebook page.

Now, for the giveaway.  The owners at Retro Clean graciously agreed to give away 5 packages of Retro Clean to 5 lucky winners.    The winners will be chosen on June 15th and notified via email.  Winners will also be announced via Facebook.

To enter, simply enter using the Gleam form below — choose one or more of the three options below. (Click on the “+1”, then follow the instructions.  Your entry is successful if you see a checkmark after you have completed that entry.)

You are welcome to leave a comment below, too — in fact, I welcome it! — but you must complete the Gleam form in order to enter the contest.

Enter to Win Retro Clean (a Vintage Linen Cleaner)

 [UPDATE:  The winners chosen by the Gleam software are Jaclyn Reynolds, Joanna Reed, Angela Baker, Rita C., Michelle Turecek, and Erin Kaven.) 

Disclosure:

This blog post contains affiliate links.  Also, I did receive a free package of Retro Clean and Retro Wash to test them and blog about them.  Despite that fact, my opinions above are my own and were not swayed due to receipt of the gift.