3.1 how do I take care of my goth clothes?


General info.: Be gentle with your clothing and it will last longer. This may not always be possible, but the harder you try, the more likely that your clothes will last another night. This means--

Do not

Instead, try to treat your clothes like the valuable possessions they are. This means--

Do


Removing Smells From Clothes
There's a product called Febreeze, made by Procter and Gamble (800-308-EASY) which is available at grocery stores in the US. It neutralizes odors in fabrics and upholstry -- it doesn't cover them up with perfume. It actually removes the smells. It's not expensive, and it can be used on many types of fabric (always test on an inconspicuous spot first tho'). It's excellent for dry-clean-only items that don't need a full cleaning, they just smell smokey or sweaty in a few spots.

From: Thessaly
It definitely does work: we have a leather jacket lying around the house that has an utterly ratty lining in it, which for a while stank of cigarette smoke. I also wore it to clubs a lot. The thing was utterly *stenchful* until she sprayed it with Febreeze a few months ago... while I was on vacation... and now it just smells like a leather jacket.

From: Lady Bathory
Y'know, a 1:3 ratio of vodka:water works just as well. (Seriously! Old theatre trick. Every [costume] shop i've worked in has used it.)


Organizing Your Clothes
From: Artemisia
I recently watched a fashion show called Looking Good, where they had a wardrobe consultant advising on how to organize your wardrobe. Some tips I picked up were:

I'm constantly being surprised at how much nice clothing I have accumulated now, which has just been hidden away by being disorganized!


Care and Feeding of Velvet
Velvet can be a very delicate fabric which requires special care. It is more difficult to care for than an old t-shirt, but it looks so pretty that it's worth it!

Types of velvet: Velvet, velveteen, stretch velvet, panné velvet, and velour are common types of velvets used in clothing. "Velvet" is a fabric with a thick pile (that's the little 'hairs' that stick up, perpendicular from the fabric) that faintly resembles fur. The highest quality of velvet is made of silk -- this can be somewhat hard to find and is always pretty expensive. Most velvets used in ready-to-wear clothing and found in fabric stores are made of rayon or another synthetic blend. Velvet is also made of cotton, which has a more matte look, and it's often heavier and stiffer than rayon or silk velvets. Velvet should be dry cleaned in order to preserve that lush, thick feel of the pile. Some cotton velvet can be machine washed, but check the label first and beware of shrinkage.

"Crushed velvet" is just regular velvet that has been embossed with an irregular, crumpled texture. Crushed velvet should also be dry cleaned. "Burnout" or "devoré" velvet is regular velvet that has had patterns etched into the fabric, which removes part of the velvet's pile.

Velveteen has a much shorter pile, which gives it a dull, soft look, and it is usually made of cotton. Velveteen can sometimes be machine washed (as long as the fabric has been pre-shrunk -- remember, cottons are prone to shrinkage). Dry cleaning is always a safe bet for velveteen.

Stretch velvet and panné velvet are different terms for the same thing. This is a stretchy fabric with a very short pile that often has a shiny, slightly crushed appearance. Panné velvet is sometimes also called "crushed velvet." Stretch velvet is usually made of a synthetic blend fabric and can usually be machine washed.

Velour is another type of stretchy velvet-like fabric with a very short pile, but unlike panné velvet, velour usually has a dull, soft look. Velour is also made of synthetic fabrics and can be machine washed.

How to treat it: Don't press velvet with an iron at all -- you'll crush the nap. If your velvet garment gets wrinkly, you can steam it with a travel steamer or a steam iron held near the item. Or you can invest in a needle board (available at most fabric stores; it will allow you to iron velvet from the backside, thus preserving the nap). Also, it's best not to put starch on velvet, as it can mat down the nap.

If a velvet garment has a "dry clean only" label, your best bet is to have the garment dry cleaned. If you must wash a velvet garment at home, do so in cool water with gentle detergent and lay the garment flat to dry (a big exception is stretch velvet, which can be treated like any delicate washable item).

What to do about unintentionally crushed velvet: If the velvet's pile is crushed down from wear, you can probably revive it. You will need a steam source and a small brush. The best steam source is a travel steamer -- this small appliance is filled with water then turned on, and once the steam starts you can point it directly at the fabric. A steam iron will also work, but you must be careful not to let the iron touch the fabric at all. In a pinch, you can hang a velvet garment in the bathroom and take a really hot shower to steam the velvet. Once the garment is soft and steamy (but not damp), use a small brush (like a nail brush) to gently lift the pile up. Do this very softly and always in brush in the same direction. The whole process should restore the look of the velvet.


Care and Feeding of PVC
The term 'PVC' generally refers to a fabric coated with a plastic on one side. As such, you cannot treat PVC garments like you would a regular t-shirt or jeans. Keep PVC away from direct sources of heat because you can actually melt the plastic. The glossy plastic outside of PVC garments can be gently wiped clean with a damp sponge. If the inside fabric becomes soiled, hand-wash the entire garment carefully in cool or lukewarm water with a gentle laundry detergent. Rinse the garment thoroughly in cool, running water. You cannot put PVC garments in a clothes dryer (although some people do put them in the washing machine). Instead, hang PVC to dry or dry it flat (mesh sweater drying racks are good for this). And *never* iron PVC!


From: Gnat
The best thing that I've found so far is Windex on the outside and Woolite on the inside. That's only if they really need cleaning tho, and a lot of time you can just get away with airing them out. Unless it's been a really busy night of dancing, of course.


From: Kathryn Quinn
Put 'em in the washing machine! Makes them a bit squeakier than usual, but I put my black PVC jeans in a wash on a non-fast colours cycle (40 degrees C) with normal washing stuff (Ariel future colour) and they came out fine -- no disintegration, no melting, just clean trousers.


From: spideygirl
I clean my pants and my boy's catsuit by turning inside out and hand washing in cold water with regular laundry detergent, then rinsing in cold water and hanging to dry. When they are dry, I turn them rightside out and Armour All the outsides (leaving it on overnight before buffing it off). I've been doing it for over a year, and both pieces still look great.


Cleaning Delicate Vintage Garments
From: StrangeGirl
[This method was learned from a museum conservator and vintage clothing collector.] If your garment is cotton (or linen), it can safely be cleaned using this method.

Cleaning vintage clothing using Orvus in an immersive bath

Preparation/warnings/caveats:

Do *not* clean by this method:

This is not recommended for antique woolens, unless you have lots of experience cleaning them. It is, however, a wonderful way to wash modern ones (sweaters, etc.).

Dye fastness

Before cleaning using *any* immersive [2] method, test garment/fabric for dye-fastness if possible. Many vintage outer garments were never intended to be washed at all, and so are not dye-fast. If multiple fabrics or trims were used on the garment, all must be tested. Ideally, you will have large seam allowances to take test bits from, but you may have to make do with tiny clippings.

Materials and equipment needed to test dye fastness:

1) Take a small clipping (ideally, 1"x1", but 1/2"x1" will do) from an unobtrusive area of the fabric (seam allowance, hem, etc.).

2) Place clipping into tea strainer, and immerse strainer in wash bowl until mesh is completely under water. Do not force fabric under water or agitate in any way.

3) Soak for 10 minutes. Note if any dye has leached into the water (it would appear as a little cloud around the sample).

4) Lift the strainer out of the wash water and drain the clipping without squeezing. Immerse strainer in rinse bowl until mesh is completely under water. Do not force fabric under water or agitate in any way.

5) Soak for 10 minutes. Note if any dye has leached into the water (it would appear as a little cloud around the sample).

6) Lift the strainer out of the rinse water and drain the clipping without squeezing.

7) Remove from strainer and place the wet clipping on the paper towel. Note if any dye leaks into the paper towel while it is drying.

8) Repeat with all clippings from the garment you wish to clean.

If any dye leaches out during soaking/rinsing or leaks into the paper towel during drying, the material tested is not dyefast.

If any of the materials used in the garment prove to be non-dyefast, or would fall into one of the non-cleanable categories above, Do Not Clean Using An Immersive Method. You will have unsatisfactory results, and may irreparably damage your garment. Consult an expert, such as a museum textiles conservator. [3]

Cleaning

Materials and equipment:

1) Fill the wash container and mix the Orvus paste into the water. The ratio should be not more than 20:1 water:orvus for very dirty items, but for a tub equation, I usually use 1-2 cups of orvus to a half tub of water for moderate soil. That would work out to about a quarter to half cup orvus to a sinkful of water in a kitchen sink. It should be a fairly mild solution, not very sudsy. For very delicate items, use half what you think you will need and soak twice as long.

2) Place item into the wash water. Do not force fabric under water or agitate in any way.

3) Soak for 10 minutes to 1 hour. If the soil or stain you wish to remove appears to have dissolved, you may remove the item at that time.

4) Remove the item without squeezing, wringing, or twisting. Allow excess water to run into wash container and then transfer to holding container. (You may do this by draining the tub or sink while the item is still in the water if you are using either of these. Be careful that the item does not get pulled into the drain.)

5) Fill the container with rinse water and place item in it. Do not force fabric under water or agitate in any way.

5) Soak for 30 minutes. You may agitate Very Gently for the last minute or so by stirring the rinse water lightly with your hands. Do not squeeze or twist the fabric in any way.

6) Remove the item without squeezing, wringing, or twisting. Allow excess water to run into wash container and then transfer to holding container. If the item was very dirty or contained a great deal of laundry starch, repeat the rinse process until the water is clear.

7) Remove from holding container, and place the wet item on the drying surface. Please do not hang dry anything vintage. Most antique fabric will be weakened or torn by the strain of doing this.

Very delicate items

If you are cleaning something fairly fragile, it helps to have a big piece of laundry netting (such as lingerie and some hamper bags are made of) to lift the item out of the water with. You can also use sport netting or heavy mosquito netting. Tulle is not strong enough for large items. The netting must be very clean and should be a synthetic (inert) fiber.

These instructions are for bathtub washing, but they should be easy to modify.

To do this: The net should be big enough that you can lay it along the bottom of the bath tub while the edges are held down by weights (sewing weights are good) along the top of the tub. Place the net in the water as described above, then the item on top of it. After soaking for the necessary amount of time lift the item out, using the net to support it (like a hammock). Drain the tub and run the rinse. Lay the net containing the item into the rinse water and weight the edges down as before. After the rinse soak, remove as before and lay the item, still on the netting on the designated flat space to dry. This takes the strain off of the delicate fabric and prevents damage caused by the strain of increased weight.

Starching

Not necessary, but a good way to restore antique petticoats to the correct appearance. DO NOT do this with fragile petticoats!!!

Use laundry starch that has no bluing in it. This can usually be found in the laundry section of the supermarket. It may be powdered or liquid. Do not use spray starch.

Immediately after rinsing, remove the item as above and refill the container with warm water. Mix the starch into the water per the instructions on the package (powdered starch should include premixing instructions). Soak the item in the starch mixture for about 10 minutes, then lift out and soak again. Flat dry until damp, then press.

You will then have one very crisp petticoat. To refresh if it gets crumpled, mist lightly with cold water and press on a medium setting (so as not to scorch the starch).

Footnotes

[1] Some very fragile cottons, linens, and laces can actually be cleaned using this method, but it does require some practice and patience to know which ones will withstand cleaning and which will not. The fibres are weakened by age and may be further weakened by water.

[2] Immersive method = soaking, washing, etc. Any method of cleaning that requires that part or all of the garment in question be placed in water, any water solution, or any other chemical solution.

[3] Some museums will offer courses in textile conservation, and these may be less expensive or free if you volunteer to work in the museum.

[4] A wading pool will also serve well, if clean and uncracked.

[5] Like a handkercheif (bowl) or a blouse (sink).

[6] Orvus paste is a gentle cleanser.

[7] A mesh thingie that rests on the edge of one's bathtub for drying sweaters and other hand-washables flat so they don't get stretched out. They can be found in those kitschy home-accessory catalogues that everyone's mom seems to get [ed. note: Target, Lechters, and even some K-Mart stores carry these too].



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