Cleaning body oils from antique linens

9 years ago

Hi - I'm Wendy and new to this forum. Sorry to be asking questions right away before introducing myself!

My mother has some old bed linens that are stained in body oils. Some of them are her grandmother's that were cross-stitched patterned pillowcases.

She knows the stains are body oils too because of how the stain looks.

Is there a way to remove these stains? Some of the linens are white while others are off-white. The pillowcases that were her grandmother's are the white ones. I'm not sure if bleaching would do any good but if she were to bleach them, would the pillowcases that were her grandmother's be ruined? Especially with the age of the thread and all as well as the color?

She also has other linens that have the musty smell - she is currently going through her old linens and getting rid of the good and the bad!

Anyway, is there a way to get rid of the musty smell as well? There again, there are other colors - dark blue, off white, patterned, etc.

Otherwise, is there a way that a professional cleaner could do this?

Thank you so much and if I don't hear from anyone, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I look forward to meeting a lot of you over the time!

Wendy Legeret

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

connie0751
9 years ago
I have really good luck getting out oily stains with Dawn dishwashing liquid. I just rub it in, let it set until next washing or go ahead and wash immediately. I have also heard that peroxide with Dawn does a wonderful job. I think line drying on a very sunny day helps also! Pineterest has alot of wonderful ideas on how to get out stains. Good Luck! And a very merry Christmas to you, also! :-)
camlan
9 years ago
The musty smell can probably be removed with washing.

Bleach is pretty tough on fabric. The older the fabric, the more chance that bleaching can hurt the fabric. Try to avoid using chlorine bleach on delicate fabrics.

There are special cleaners out there for vintage fabrics. But mostly, I use either OxyClean or Clorox 2--both have no chlorine bleach in them. That's for general stains. And Dawn for oily stains.

What I do is soak the item in a dishpan full of warm water and either OxyClean or Dawn. It frequently takes several soakings to completely remove a stain. So I'll start soaking in the morning and change out the water in the evening and let the item soak all night. This could go on for several days.

Unless there's delicate thread work or lace on the linens, I'd start by washing in a machine on the delicate cycle. Or handwashing with a long soak. Then line dry the linens out in the sunshine, as sun is also a good bleaching agent. But do not put the linens in the dryer, as that will only set stains.

If the linens need more help, start soaking them in OxyClean or Dawn. This would be safe even for the colored linens.

If the cross-stitch work is in color, do test the item for colorfastness first. You may have to do only cold water washes/soaks for those items. Chlorine bleach will remove the color from the stitchery, so avoid that.
Related Discussions
Weekly Cleaning of Antique Wood Furniture
Q
Comments (12)
In my opinion your seeing a wax build up. LESS IS BETTER ! There are products in the spray waxes that besides make your furiniture feel "smooth" also break down your finish. Did you ever notice chair arms or the top back of that chair ,it feels sticky ? That's from that chair having been waxed once a week for it's entire life and the oils in our bodies having broken down the finish. When a piece leaves my shop it's "rubbbed" with a 0000 fine steel wool and waxed with a spray wax( we use guardsman ). There is not a special wax to use, but to do it correctly you need to buff it like you would your car. Spray the wax on, rub it in with one rag and then with a dry white t-shirt buff/polish the finish. On a flat surface your shoulder should hurt when your finished. Your creating friction with that dry t-shirt and bringing up or down the sheen based on your desired look. Stay away from all of those "snake oils" . If you have a good finish your really not doing the piece any good by rubbing a paste or liquid on the "top" of that finish. just my 2 cents :)
...See More
How to clean body oils from antique oak
Q
Comments (2)
I never plan to sell it. It's a family piece, and the original finish was removed, alomg with two layers of paint. Plus, it had to have extensive repairs for termite damage. It's just a sentimental piece.
...See More
cleaning old linens
Q
Comments (20)
Lindac: I'm sorry about that. My technical side popped up to have a say, and it isn't very diplomatic. I do agree with you that several frabics, linen in particular, will take a set and hold creases and flat shiny surfaces if dampened and ironed. When my mother laundered her crocheted doilies, she heavily starched those to make the ruffles stand up and the piece to hold its shape. Back when she made those, she used cotton cord/thread. (I had to request her not to starch my hankies, starch only the ones that were to be placed in a suit jacket breast pocket.) And yes, I have ironed a few articles of my own clothing. I avoid it as much as I can [smile]. The use of the term, thermoplastic, has a very specific definition in the business I was in (as applied to materials). I have designed many molded parts in both thermplastic and thermset plastics for a living.
...See More
Cleaning antique dresser drawers?
Q
Comments (3)
I have used Murphys for years with excellent results just make sure not to saturate the wood inisde the drawers wiping with a damp cloth with the solution. Leave open and let the wood dry. I agree that Pledge which is Silicone based is not the best course of action. For your polish on finished wood try something like "Old English" Furniture Polish available in most grocery stores.
...See More
igloochic
9 years ago
I clean all of my white or off white linens with denture cleaner. Drop half a dozen tablets in a sink full of hot water and soak. It removes oil stains very well and does not hurt the material. When wet though, use care in handling by not picking them up with large amounts draping down (ball them up and gently squeeze) so as not to stress the threads if they're very delicate.

Related Stories

TRADITIONAL STYLE Decorating With Antiques: Luxurious Linens

By Mike Dietrich

Bring quality, comfort and a sense of old-world romance to your rooms with vintage tablecloths, sheets, napkins and more

Full Story

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: From Belgium With Love

By Carolyn Reyes

European antiques and crisp linens help these Belgian designers feel at home in their Craftsman house in L.A.

Full Story

By Pauline Warlet

Houzzers from around the world share their tips for transforming housework into child’s play

Full Story

289

TRADITIONAL STYLE Decorating With Antiques: Silver’s Legacy

By Mike Dietrich

Learn how to tell sterling from plate, ways to display pieces and why silver is so darn special to begin with

Full Story

FURNITURE Smart Shopper: How to Judge Antique Furniture Quality

By Fred Albert

Pick the treasures from the trash without expert experience by learning how to evaluate antiques and what questions to ask

Full Story

WOODWORKING How to Clean and Care for Your Butcher Block

By R. Olson Design

Keep butcher block counters and boards looking sharp as a knife — and sanitized for safe food prep — with this advice from a pro woodworker

Full Story

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean and Care for Your Mattress

By Bonnie McCarthy

See what the experts recommend to protect your mattress from dust, moisture and stains

Full Story

130

FUN HOUZZ Everything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey

By Fred Albert

Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5

Full Story

206

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Loving Linen All Over the Home

By Cedar Hill Interiors, LLC

Charmingly rumpled or ironed smooth, these linen finds from napkins to curtains bring casual elegance to rooms

Full Story

REMODELING GUIDES Clean-Burning Woodstoves Ignite a Greener Heating Trend

By Laura Gaskill

No need to rely on oil or gas to heat your home — new woodstove designs burn cleanly and are beautiful to boot

Full Story

Cleaning body oils from antique linens

Comments (3)

connie0751

camlan

Related Discussions

igloochic

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US