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*UPDATED WITH PICS* Help! - Ancient stains on "antique" clothes

jenb_99jenb_99 member
edited April 2014 in May 2014 Moms
Last night my parents gave me a bag of my old baby clothes. They're 32 years old (!!!) and have 32-year-old stains on them. I know it's a long shot and many of those stains are permanent now after sitting in an attic in the Texas heat for 30+ summers, but I'm going to attempt to wash them anyway. Most of the clothes are cotton or cotton-poly blend. I'm thinking I'll try an overnight soak in OxiClean, then a normal hot wash with detergent in the morning.

I can't think of anything more effective or less likely to damage the clothes. Bleach would only make them yellow and brittle. Anybody have any better ideas?

UPDATE: I soaked the dingy, stained clothes in a strong solution of OxiClean and regular detergent overnight (about 8 hours), then finished washing them in hot water with just regular detergent on a gentle cycle this morning. They look like new again! Even acrylic knit and dingy lace came out bright and perfect. Out of about 20 outfits (not all pictured), only 3 came back with any stains remaining. I took those out and rubbed stain stick on the spots so I can soak and wash them again in a few days after the stain stick has a chance to work. If this isn't a testimonial for OxiClean, I dunno what is. Guess I'll be keeping it on hand from now on!


 image

DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in


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Re: *UPDATED WITH PICS* Help! - Ancient stains on "antique" clothes

  • MissLadyTayMissLadyTay member
    Oxyclean is prob the best bet. My MIL gave me a box of MH's baby clothes and after a wash they looked better than I expected! So there is hope. I think clothes were made better back then, better quality, which helps.
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  • CamrynnsMommyCamrynnsMommy member
    Oxyclean and sunning is going to be your best bet.

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  • XathXath member
    Oxyclean for anything "regular." For something delicate (like a communion outfit) try spot cleaning/soaking in distiller water first. And then a very diluted oxy soak if it needs more .
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  • jenb_99jenb_99 member
    Thanks, ladies! OxiClean it is. And thanks for the sun suggestion, @CamrynnsMommy! I keep forgetting about that trick.


     image

    DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
    DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in


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  • jenb_99jenb_99 member
    UPDATE: It worked! Pics in original post.


     image

    DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
    DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in


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  • KBowen715KBowen715 member
    How precious!!!
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  • lauralou3x3lauralou3x3 member
    I'm glad this worked for you! I have a few of my old outfits and they are def dingy. One of them is white and is the outfit my sister and I both wore home from the hospital. It's going to be the same one my girl wears home too. It needs freshened up, it has old formula stains on it.
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  • jenb_99jenb_99 member
    @lauralou3x3 Give OxiClean a shot! It worked amazingly well for me. I'm still shocked.


     image

    DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
    DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in


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  • lauralou3x3lauralou3x3 member
    jenb_99 said:

    @lauralou3x3 Give OxiClean a shot! It worked amazingly well for me. I'm still shocked.

    I will for sure! Thanks!
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  • lauralou3x3lauralou3x3 member
    @jenb_99‌ did you just dilute some in water in the wash and let the outfits soak for awhile before you started it?
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  • jenb_99jenb_99 member
    Yes, I set the washer to hot water and small load (so there would be less water to dilute the product) and let the OxiClean powder and regular detergent (half the amount I typically use for this size load) dissolve before I added the clothes. Then I let it finish filling and agitate for a minute before I stopped it and just let the clothes soak overnight. This morning I turned the setting up to medium load (so there would be enough water to properly rinse the clothes), added the other half of the regular detergent, and finished the wash cycle.

    But it probably would've worked the same if I'd just soaked the clothes overnight in a bucket of hot water and OxiClean with a little laundry detergent, then transferred them to the washer for a normal wash this morning.


     image

    DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
    DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in


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