Britt asked: How do I get the yellow color out of old satin? I’m trying to get the yellow color out of a satin baptism outfit. What is the best way? The outfit has no stains, but is yellow due to age.
Vintage fabrics tend to yellow with age, often due to exposure to oils in chests, drawers and other storage containers. Removing the yellow takes special care, as these older fabrics are often delicate and require hand washing. Fortunately, there’s a product made just for this purpose.
You Will Need:
- Vintage Textile Soak
- Tub for soaking garment
- Water
- Towels
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Fill a clean tub or bucket with water (enough to submerge the fabric).
- Add 3 tablespoons of Vintage Textile Soak per gallon of water. Stir gently to disburse.
- Place the garment in the mixture and allow it to soak for 4 to 24 hours.
- Remove the item and rinse it thoroughly with clean water.
- Press the excess water out with a dry towel or cloth.
- Lay the item flat on a dry towel, and allow it to air dry.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Before you attempt to remove the yellowing, make sure the satin in clean.
- Check fabrics for colorfastness before soaking.
- Vintage Textile Soak contains sodium perborate. Keep it away from children and pets.
Sandy says
I have closets full of yellow clothes; cigarette smoke is responsible for most of it, I am sure. I stopped working years ago and live in Levi’s and sweatshirts, so the good clothes only get used occasionally. Any ideas of how to get these stains out? It is especially bad where it hangs on the hanger. I have silk blouses, cotton, mixed, jackets, pants dresses etc. I was ill for a couple of years and just didn’t have strength to keep them up, so I am so mad at myself for letting good clothes go to hell. I am talking four closets! Rarely throw away anything as I take care of them, and I’m relatively conservative. I’ve never been one to follow the crowd in styles of the year. I am ill again and will get rid of much of it, but not in this condition. I never see this question in any books so am asking you for help. Thank you.
Annette says
Where can I purchase the vintage textile soak? I live in Richfield, WI.
Melanie says
Annette,
Vintage Textile Soak can be found on Walmart.com and Amazon.com, as well as on their website here. You might also be able to find it in craft stores.
Terry S. says
Can any one tell me how to get pizza sauce out of a pair of baptism/christening ruffled rubber pants? We have a newly adopted 13-year-old daughter whom we just baptized and christened as an infant at our parish and we did a cloth diaper under her baptism outfit with the ruffled rubber pants over it and she sat on pizza sauce at her party.
Melanie says
Terry,
See the reply that I gave to Marjory on the How to Remove Tomato Stains article; she had the same question. Here is the link. Since then, someone else (Linda M.) commented on that article to say they followed the advice I gave Marjory and it worked out! Here is the link to Linda’s comment. Hope you have the same luck!
Margie says
My beautiful beaded satin wedding dress has a brown age stain on the skirt. Cleaners don’t want to take a chance on ruining the beading so how can I clean it for sale? It’s a circ. 1972 gown.
Melanie says
Margie,
The above method should be gentle enough for the beading. Just in case, you can take some close-up photos of the beading before soaking the dress so that the beads can be reattached if any come off. Good luck!
Polly says
Has anyone tried this method on a yellowed satin piece of clothing? I’m trying to wear my 88-year-old grandma’s wedding dress for my wedding in October and I really don’t want to mess it up.
Melanie says
Polly,
It’s always best to test a small hidden area first. You can first test by mixing the solution and applying it to a spot (botton edge maybe) with a cotton swab, waiting a few minutes for it to soak, then rinsing. Let it dry before assessing the results. A second test can be done with a small bowl, just soak an inch of an edge, etc. Good luck!