Does anyone know how to get musty smells out of vintage clothes. I have a couple of dresses–taffeta I think, though I’m not sure–that have a peculiar musty smell that seems impossible to get out. I’m told that the sharpness of the smell is due to the dyes, but that doesn’t really help me any…
In what sort of condition are the desses? Are they strong at the seams? Is the fabric sturdy? How do you normally clean them?
I work in a museum, and I may be able to help you, but I’ll need you to be as detailed as possible about the condition/strength of the materials.
Thanks for your post, Lissa. The seams and the fabric on both seem very sturdy. Unfortunately I’m not terribly confident about my knowledge of fabric, but I’ll describe the dresses as best I can:
The first dress is a 1950s day dress, navy blue, with a full, New Look skirt. The bodice is not taffeta–it’s some other sort of synthetic; crepe is what I’m thinking. The collar, cuffs, and skirt are of the stiffer, taffeta-like material, printed with white polka dots. There’s a stiff (starched?), rough-weave cotton underskirt sewn in as well, to keep the skirt full.
The second is a 1960s cocktail dress, black, all taffeta, with its own little belt.
I’ve owned these for many years (15+); mostly they hang in my closet because I can’t bear to part with them. I’ve only worn them a few times, and have actually never had them dry cleaned for fear of having them ruined. I’ve simply been careful while wearing them, and aired them out after wearing.
I didn’t notice this weird musty (?) smell until a couple of years ago. I’ve aired them out a couple of times, which usually does the trick, but it doesn’t help.
Thanks for whatever advice you can give!
The boards at www.sensibility.com are a GREAT place to ask.
You could try sealing them in a plastic bag with some cedar chips and letting them “steep” for a while. (You can get them at Lowes.) That would be the most conservative method. Don’t let the chips actually touch the fabric.
I often soak vintage clothes in a solution of water and borax. Drying them properly is the tricky part.
But I use borax for everything except donut sprinkles.
That Febreze spray does wonders.
Well, the only reason I didn’t suggest this is because of the residue the product leaves behind. We don’t use it in the museum because no one knows yet what that residue could do to textiles given enough time. Eventually, it could cause stains, or even damage the textiles.
We always try the most conservative method first, and then, if necessary, move on to other methods.
If the textiles seem sturdy enough, you might try steaming out the stink. Sometimes that works. Just make sure you let it dry thouroughly before storing them again.