Cleaning a white linen suit...

[cookie]

I have a couple of Belgian Delaves but I think you are right about the SB.

 

[Feraud]

If your tailor can nail the proportions of the Tropical Worsted it would look amazing!

 

[Feraud]

I just want to make sure that oxiclean is the way to go with vintage linen [huh] I believe I will let the waist out and then submerge the entire suit in the sink for the afternoon..... gulp.

Results?

 

[cookie]

If your tailor can nail the proportions of the Tropical Worsted it would look amazing!

Thanks ...of course I wanted to make a DB like on the left but your suggestion is grand Feraud. Thanks for the pix.

 

[tonyb]

Results?

Yes, please, do tell.

 

[mike]

Yes, please, do tell.

Well I just received the suit yesterday in the mail and it's got an NRA tag!!!! It's my first suit with this tag and it was a surprise when I opened the box! I'm working all weekend so my first day to start the process will be monday. I will take pictures and report back asap! As listed, the suit has multiple types of stains scattered around the entire suit. It might look a bit too lived in to wear to a wedding but it's definitely going to be my default summer suit!

I'm going to be selling my 30's single breasted palm beach natural linen suit as it's just a bit too small for me. It's approximately a 38R.

 

[Miss Sis]

In reply to earlier questions, Yes, Oxiclean will work a treat on the linen suit. It is basically an 'Oxygen Bleach' made for cotton or linen, and will do your suit no harm at all. It does not have actual bleach in it. I would NOT recommend using it on wool or silk. It makes the fibres very brittle and 'crunchy' - not good! Don't use normal bleach. It can have the opposite effect and turn the fabric yellowy.

Make sure you do not use water that is TOO HOT to soak the suit. This sets stains and may shrink your garment. Disolve the Oxiclean well in a small amount of hot water then add cold water to make your mix just warm or tepid. Soak for 24 hours or longer, agitating frequently to make sure all the garment is in the mix. I like to do it in the bath as it gives the garment more room than in a sink or bucket. After the alotted soaking time, take it out, rinse well, ALSO in tepid water, and allow to dry naturally. You may need to repeat a few times but this should really take out almost all the stains, or at least lighten them greatly, making them almost invisable.

When it is clean enough for pressing, press when quite damp then hang on hanger and allow to finish drying. Press again to touch up. Ironing it when too dry is a pain in the backside and you won't get the creases out properly, no matter how hard you try!

I have done this on a man's 30s white linen suit that looked quite clean but the muck that came out of it was amazing. The suit was dazzling afterwards.

Regarding the putting your linens out on grass in the sunshine to get stains out, if you put lemon juice on the stain then lay it on the grass, I believe it has something to do with a reaction to the chlorophyll. My mother does that to get stains out of vintage linens.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

In reply to earlier questions, Yes, Oxiclean will work a treat on the linen suit. It is basically an 'Oxygen Bleach' made for cotton or linen, and will do your suit no harm at all. It does not have actual bleach in it. I would NOT recommend using it on wool or silk. It makes the fibres very brittle and 'crunchy' - not good! Don't use normal bleach. It can have the opposite effect and turn the fabric yellowy.

Make sure you do not use water that is TOO HOT to soak the suit. This sets stains and may shrink your garment. Disolve the Oxiclean well in a small amount of hot water then add cold water to make your mix just warm or tepid. Soak for 24 hours or longer, agitating frequently to make sure all the garment is in the mix. I like to do it in the bath as it gives the garment more room than in a sink or bucket. After the alotted soaking time, take it out, rinse well, ALSO in tepid water, and allow to dry naturally. You may need to repeat a few times but this should really take out almost all the stains, or at least lighten them greatly, making them almost invisable.

When it is clean enough for pressing, press when quite damp then hang on hanger and allow to finish drying. Press again to touch up. Ironing it when too dry is a pain in the backside and you won't get the creases out properly, no matter how hard you try!

I have done this on a man's 30s white linen suit that looked quite clean but the muck that came out of it was amazing. The suit was dazzling afterwards.

Regarding the putting your linens out on grass in the sunshine to get stains out, if you put lemon juice on the stain then lay it on the grass, I believe it has something to do with a reaction to the chlorophyll. My mother does that to get stains out of vintage linens.

I second all of this......and you might have to soak multiple times...depending....but do not apply any sort of heat in the process...it just sets the stains in more.

soak soak soak.....

 

[tonyb]

Well I just received the suit yesterday in the mail and it's got an NRA tag!!!!

So, how's the fit? You did try it on, right?

 

[mike]

So, how's the fit? You did try it on, right?

Yes I did, and it's good!

Hard to see on the ebay pictures, but there's a roped sleevehead.

There are a few minor alterations and mends I need to have done.

It's a bit tight around the stomach. I don't plan on moving any buttons as it's nothing a few weeks of situps won't fix (which I should be doing anyway )

The suit is missing one original external button which I'm not sure what I'm going to do about. There's a somewhat matching replacement button in its place right now.

The trousers are really full cut, I will need to measure across the cuff but they really sell the age of the suit!

 

[tonyb]

That's great, man. If it were mine, I'd be just tickled.

 

[mike]

That's great, man. If it were mine, I'd be just tickled.

Ooooh and I am!

I've actually been watching some tropical-based films as a victory march of sorts

I just recently found out that the 1919 Maurice Tourneur film, Victory was remade in 1930 by William Wellman as Dangerous Paradise! Excellent south seas story and directed by two of my favorite directors!

 

[cookie]

Yes I did, and it's good!

Hard to see on the ebay pictures, but there's a roped sleevehead.

The trousers are really full cut, I will need to measure across the cuff but they really sell the age of the suit!

Roped sleevehead = spalla camicia is the height of fine Neapolitan tailoring. I have a Luciano Barbera DB that has it which was basically hand made. It's a great look.


I have seen another 30s linen suit from that firm somewhere (I think its on the Palm Beach thread) and from the description this is one fine suit....maybe MTM.

 

[tonyb]

Bump!

All right, Mike, here it is Wednesday and you haven't reported back yet.

Seriously, I wanna know how this thing comes out.

 

[tonyb]

Bump, again ...

And now it's Friday and still no word. C'mon, Mike, how's it coming along?

 

[mike]

ooh oh! I'm sorry! I have been off of work all week and don't have internet at home in my new apartment yet! But in my silence, I have indeed been busy! I soaked the suit in the tub starting monday morning. I mixed the oxiclean (actually the rite aid brand cheaper version) around every few hours, never letting it settle on certain parts of the suit for too long. After about 8 to 10 hours, I was not feeling hopeful, taking it out and still seeing certain stains along the shoulder blade and a few other areas that would be hard to hide when worn. But after about 24 hours...... Virtually all of the stains are gone! I let the entire suit dry outside on the line for the day, constantly looking out the window to make sure no one swiped it. Not that anyone would know just what a treasure is hanging out on the clothes line, looking like any innocent odd grouping of white sheets or something!

There were grime/sweat stains around the inside collar area, those are gone. There was a mild soiling on the trousers, on the side of one calf and at about thigh level, those are gone.
There was spotting near the lower lapel area, that is gone.

The main area that didn't come out is along the bottom of the cuffs, that still retains some forgotten dirt of days gone by.

My issue with wearing this to my cousin's wedding is still undecided as there are mends that either have to be done, or were done poorly by someone else that might take away from the slickness of the suit for a daytime (read: well lit) family function.

I noticed that the button stance favors a slightly slimmer build, but if I opted to move the buttons slightly, I could actually balance it by measuring the same distance between one side pocket to the first button and the same on the other side and cheat myself a little extra wiggle room without screwing up the angles and cut.

The suit is now ready to be taken to the tailors perhaps tomorrow at the earliest. I was going to let them do their work first, but I didn't want to pay the tailoring fees if this was going to remain a jackson pollack canvas. lol

 

[tonyb]

The main area that didn't come out is along the bottom of the cuffs, that still retains some forgotten dirt of days gone by.

Do you think it might be even less noticeable if you gave a few more long soaks with the Oxiclean and whatever other cleaning agent you're using?

I ask because I've had seemingly impossible to remove stains all but disappear after repeated soakings. But the stains diminished quite gradually, so gradually that there were moments when I questioned whether they were actually diminishing at all. But they were indeed.

 

[mike]

Do you think it might be even less noticeable if you gave a few more long soaks with the Oxiclean and whatever other cleaning agent you're using?

I ask because I've had seemingly impossible to remove stains all but disappear after repeated soakings. But the stains diminished quite gradually, so gradually that there were moments when I questioned whether they were actually diminishing at all. But they were indeed.

It's possible! I am really amazed at the results. Although, I thought the stain lifting really jumped; 8-12 hours into the process with not much change and then low and behold 24 hours into the process and I've got a sparkling new suit! All I've used is "oxygen clean" or whatever the knock off rite aid brand is calling itself. I think it's already in wearable condition, but I might do another soak or two before wearing it out.

What are you considering soaking?

 

[tonyb]

It's possible! I am really amazed at the results. Although, I thought the stain lifting really jumped; 8-12 hours into the process with not much change and then low and behold 24 hours into the process and I've got a sparkling new suit! All I've used is "oxygen clean" or whatever the knock off rite aid brand is calling itself. I think it's already in wearable condition, but I might do another soak or two before wearing it out.

What are you considering soaking?

I'd considered soaking my brain some more, but my doctor advised against it. Something about elevating serum lipids levels.

A caveat: All I can offer are personal anecdotes and what I've read online, so take that for whatever it's worth. I'd really hate to see what is now a wearable suit be damaged by trying anything else I might suggest.

You've used nothing but the generic version of Oxyclean, right? I'd think that using it in combination with a mild detergent and/or one of those color-safe bleach products might do the trick. It would of course be prudent to test it first on an area that doesn't show, and to use cold water, and to handle the fabric gently (washing by hand only), etc.

 

[mike]

I'd considered soaking my brain some more, but my doctor advised against it. Something about elevating serum lipids levels.

A caveat: All I can offer are personal anecdotes and what I've read online, so take that for whatever it's worth. I'd really hate to see what is now a wearable suit be damaged by trying anything else I might suggest.

You've used nothing but the generic version of Oxyclean, right? I'd think that using it in combination with a mild detergent and/or one of those color-safe bleach products might do the trick. It would of course be prudent to test it first on an area that doesn't show, and to use cold water, and to handle the fabric gently (washing by hand only), etc.

Yes sir! Just a generic Oxiclean that I let brake down in warm water that was then poured in the tub full of cold water for approximately 24 hours. I will take pictures over the next few days as a comparison for the site! I'm mighty pleased so far!