dryclean or okay?

[sal]

I just got a great vintage brown wool overcoat off ebay. the coat arrived today and is in immaculate condition.
My question is do you all take things like this and have them drycleaned before adding to the rest of your wardrobe, or even wearing them?

 

[ButteMT61]

Wool - I would. Might have moth larvae of some sort. Look for a place that knows how to handle vintage items if you can. We have some places like that and we use them for vintage items we really care about. Many modern cleaners just don't have the knowledge and experience to handle such items. Sounds great. Look forward to some pics.

 

[Tomasso]

I would.

 

[dhermann1]

An alternative if you're worried about moths (and you should be) is to stick in the freezer for a couple of months. But I'd dry clean it.

 

[ButteMT61]

An alternative if you're worried about moths (and you should be) is to stick in the freezer for a couple of months. But I'd dry clean it.

I've read that does not work, and who has the time or freezer space?
Take it to a dry-cleaner. It won't smell liked frozen peas when yer done :eeek:

 

[Travis Lee Johnston]

...or frozen fish...

I've taken pricey wool items of varying age and fabric weight to have dry cleaned on numerous occasions, and never had a problem. You may try to find a place where they speak good enough English(unless you're fluent in their language of course) so there's not a posseble communication problem about your coat. But there I go stating the obvious.

 

[PaidInFull24]

I took some of my WW2 wool uniforms to a place that does clothing restoration after fires/floods and they did an incredible job. They were a friend of the family so I'm not sure what a job like that would generally cost, but they made my uniforms look brand new, even the ones that I thought would never clean up. If you don't have access to someone like that, I would think a high-end dry cleaner would do great, someone who had had experience with cleaning vintage fabrics.

 

[Philalethes]

Hi sal,

My opinion differs from the rest of those here: I wouldn't take it to the drycleaner unless you have good reason to believe it is infected (actually see the larve, etc.) This is because over time drycleaning breaks down fabrics and fades colors. Though if you do take it to the drycleaners just once, you probably won't notice a difference.

When I can, I spot clean an item, or if it is a little smelly, I hang it in the sun for a few days. This takes care of most problems.

Good luck,
Philalethes

 

[ButteMT61]

Hi sal,

My opinion differs from the rest of those here: I wouldn't take it to the drycleaner unless you have good reason to believe it is infected (actually see the larve, etc.) This is because over time drycleaning breaks down fabrics and fades colors. Though if you do take it to the drycleaners just once, you probably won't notice a difference.

When I can, I spot clean an item, or if it is a little smelly, I hang it in the sun for a few days. This takes care of most problems.

Good luck,
Philalethes

You make a good point, but I do not think one shot with a qualified cleaner will damage an item in good condition. To me, the risks of moths outweigh that point. Just be careful who you choose to do the cleaning.

 

[sal]

Thanks all
I took it in to the drycleaners this evening. Pick it up on friday. I did not see anything that made me think of moths but did not want it in the closet with the cashmere things, suits etc.