Handwashing A Vintage Tie

[happyfilmluvguy]

I'm in a bit of a predicament. After a few blood stains on one of my ties, I took it to the cleaners. Yesterday when it would have been done, they said it seemed too fragile to put through their machine. I have another tie made of silk that spouted some holes after it's visit. So how do you handwash a tie? What do you use? I'm not too sure of the fabric. No label. It's not shiny like silk, though.

 

[Undertow]

Man, he's not just into vintage ties, he's in to vintage gangsters too...

 

[Feraud]

I had success with Oxyclean. There is a thread about it somewhere..

 

[Fletch]

I did some google searching on this topic awhile back. Some non-tie people said don't get OxiClean anywhere near silk, because it's meant to dissolve proteins and silk is a protein. (So's wool.)

IIRC, the Oxi solution recommended here for ties is very dilute. So that may be a mitigating factor.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I wouldn't use Shout - I removed most of the yellow dye from a very nice vintage tie that way.

 

[Fletch]

Actually there are a zillion things you can't use - bleach, hydrochloric acid, sandblasting... What we really need to know is what we can use.

 

[scotrace]

In the same line of thinking - what about pressing it afterward? Hints or tips?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

In the same line of thinking - what about pressing it afterward? Hints or tips?

use an iron? lol

 

[scotrace]

Wiseacre! lol

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Wiseacre! lol

More like Wiseinch....but I take whatever I can get

 

[Feraud]

I used the Oxyclean method on exactly one tie. Dumped a cup full (or so) of the stuff in cold water and tossed the tie in. Agitate occasionally and rinse thoroughly when done.
Before

After

use an iron? lol

schmarty pants.
I pressed the tie with iron on medium heat and a piece of material between the tie and iron.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

How about Woolite? It's been around a long time and it's made to clean wool,...so? [huh]

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

On a related note, I have a wonderful Austrian tie that I got from Marc Chevalier, and the dye from the tie transferred to my shirt. The tie still looks great, the shirt less so. I'd like to wear the tie again, does anyone know how I can avoid this problem?

 

[Jay]

Wear a black shirt?

 

[J. M. Stovall]

On a related note, I have a wonderful Austrian tie that I got from Marc Chevalier, and the dye from the tie transferred to my shirt. The tie still looks great, the shirt less so. I'd like to wear the tie again, does anyone know how I can avoid this problem?

Ah ha! So that's his game! Ruining our vintage wardrobes to make him look even better!

(If this won't make him post I don't know what will?!?)

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Man, he's not just into vintage ties, he's in to vintage gangsters too...

Yes I killed a man, so what.

The cleaners couldn't help me so I knocked them off too.

Wait, did I just confess?

I have to kill you all. Every 5,000 of you up against the wall.

Thank you for the responses. I think it is wool, but it is thin. I think I'll wait until I can show someone the tie. Determine what material it is.

 

[FedoraGent]

My Personal Observations Regarding Handwashing Vintage Ties

Folks,

After going a couple of rounds with this one myself I can finally lend some observations of my own.

1. Woolite is a no no with silk ties, particularly because after you hand wash them, the Woolite tends to loosen up the fibres and then...wham...shattering begins. This is happening on two of my ties.

2. Cold water cleaning is best and even better not to keep them straight. Pin or clothes pin the ties so they lay flat and don't lose their shape. Do not hang the ties as they stretch (Be careful because some vintage ties have this gauze looking material as the soft material in between the front and back of ties) and then it's over...no good can come from this. Instead, air dry them flat on a dry towel. Don't even think about putting them in the dryer, this too will make the tie shatter, especially if you use a fabric softener.

3. Amazingly, ivory soap in VERY gentle rubs and a non abrasive towel or rag helps quite a bit. Magneto and I are going to try the Oxy Clean bit, but I'm a bit skiddish about this one.

4. And now to pressing, we have a vintage GE iron...I don't EVER use it on the ties but if I have to I make sure that it is on a REALLY low setting. The problem with ironing ties is two fold:

a. You run the risk of flattening the tie, if you do...it's good night Mr. Chips.

b. Sometimes, if the iron is too warm/hot, what happens is that you get this really nasty shiny look. I'm not quite sure if that is due to burning the tie or just slightly singeing the tie. Either way it's not a good thing.

c. Magneto believes that if you "need" to iron your tie, place a towel or some fabric over it and lightly iron the fabric but DO NOT PRESS down as you'll flatten said tie.

I am of the theory, and have tried this but once that steaming my tie with my hand steamer helped with the pressing only after the tie was bone dry. This seemed to work, but I can't try it again as in our move I lost the hand steamer.

5. IMPORTANT: Don't try to wash a vintage tie when the silk is shattering, you'll only make it worse.

6. Do NOT use the Shout Pads or Shout cleaner, you'll run your colors.

7. I have often found that with certain spots, using soda water while dabbing and *NOT* rubbing does indeed help. However, if an oil based stain...don't try it.

Hope this helps.

FG.

 

[Undertow]

Wow, that's some great info! I think I'll have at it with some of my ties now!!

Thanks for the advice!:eusa_clap

 

[Feraud]

1. Woolite is a no no with silk ties, particularly because after you hand wash them, the Woolite tends to loosen up the fibres and then...wham...shattering begins. This is happening on two of my ties.



a. You run the risk of flattening the tie, if you do...it's good night Mr. Chips.

What is shattering and flattening?

 

[scotrace]

Yes please. Can someone show us a picture of what silk looks like when it begins to shatter?

And to flatten a tie? Does that mean it is pressed so that it gets sharp creases at the sides?