I threw my vintage suit in the washing machine

[APP Adrian]

So I threw my vintage medium weight worsted wool suit in the washing machine. These were the results:

The pant hems shrank about an inch.

The suit sleeves shrank about an inch or 2

A bit of waist suppression was added

The shoulders of the suit shrank 2 sizes (It was a 40R suit, so therefore the shoulders fit a 38R.) I'm a perfect 38R in the shoulders.

BASICALLY, the entire suit shrank down 2 sizes.

Also, the suit doesn't smell like old man junk.

 

[APP Adrian]

Ask any questions if you wish.

EDIT: Everything fits perfectly now, except maybe the suit sleeves. I'm out of fabric to make the suit sleeves longer, so i'll live with showing too much shirt sleeves.

 

[Broccoli]

I always wash my suits. But with special detergent. Those were all 20s-40s suits and there was no shrinkage! You must have had too warm water and too high spinning.

Also, a wrinkled suit will be smaller than a pressed one.

 

[ErWeSa]

Can only confirm Broccoli. I even washed tailcoats with silken lapels - no shrinking, no damage as long as you use cold water and no or low spinning. I always wash suits inside out. Of course there is a lot of pressing work to be done - heavy iron, wet linen for steaming.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

I've washed a couple of old tweed jackets in the bath just recently. Used a mix of hand-washing powder and machine powder, with luke-warm water and then rinse with cold. They both came out great, with a bit of a press. They were jackets I picked up cheap, and were pretty mucky (I think the guy was an avid countryman) and the water turned brown, I kid you not! I don't think I'd have had the confidence to put them in the machine though!

APPAdrian - did you put your suit in the machine with the express purpose of shrinking it?

 

[APP Adrian]

I've washed a couple of old tweed jackets in the bath just recently. Used a mix of hand-washing powder and machine powder, with luke-warm water and then rinse with cold. They both came out great, with a bit of a press. They were jackets I picked up cheap, and were pretty mucky (I think the guy was an avid countryman) and the water turned brown, I kid you not! I don't think I'd have had the confidence to put them in the machine though!

APPAdrian - did you put your suit in the machine with the express purpose of shrinking it?

I put my suit in the washing machine to clean it from old man junk and to make it fit better.

It now fits perfectly everywhere, except maybe the suit sleeves. But I'm fine with showing a little extra shirt sleeve.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

Fair enough!

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[Metatron]

I've washed a couple of old tweed jackets in the bath just recently. Used a mix of hand-washing powder and machine powder, with luke-warm water and then rinse with cold. They both came out great, with a bit of a press. They were jackets I picked up cheap, and were pretty mucky (I think the guy was an avid countryman) and the water turned brown, I kid you not! I don't think I'd have had the confidence to put them in the machine though

It is often said that 'wool takes care of itself, all it needs is an airing' but there is a limit.
Furthermore, there is a limit to what dry cleaning (or at least my dry cleaner) can do.
I do much the same as you.

For tougher stains I will soak the stained part in dilluted Oxi powder for colours.
The results are quite remarkable (this reads like an advert) but have a look :

the stains which dry-cleaning did nothing to remove


after the soak



One of the challenges of washing a wool garment is that in drying, it will often form wrinkles that are hard to get rid of-particularly with tweed.
I have found that using different sized pieces of cardboard can help keep 'block' the jacket into shape as it dries.
I did this recently, and took some photos thinking it might be of use to somebody on this forum:





Here I have two pieces of card under the lapels so that they dry flat, as well as in the pockets and one large piece inside the jacket to ensure that no firm wrinkles form in areas unseen. I also leave the hanger in the jacket for some extra support.
(as well as a towel to absorb moisture and speed up the drying)

 

[Patrick Hall]

this is actually a helpful primer, particularly your stain removal method, Metatron. I've gotten rather experienced at cleaning vintage cotton/linen suits, but have generally refrained from messing with wool. By oxi powder do you mean oxygen bleach like oxyclean? It rabidly warns against use with wool fibers.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

Thanks for the info Metatron. My tweeds did dry with a bit of a wrinkle so I'm glad of the cardboard tip. I'll try it for the others I've got to wash!

With regards stain removal, I've not used oxyclean or vanish really other than a small amount on ties. I tend to give problem areas a gentle scrub with a sponge, working up a lather with wash powder on the stain, then rinse out with cold water. Alternatively for greasy stains (like sauces etc.) I've used tea tree wipes. Just a gentle dabbing or pressing onto the stain lifts it right out, even on old crusty stains.

P.S. Lovely jacket. What's it's details?

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[Mathematicus]

That is remarkably interesting; I'm often disappointed by the quality of the dry-cleaning, and I think that a dry-cleaned garment doesn't look really "clean". I've ever wanted to water-wash a suit, but never went beyond dreams fearing to ruin the shape of the suit. How do you treat with shoulder pads, for example?
The tip regarding drying is great, also avoids the jacket hang down from the collar stretching the upper-chest fabric. But what about ironing? You'll need a tailor iron to have the jacket well pressed, the house irons being not heavy enough. Also it seems to me that some parts are really hard to press.

 

[lordwinters]

That is remarkably interesting; I'm often disappointed by the quality of the dry-cleaning, and I think that a dry-cleaned garment doesn't look really "clean". I've ever wanted to water-wash a suit, but never went beyond dreams fearing to ruin the shape of the suit. How do you treat with shoulder pads, for example?
The tip regarding drying is great, also avoids the jacket hang down from the collar stretching the upper-chest fabric. But what about ironing? You'll need a tailor iron to have the jacket well pressed, the house irons being not heavy enough. Also it seems to me that some parts are really hard to press.

Modern irons can be used, I have tried it on water-cleaned suits, but old, heavy cast iron-irons are the way to go. They can be just as heavy as a modern tailoring iron, and can be found in any old flea market for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Broccoli]

Let your tailor press it if you have problems pressing coats. Shoulder pads, I baste prior to washing, in case they might move.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

With regards shoulder pads, I've never had a problem with them moving about. Just make sure that when you're washing the item you take care when pulling the jacket inside out, to wash the linings and inner-sleeves etc. Then, when you've pulled it out of the water, drained it off and given it a little squeeze to get rid of the water, just make sure all is where it should be. Re-shape and adjust accordingly. Jackets, especially the older ones, are pretty robust, and don't come loose easily. Of course, this comes with a disclaimer - this is the experience I've had with my vintage/old jackets, I can't say for other stuff.

Ironing - a bit tricky with a modern iron, as you say, but the steam function is great for softening up creases that have occurred, and a damp tea-towel is a must. I've never tried an old-fashioned iron, but I've had just fine results with a modern iron Just need a bit of diligence.

And dry cleaning is something I've been disappointed with too. Unless there is a particular odour (i.e. vintage body odour or something) that you want to get rid of, water washing is just as good for brightening up and cleaning your garment. Just handle with care! No hot water or harsh chemicals. Try practicing on something you're not that attached to first.

 

[Mathematicus]

Thank you all for the precious details. I'll try soon with something!

 

[Metatron]

this is actually a helpful primer, particularly your stain removal method, Metatron. I've gotten rather experienced at cleaning vintage cotton/linen suits, but have generally refrained from messing with wool. By oxi powder do you mean oxygen bleach like oxyclean? It rabidly warns against use with wool fibers.

Sorry about the lack of clarification, I used a stain remover from the british supermarket ASDA called Oxy Powder, which is probably an equivalent product to Oxyclean.
If it helps, the somewhat mysterious ingredient list on the website is: ''30% Oxygen-Based Bleaching Agents , <5% Non-Ionic Surfactants, Anionic Surfactants , Also contains: Enzymes''
This one is also not supposed to be used on 'delicate' fabrics including wool, but having got the jacket back from the cleaners, and not having much to lose, I went for it with a devil-may-care attitude. I would probably only advise doing this if the stains are so severe they prevent you from wearing the garment.


Eddie, it's an American 1940s jacket which was too big for me and I recently sold to Anton:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...ort-coat-size-42-43-windowpane-on-herringbone

How do you treat with shoulder pads, for example?
What about ironing? You'll need a tailor iron to have the jacket well pressed, the house irons being not heavy enough. Also it seems to me that some parts are really hard to press.

I use a house iron, use the steam function and press down hard. (with an ironing cloth of course!)
I saw this demonstrated in a video by a famous English off the rack suit company (can't remember which)
I forgot to mention, I leave the hanger in the jacket throughout the process to provide support to the shoulder area.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

Good tips again Metatron. I like the coat hanger thing.

That jacket is very nice, and is indeed similar to the jacket from my tweed suit I posted a while ago.

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[Patrick Hall]

Thanks for the clarification Metatron! That sounds like good ol' oxygen bleach to me. Helpful to note, when next I am pining over a wool suit on ebay with seemingly deal-breaking stains that have driven the price down to tempting levels.

I think dry cleaners must have universally become terrible at their job. I take my stuff to one that "specializes" in vintage fabric, and makes great boasts of their stain removing capacities, but fails to remove all but the most basic/recent stains. I think it is because of two factors: I'd guess the hearty, super-effective chemicals of dry cleaning past were horribly toxic, and have been banned ( a large number of major ground water contamination cases in the US involve an accumulation of old dry cleaning fluid), and I'd guess that dry cleaners are so afraid of being held liable for ruined garments that they ALWAYS err on the side of leaving a stain over removing it and possibly harming the fabric.

 

[Rabbit]

I think it is because of two factors: I'd guess the hearty, super-effective chemicals of dry cleaning past were horribly toxic, and have been banned ( a large number of major ground water contamination cases in the US involve an accumulation of old dry cleaning fluid), and [...].

That is partly correct. See the PDF linked to below for details on the use of solvents in dry cleaning and the progressive banning of hazardous solvents.

Worth noting:
1) Not all cleaners use the same solvents.
2) There is a detergent added in the form of a watery suspension within the non-water soluble solvent. The exact composition of detergents varies between cleaners. These detergents are a necessary ingredient for removing water-based stains.
3) Different countries/ states have different deadlines on the banning of perchloroethylene, the old powerful solvent that had been used continuously since its introduction in 1934. My cleaner (in Germany) still uses PCE (perchloroethylene; in German: Perchlorethylen), and the results are very good indeed as far as the cleaning is concerned.

A Chronology of Historical Developments in Drycleaning

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

A remark or two on pressing vintage (or even not vintage) cloths:

If the suit is still lightly damp when pressing (which can help in removing wrinkles) you need to be very careful not to mistakenly stretch or shrink any areas. On the other hand you might need to put some shape back into the areas that have lost it in washing! Vintage cloths have more shrinkage in them than modern finished cloths, even though the tailor will have shrunk the cloth before working.

So don't use a small domestic ironing board, use a table like the kitchen/dining table covered with a folded cloth - a double cotton sheet folded into quarters perhaps - and dig out a sleeve board if you have one. Have a brush close at hand (clean, with medium density natural bristles; not a scrubbing brush!), a handy block of wood about 10x4 inches and about an inch thick; and a spray bottle or bowl of water and cloth.

Pressing is hard to describe in just words, but there is a good video on youtube by Thomas Mahon showing how you can press both your jacket and trousers.

The weight of the iron merely reduces the grunt you need to put into the work, so if the iron is lighter, you need to put more weight on the iron for certain results. On less awkward areas you can steam the area and then bring your block of wood down on the creases holding it there for a few seconds. The wood can help you get a crease back in trousers made of heavy cloth with a lot less effort than an iron alone.

With a steam iron don't lay it over a seam and pump the steam button, because seam bubbling can occur. With steam and moisture in general, it softens the cloth and breaks the bonds (at a chemical level) in the wool allowing it to be reshaped so that when it dries it assumes the new form. This why a large table is better, stopping the coat or trousers hanging off the edges and stretching wet areas.

The brush is invaluable for bringing up the nap on rough cloth after the iron has compressed the cloth too much. Also for when the iron causes shine on harder and blue (or black) cloths in particular. A little steam and gentle action with the brush can remove that. Not burning or damaging the cloth requires that the area is dampened and pressed until dry, or if dry pressing using a cloth and removing regularly. A hot iron is better than a cooler iron, but this requires care not to burn or shine your garment.

Remember that pressing is not ironing, so lifting and placing the iron (especially if it is heavy) is preferable to dragging the iron.