Linen handkerchief

[Heather]

How do you ladies wash your vintage linen handkerchiefs? I was going to wash mine by hand but I also realize detergent plays just as important of a role. I currently have on hand handmade detergent (borax + super washing soda + fels-naptha), washing soda, woolite complete and baby shampoo.

 

[sheeplady]

I use woolite. I actually use woolite for all my clothes that I wash (modern, vintage, etc.). I've never had a problem.

If they are stained, but color fast, I use oxiclean with the woolite and leave them to soak. (I do use washing soda on my towels and select items that are greasy/grimey in addition to the woolite, but I've never tried using it on my linens.)

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Handkerchiefs? Do you use them to blow your nose or just as a vintage accessory?

 

[Flicka]

I bought two dozen deadstock linen handkechiefs from the '40s a while back which I do use for blowing my nose, but then I have lacy ones too that I'd only use for daubing my eyes right before the big, strong PI embraces me and I know I've tricked him into doing my dirty business for me. Those I usually just carry around as an accessory.

Vintage linen (if it's genuine linen and no laces) I actually wash in the machine with ordinary organic washing powder as hot as possible (95 °C), in one of those laundry bags of net. Works like a charm for old bedlinen and stuff like linen slips (I have some from the '20s that can take that just fine). If there are stains, I use Oxyclean, just like sheeplady. And I use vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil as softener.

My nice "lady kerchiefs" and stuff like lacy collars I usually just put in the bag and run through a delicate program with ordinary powder. Never gave me any problem. Does that make me a complete barbarian?

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Flicka,

LOL, no, you're not a barbarian. Please don't take this the wrong way but I think hankies are so unsanitary and I had a friend who would always say that she was so glad when kleenex was invented because she didn't have to deal with hankies anymore. It seems as though disposable tissue would just be more convenient as well as more sanitary but to each his own!

 

[sheeplady]

Flicka,

LOL, no, you're not a barbarian. Please don't take this the wrong way but I think hankies are so unsanitary and I had a friend who would always say that she was so glad when kleenex was invented because she didn't have to deal with hankies anymore. It seems as though disposable tissue would just be more convenient as well as more sanitary but to each his own!

If you have allergies, handkerchiefs are a god send. When I have an allergy attack, I can go through a quarter of a box of tissues between the watering eyes and the runny nose in a half hour if not 15 minutes. If I use a hankie, that is one hanky per episode, which will dry and get me through the rest of the day even if I have more episodes. And even if it is still damp when I have another issue, it does a far better job than used tissues. It takes up less space in my bag than a whole box of tissues, which I used to have to resort to carrying with me.

If you had told me 5 years ago that hankies were this amazing thing that would make my allergy suffering so much better, I would have laughed at you. But I tried it after a bad attack where I couldn't find nearly enough tissues, and I will never go back. So while I understand your skepticism (I was that way too for a while) they really are nice for some of us. And far more gentle on your nose.

 

[Flicka]

I actually meant I was a barbarian for machine washing my delicate lace hankies, not for using linen ones for my nose.

If you discount having to carry around a dirty hankie for the rest of the day which might be considered unsanitary, I really don't see the problem. 95°C is as close to boiling (which happens at 100°C) as you can come and there's no way any germs will survive a cycle of that, especially if you add a dash of anti-bacterial Oxyclean AND rinse with vinegar (not to mention that I iron them on top heat afterwards).

Randomly, my dog would walk through fire for a chance to gobble up used kleenex. So gross; once when I had a bad cold, he actually sat by my bed and begged. He still lived to be 14!

 

[Grnidwitch]

Crocheted edge Hankies

Washing cotton/linen hankies is quite acceptable. You can use just about anything. Linen is quite durable, even vintage linen. If your hankie has crocheted lace edging, remember that more than likely, it's cotton crochet thread and it will tighten up in the dryer. If this happens, don't fret, just use the steam setting on your iron. If you don't use the dryer, just lay them flat on a towel or not (your choice), and smooth the crochet lace out.

I crocheted the edging on a couple of vintage hankies of my grandmothers that she never got around to doing. I gave them to my sister and she called me worried that she had ruined them because they came out of the dryer quite rumpled and shrunken looking.

 

[sheeplady]

Randomly, my dog would walk through fire for a chance to gobble up used kleenex. So gross; once when I had a bad cold, he actually sat by my bed and begged. He still lived to be 14!

He probably lived so long because of his built-up immunity thanks to eating all the tissues. You were doing him a longevity favor.

 

[Heather]

Thanks everyone! Haha Flicka...those are dogs for ya, eh? Such silly beasts! Does anyone have any ironing tips in regards to linen?

 

[Juliet]

I simply use a special soap (if that is the correct term) for handwashing. Either the Oxy or the Blink one, both are, in my experience, just fine. Meh, of course, in Europe, you have to watch where it was manufactured - I'm not a 100% sure, but I think I'm buying those made in Germany.

(Actually I've just recently discovered a site selling embroidered linen handkerchiefs online and felt like stumbling onto oil! )

 

[St. Louis]

Regarding ironing tips: I kind of enjoy doing all my starching and ironing at once. I find it soothing. I guess I'm easy to please: I like having an old wrinkled mess that turns into a neat little pile of folded hankies, tea towels, and collars. As someone else mentioned, I put those things into a mesh lingerie bag and launder them with my delicates, but let them dry on a line or a drying rack. For ironing, I fill a spray bottle half full of water and half of liquid starch. I spray the collars and hankies, then leave them in a tight pile to let them become thoroughly dampened through. I start at one corner, pulling on the edgings or decoration to stretch them while I'm pressing the points (carefully) between the embroidered bits or along the crocheted lace.

I have to say that I get immense satisfaction out of pulling an embroidered or lace-edged hankie out of my purse when I'm out somewhere. People love it -- they oooh and aaah. Such a nice little touch. (Maybe I'm not the only one who's easy to please!)

 

[Flicka]

I do the same, only I make my on liquid starch--a little cornflour dissolved in water with a drop or two of lavender oil for scent.

 

[Grnidwitch]

Regarding ironing tips: I kind of enjoy doing all my starching and ironing at once. I find it soothing. I guess I'm easy to please: I like having an old wrinkled mess that turns into a neat little pile of folded hankies, tea towels, and collars. As someone else mentioned, I put those things into a mesh lingerie bag and launder them with my delicates, but let them dry on a line or a drying rack. For ironing, I fill a spray bottle half full of water and half of liquid starch. I spray the collars and hankies, then leave them in a tight pile to let them become thoroughly dampened through. I start at one corner, pulling on the edgings or decoration to stretch them while I'm pressing the points (carefully) between the embroidered bits or along the crocheted lace.

I have to say that I get immense satisfaction out of pulling an embroidered or lace-edged hankie out of my purse when I'm out somewhere. People love it -- they oooh and aaah. Such a nice little touch. (Maybe I'm not the only one who's easy to please!)

I'm with you St. Louis. I love to iron. You handle your linen the same way I do. My grandmother would sprinkler the items and then put them in the fridge for a bit. I'm not sure why but I do the same thing. There is nothing better than having a beautiful linen or lawn embroidered and crocheted hankie in your purse. Such a wonderful girlie thing.

 

[Miss Sabrina Fairchild]

I have just purchased a few beautiful vintage hankies for my handbag and would like to be able to actually use them when needed but any time I use a tissue I manage to get lipstick on the tissue...obviously this doesn't matter for tissues but now I have these pretty hankies I wanted to ask those more savvy than me if lippie will just come out in the wash? Should I soak them? Wash them in hot water? I have never been great with anything beyond a regular wash of "regular" dirty clothes but I want to learn. The hankies are white or ivory and some are linen and some are cotton. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Grnidwitch]

@ Project:Girl------Try to find a bar of Fels Naptha soap. It's available here in the states, I don't know about Australia. My grandmother used it as her regular detergent. You might be able to find it online. Just wet your hanky or anything for that matter and rub the bar of soap on the stain until you feel you've worked the soap in. Then just launder as usual. If you can't find this soap, let me know and I can ship you a bar or two.

 

[lolly_loisides]

I have just purchased a few beautiful vintage hankies for my handbag and would like to be able to actually use them when needed but any time I use a tissue I manage to get lipstick on the tissue...obviously this doesn't matter for tissues but now I have these pretty hankies I wanted to ask those more savvy than me if lippie will just come out in the wash? Should I soak them? Wash them in hot water? I have never been great with anything beyond a regular wash of "regular" dirty clothes but I want to learn. The hankies are white or ivory and some are linen and some are cotton. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I find lipstick normally comes out in the wash, but when it doesn't Sard oxy soaker or Sard wondersoap always gets the stains out (just mentioning this as Fels Naptha is not available in Australia).

 

[Heather]

I'm a huge Fels-naptha fan!! I almost cried a couple weeks ago when my supermarket moved them to a different shelf in the laundry aisle. I thought I had jinxed myself because I had mentioned to my husband not long ago, that if I could no longer find it locally, I wouldn't hesitate to order it online in bulk! lol Anyways, it's a relief to know its safe to be used on stained hankies. That thought had occurred to me as well!

 

[Miss Sabrina Fairchild]

thans everyone. I will grab myself some sard wondersoap and some oxy soaker. I stopped buying napisan and other laundry products as one of my twins has ridiculous skin reactions to everything...but seeing as how she won't be using my hankies I think it's safe to buy some for myself

 

[sheeplady]

The only tip I have to add for ironing is to allow the item to lay flat for 30 seconds to cool down. It really sets the press. I line up several small items and let the first one rest while I do the second and third, etc.