Running amuck w/ Palm Beach Linen!

[1on1]

Allow me to acknowledge what an indispensable tool this site has been for so many folks. While I am not new to the site, I am posting for the first time...

I recently traded with a friend, my vintage gear for his 40's palm beach linen jacket, its in overall good condition except for a few soiled spots, being new to cleaning linen, I sampled an area with light bleach, it seemed to be alright as it took out a tiny soiled spot so I assumed all's well and went ahead with cleaning one lapel area and chest pocket. My solution of household bleach/water/and some soap seemed to have done the trick and the jacket appeared to have been cleaned of the soiled areas. Long story short, next day I woke up to find " a ring around the cleaned area" dark soiled areas that were never there before. I have now created a bigger problem than when I started...BTW actual stains are more visible than appears on photo.
Needless to say I am totally gutted about this, while I am lucky the bleach did not eat through the fabric, I'm nevertheless worried about what can be done.

I actually first got the jacket custom tailored to fit me perfect, and then backtracked and tried to clean it..AFTER having spent a small fortune.Foolish I know, but one lives and learns.

Any advice cheerfully accepted.
1on1

1on1

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

You might want to check some other areas of this site for laundry advice. However... it may not be the bleach (though chlorine bleach can indeed yellow whites), but rather the soap residue not rinsed out and allowed to dry. Especially so if it was heat dried.
You need to use oxygen bleach for cleaning fabrics. I use Woolite even for linen, but you need to rinse properly. If the jacket is unlined and doesn't have a nasty glued-on canvas, you can wash the whole thing, probably by hand, rinsing until the water is clean....ironing back into shape is a job though.

 

[1on1]

Last nite I tried soaking it inwater..I now have the issue of the material showing signs if breakage...it's really going from bad to worse..will sun drying it( or leaving it the sun for prolonged tome) help whiten the stains?

 

[Bamaboots]

I've often used the sun bleach method for whites with decent results. Hanging the item up wet in direct sunlight after washing. Good luck.

 

[1on1]

Thankyou..at this point best thing might be to let it dry in the sun..fabric is slowly starting to disentigrate...I can't wash it anymore. Shame really, didn't even get to sport it once.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

If it's disintegrating you must have used too much bleach. It may be curtains for this garments. A real shame.

 

[Feraud]

This reminds me what a shame there is no modern source for this fantastic fabric.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[wgnovak]

This reminds me what a shame there is no modern source for this fantastic fabric.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Sorry to hear of your problem. I’ve done it my self in the past. I really believe that you have a "bleach burn”. With the fabric now disintegrating
my advice may be of no use. I’ve removed similar marks on linen caused by bleach with a 50/50 solution of peroxide and distilled water. Soak a cotton cloth and place it over the stained area and lightly iron until the cloth is dry. Repeat as necessary and then wash the garment. White vinegar solution is an alternative. Also squeezing the juice of a lemon and placing the garment in very bright hot sun light can work. Always wash the garment following stain removal . i have used peroxide to remove turmeric stains successfully also. With all of these remedies I always do a spot test on an inconspicuous portion of the garment and wait 48-72 hours. This may be of value to you in the future. Good luck.

 

[1on1]

Sorry to hear of your problem. I’ve done it my self in the past. I really believe that you have a "bleach burn”. With the fabric now disintegrating
my advice may be of no use. I’ve removed similar marks on linen caused by bleach with a 50/50 solution of peroxide and distilled water. Soak a cotton cloth and place it over the stained area and lightly iron until the cloth is dry. Repeat as necessary and then wash the garment. White vinegar solution is an alternative. Also squeezing the juice of a lemon and placing the garment in very bright hot sun light can work. Always wash the garment following stain removal . i have used peroxide to remove turmeric stains successfully also. With all of these remedies I always do a spot test on an inconspicuous portion of the garment and wait 48-72 hours. This may be of value to you in the future. Good luck.

 

[1on1]

Sorry for this late reply, I didn't realize I got more feedback..

UPDATE: Again thanks to everyone who pitched in..i am happy to report that the yellow residue from the bleach and soap I used (first-timers woes) did eventually come out..well to the point anyway that it is now in wearable condition, I did cause abrasion to the top layer fabric but it ended up being minimal and I've managed to carefully tuck in each strand to where it just looks like a harmless abrasion. I didn't know using white soap would leave a yellow residue- one lives and learns..but again, it must be the reaction of the bleach AND soap that caused the residue.
hats off to all of you

 

[1on1]

OOps!..and I almost fogot to tell "HOW", the trick that did it for me was simply letting it dry in natural sun..after gently re-soaking it in plain water.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

Vive la soleil!

 

[Patrick Hall]

in future you should consider laundering Palm Beach garments with oxygen bleach. It's gentle on fabrics, and has generated incredible results for me. In fact, the Palm Beach suit I am wearing in my avatar came to me totally soiled, stained, and unwearable. A six hour soak in oxygen bleach cleaned it right up. No potentially fabric-damaging scrubbing necessary!