White vinegar is technically an acid and contains fabulous cleaning properties but it’s so mild that it’s completely safe to eat which means that it’s gentle enough to remove dirt and grime from almost any fabric!
I’ve shared loads of Cleaning Tips & Laundry Tricks and as white vinegar appears in each and every post I thought it was time to put it to the test and prove just how well that cheap salad dressing ingredient you have in your kitchen works to remove those stubborn old stains and smudges.
Does vinegar really remove stains from vintage clothing?
Take a peek at the results below:
The stains on this vintage dresscoat that’s been sitting in my stash for far too long are not large but they are definitely dark, old and noticeable.
I grabbed some cheap white vinegar, baking soda and an old toothbrush.
I mixed the vinegar and baking soda into a paste then gently rubbed it into the stains and let it soak for about an hour.
After a normal laundering to remove the vinegar & baking soda that ancient stain is gone!
Next up: that rust stained vintage salt sack.
I soaked the sack in straight vinegar + a few teaspoons of baking soda overnight then gave it a rinse and washed it with my next load of lights.
Not really the dramatic stain removing result I was hoping for but it did lighten those rust spots a bit.
So, does vinegar remove stains from vintage clothing?
Yup, when it’s mixed with a bit of baking soda and depending on the type and age of the stain. My advice is to give it a whirl and see if it works, the white vinegar/baking soda mixture is gentle enough to try on most fabrics without fear of damage.
But what about those stubborn vintage stains that just won’t budge?
Grab my top tips for dyeing clothing and hide those spots while giving your garment a fresh new look!
So Much Better!
Continue your passion for refashion with my Confessions of a Refashionista e-book series:
There’s a way to remove rust that involves lemon juice, boiling water, and sunlight…but I can’t seem to remember what it was. I’m hoping that’s enough to go on to find it should you want to try to find it.
Cheers for the idea, I googled it and found this easy tute 😀 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Remove-Rust-Stains-from-Clothing-1/
I use vinegar as my all purpose house cleaner and as a rinse aid in the dishwasher and washing machine. To get rust out, I use vinegar plus SALT though. It takes a bit of scrubbing as well with a toothbrush but worked like a charm.
Discovered your site the beginning of this month, and I am in love with it. Your ethical pursuit of fashion is amazing. I just started looking into thrifted clothing recently. I have yet to refashion anything but I have lots of inspiration and a pile. Now all I need is the extra gumption to go do it, as I am not a sewer and this is a big keep for me! Love your work. Keep it going.
Thanks very much for the salt + vinegar tip, I’ll definitely be giving it a try 😀
I’ve only been sewing for about 4 years, getting going was a bit rough but once I learned the basics of my old inherited machine I fell in love with it! I still have a lot to learn and absolutely don’t follow the “rules” of sewing however getting started on my ethical, DIY, thrifty (re)fashion journey has been one of the best experiences of my life 🙂 Throw caution to the wind and let your imagination loose on your pile to be refashioned – there’s no “mistakes” only opportunities for more creativity 😀