Any one who owns a vintage linen, must have worried about how to clean yellowed vintage linens. To remove yellowing stains from old linens, it requires technique, the right cleaner and some trick to avoid getting yellow stains again.
To get old yellow stains out of white tablecloths, vinatge linens, covers, sheets, and quilts you must store the first with the right ingridients. You can use white vinegar, hydrogen per oxide solution, oxiclean solutions and other cleaning agents to get rid of these. Let’s get a complete guide to remove yellowed stains from old linens.
Why Are There Yellow Stains On My Linens?
Storage Mistakes
Some of the items like linen tablecloths, embroided handkerchieves, cutwork covers of linens fabric are stored with very wrong technique. Which in result shows the damage of yellowing stains, creases and wrinkles. Poor air flow, vacuum sealed bags, pest ignorance and moisture igorance are some of the reasons in storing linen.
Cleaning Mistakes
When on the journey of storing items, some people do really ignore the importance of washing and complete drying before storage. So, the odor, trapped moisture and mold spores appear in the form of yellowing stains on old linens. A complete dry fabric is much safer from these damages than a dirty and damp rag.
Time Period Of Storing Linens
Some of you may have forgotten about any linens from their heritage long ago. It is a reminder to go check on them. They may be old ones, but there might be some teasures to discover like vintage linen cutworks, linen tableclothes and sofa covers. You can not just store and leave the linens for longer period of times. They need air and in between sunbaths every 3 mmonths.
Vintage Linens
These days, a vintage touch is a must in some decors, like bohemian decor, vintage classic theme and aesthetic ones. Highlight of these themes are vintage linens cut works and embroided linens, which are almost found with yellowed stains and marks on them. This is because of longer storage and poor ventilation for teh linen.
5 Ways To remove Yellwoing Stains From Old Linens
1. Oxiclean
This is a mixture of oxygen and bleach, which cleans and removes teh yellowing stains from old linens and whitens it again. Prepare a full tub of hot water and add some of powdered oxygen bleach. Make sure this product has non chlorine bleach. Soak the linens clothing in it for at least four hour before washing and drying. This method is most effective for the tableclothes and cutwork linens clothing.
2. The Vinegar Soak
Vinegar solution is most natural and effective solution for yellow stains on linen. Add three parts of white vinegar in an open tub with the ratio of one part water and soak linens clothing in it for at least on night. Vinegar will remove yellow stains, odor and dirt from the covers and will make them shine again.
3. Baking Soda Venture
Baking soda with somewhat mixture of white vinegar or with any other detergant can clean light yellow spots from the white linen couch covers. Soak clothes in this mixture also for overnight to get rid of foul odor and stains. It also disinfects the covers.
3. Hydrogen PerOxide Paste
This chemical is specifically prepared in chenistry labs, which is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. You can get it fro pharmacies and mix this liquid hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to create a paste. Apply a thick layer of this paste to a white linen cloth (Hydrogen peroxide is a whitening agent) and rub it to get rid of yellow stains. You can leave the paste after rubbing for 30 minurtes.
4. Dry Cleaning
For delicate linens with embroided work and mixed colors, you can go for dry cleaning method. Add some of the dry cleaning agent and clean with the vacuum. Also, you can ask for professional help for this. Dry cleaning will prevent the color fading, shrinking and color damaging on the linen.
5. Lemon Juice, Salt & Onion Water
A more natural, sustainable and always availbel solution is to go with the kitchen items. Some people use Lemon juice and salt for colored linens clothing. Vinegar works good for white clothes but for colored ones, you can use lemon juice to rpevent any damage. Another wonder is onion water. Take a big white onion and cut it in half, rub some of the onion juice on the yellowed area and leave it for overnight. Wash and dry linens after it thoroughly.
Can I Use Bleach To Clean Yellow Stains From Linens?
As a golden rule, bleach is a big NO. You can not and you should not use bleach on nay type of clothing to clean them and specially on linens. Bleach weakens the fiber and eventually makes them weak and vulnerable to simple detergents and mild water. So, do not use bleach on linens, colored clothes, on delicate fabrics like silk, linens, and on premium fabrics. But if you really find hard stains only on white fabrics, pour some bleaching agent mixed with some detergent or water and rub the stain. Do not soak clothes and linen covers into the bleach.
Conclusion
To remove yellowing stains from old linens, you can use oxiclean method. It is most effective method to get rid of yellow spots stains and odor. Also, some other chemical methods, natural solutions and kitchen hacks like white onion are there to get rid of stains. Store linens according to storage standards to lessen the damage. Avois using bleach to the last extent.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should mix white vinegar with water and soak the vintage white linens in this solution for atleast 3 to 4 hours to get rid of yellow stains. After the soaking, rub gently with detergent and wash the linens with running water.
Toothpaste does not contain any whitening and stain removing agent from clothes in it. Instead , you can make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to clean yellowing staind from old linens.
Use a baking soda and vinegar solution to remove tea stains. For ome remedies you can try white onuion water to remove any old stains. Lemon and salt also work like wonders on old stains.
