Cleaning ties at home?

adamgottschalk · Dec 28, 2006

I just got back a few ties from the dry cleaner. All are old and a couple is quite soiled. One in particular is a highly unusual tie with shades of brown in thick horizontal stipes; it's ugly dirty. The drycleaning did nothing at all. I think my nearest dry cleaner might use some enviro-friendly (or less environmentally deleterious) cleaning process. Possibly it's not as effective as the regular sort?

Is there some way I can clean old soiled ties, like soak them in naptha or something, here at home? My older ties are either silk or acetate. Any suggestions appreciated.

Feraud · Dec 28, 2006

Let me preface this by saying I have used the following technique only one time! It worked a wonder on the following tie but I have not had occassion to do so again. I do not know how well the following advice is as an all purpose "How to clean vintage ties".

While in L.A. I bought this tie for a couple of bucks. I figured I would either successfully clean it or am out some cash. It would not be the first time.

I am not sure if the tie colors were originally burgundy and white or cream but I know that stain down the front should not be there!

I took a bucket and filled it with cold water and added a heaping cup full of Oxyclean. Yep, the same product hawked by the ever annoying Billy Mays. :eusa_doh:
The tie soaked for about a day. At one point I gave the soup a good stir to move things around. When I thought it was done I gave the tie a good rinse and let it hang dry. After drying it was pressed with a warm iron using a piece of cloth in between the tie and the iron.

Here is the result.

Keep us posted on your cleaning results!

Solid Citizen · Dec 28, 2006

Interesting Results

Wow,

Those are good results with that product. Not only took out stains but age dirt looks almost like a new vintage tie. I've only done cleaning on vintage ties with Wool-Lite, results have been ok, but never a 1 day soak.

SC

scotrace · Dec 28, 2006

Amazing! What is the fabric?

Feraud · Dec 28, 2006

I am not sure of the fabric but will check and let you know.
Wool-lite sounds like a good option.
Considering what I paid for the tie and the fact that it was unwearable in this state, I thought a good long soaking would not make matters worse. [huh]

Fletch · Dec 28, 2006

Let's hope the required ratio of solution isn't one bucket per tie. That would add up to quite the operation for some of us.

scotrace · Dec 28, 2006

Fletch said:
Let's hope the required ratio of solution isn't one bucket per tie. That would add up to quite the operation for some of us.

You really must take more care at dinner...

Feraud · Dec 28, 2006

My cleaning solution ratio was a seriously uneducated guess. I am lucky there was any tie left in the bucket! You can probably get away with multiple ties in one bucket.
If anyone works out the proper ratio of Oxyclean to vintage tie, please let us know.

Braxton36 · Dec 28, 2006

Another possible option

An antiques dealer who specializes in old linens gave me this tip:

Soak soiled linens/garments is a large glass bowl filled with water and a thick paste of Ivory Snow (the stuff used for washing baby clothes) on the badly stained area. The bowl with whites and lighter colours should go outside in the sun. I doubt darker fabrics should. I've been successful in getting out lots of old stains using this method. Water may turn yellow/orange. If it does, rinse and repeat. Final rinse should include lots of cold water.

I think a key component to any of these methods is the cost paid for the item - if it's really expensive, I wouldn't risk this or the oxyclean method. But if it's a question of trying it or trashing it, I say go for the experiment.

Feraud · Dec 28, 2006

Braxton36 said:
I think a key component to any of these methods is the cost paid for the item - if it's really expensive, I wouldn't risk this or the oxyclean method. But if it's a question of trying it or trashing it, I say go for the experiment.

Right. My experiment was on a two dollar tie. I would not try it on an expensive tie. Then again I would not pay a lot of money for something that looked like the one I bought!

Fletch · Dec 28, 2006

I'm flashing back on an experience years ago when I sent one of those light-colored handpainted 1940s swoosh ties (probably rayon) to the drycleaners. It came back semitranslucent - you could see the lining thru it. Never wore it again.

reetpleat · Dec 28, 2006

I used to wash a lot of ties when I was a dealer. I would find so many cheap, but dirty. I used woolite or other laundry detergents. Dry cleaning is not a good way to really clean things. Soap and water is where it is at.

Two things. It worked great on most of them. The one thing to remember is do not wash a lot of ties together, especially with reds. They will bleed onto each other. Do them one at a time per bucket. Rinse well and lay them out on a towel as perfectly shaped as possible.

THe hard part was getting them pressed. Iron's work okay but can be hard. Steaming works too but has it's own challenges.

If you have adry cleaner who can press them well, hand wash, then send them to the cleaner. But watch out for dcry cleaners who will press too hard.

Hand washing also works on wool slacks and even suit jackets if they are beyond hope otherwisr.

Lastly, I use a bucket of soap to wash the underarms of suit jackets that stink too badly. I wash the area, arinse the area, then have it dry cleaned.

Has anyone else found a solution to that nasy vintge under arm stink that gets worse as you heat it up?

Tomasso · Dec 28, 2006

I've ruined too many ties, between home cleaning and dry cleaners. If I love the tie I'll send it to Tie Crafters ,the foremost tie cleaner in the country. They have it down to a science.

J. M. Stovall · Jan 9, 2007

I read on another forum that using Dryel is a great way to freshen up vintage ties. Has anyone tried it?

Mr. Rover · Jan 10, 2007

reetpleat said:
I used to wash a lot of ties when I was a dealer. I would find so many cheap, but dirty. I used woolite or other laundry detergents. Dry cleaning is not a good way to really clean things. Soap and water is where it is at.

Two things. It worked great on most of them. The one thing to remember is do not wash a lot of ties together, especially with reds. They will bleed onto each other. Do them one at a time per bucket. Rinse well and lay them out on a towel as perfectly shaped as possible.

THe hard part was getting them pressed. Iron's work okay but can be hard. Steaming works too but has it's own challenges.

If you have adry cleaner who can press them well, hand wash, then send them to the cleaner. But watch out for dcry cleaners who will press too hard.

Hand washing also works on wool slacks and even suit jackets if they are beyond hope otherwisr.

Lastly, I use a bucket of soap to wash the underarms of suit jackets that stink too badly. I wash the area, arinse the area, then have it dry cleaned.

Has anyone else found a solution to that nasy vintge under arm stink that gets worse as you heat it up?

Spraying on a 50/50 combination of vodka and water helped to clear mine up a little more.

elsewhere · Jan 29, 2007

I'm a bit late to this thread but came across it while looking around for safe ways to clean ties (that don't include the dreaded dry cleaners)
I have, literally, hundreds of ties that I've collected over the years and I really need to start selling them off!

Anyway -- I saw the comment about getting underarm stink out. The vodka one is a good one - we used to use that sometimes in theater.
Vinegar is another good odor remover. A quick tip from your friendly vintage dealer -- if you use a steamer, put a bit of vinegar in there. Not only will it help with any storage odors in the clothes that are common with vintage, but it'll keep hard water deposits from forming in your steamer tank

And, I've yet to try it myself, but I've heard good reports about using those cat/pet urine removers- Odor Be Gone and such. They have enzymes that EAT any bodily fluids... and the enzymes aren't picky about if their meal comes from humans or pets.
Be sure to follow the directions, though. In most, the key is to keep the area moist for the needed amount of time - the enzymes die out when they dry out.

Good luck

Baron Kurtz · Jan 29, 2007

I've found that i can live with most tie funk. Usually the funk is at a point where it's hidden by a waistcoat anyway, so noone would know. (Like the one that i spilled stout on last week - whoops! well after several pints of 8.6% beer, these things happen.) If they're dirty i just consign them to the days when i'm wearing a waistcoat - admittedly that's 90% of the time, but will not be so when i return home to all my 2-piece suits and "sporting" combinations.

I really do need to get some pressed, though. The wrinkles/creases in those 30s silk brocades can be brutal.

bk

Fletch · Jan 29, 2007

Baron Kurtz said:
I've found that i can live with most tie funk. Usually the funk is at a point where it's hidden by a waistcoat anyway, so noone would know. (Like the one that i spilled stout on last week - whoops! well after several pints of 8.6% beer, these things happen.) If they're dirty i just consign them to the days when i'm wearing a waistcoat - admittedly that's 90% of the time

You are so lucky being built like a scrappy little depression urchin

. I've only ever found 2 vintage 3pc's that fit me in my current 42R. One's a Harris Tweed too heavy to be worn indoors and whose lining has turned to Kleenex. The other's a blue-gray DB that's all yellow in the knees and full of bad reweaves.

But! I just eBayed a late model Joseph Abboud 3B 3pc in the ultimate color, grey!

So my hopes are up.

I dunno what to do about the wrinkledy ties. I leave 'em hanging in by bathroom for weeks at a time - no dice. If one is forced to resort to hot iron, what does one put in between? Hankeys are too thin, and anything thicker than a dishtowel leaves a nap in your tie. (And if you think it's hard taking a nap in a tie, try getting one out...)

Baron Kurtz · Jan 29, 2007

I've heard good things about a damp dishtowel between the iron and the tie. Never tried it, though . . .

bk

Fletch · Jan 29, 2007

I'll try it and report back.

Cleaning ties at home?

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