A Vintage Linen Restoration Primer
Buckle up. This post will be long. Lots of "squishing" and "rolling". And some fun. And, I won't be doing this again so pay attention.
I've searched the world over (well, not really...just ebay forums and tablecloth websites), and I've made some compromises, taken short cuts along the way. There is only one method (in my humble opinion) that truly works to restore these precious vintage fibers. How many linens have I ruined? I shall not linger on that question, I move on...
Go out and find yourself a beautiful, old linen. I'm using this coarse, linen, art deco, tea towel. I don't have a book on tea towels, but my best guess is that it is from the 20's or 30's based on design, dye and fabric.
I purchased it from an antique dealer who was having a delicious garage sale (cost me a toe nail...but that's another story). I love the design and the feel of the fabric. But. It. Is. Dirty. Filthy. Time for a bath dear towel, so here we go...
Purchase a little bottle of "Woolite". Remember this? Your mom always used it. Yeah, that's the one.
Now put a little water in your tub, add a smidgen of woolite, and soak that sweet baby. This step is vital. The linen has most likely been tucked away in some forgotten drawer with accumulated dirt and dust. Not to mention the precious fiber is old. Old as the old dirt. Gently, gently add it to the water and listen to it say, "aaaaaah! thaaaaank yooooouuuu dear wash lady".
Start squishing it around. This is the therapeutic part. Unless you have trouble bending over the bath tub because your back hurts from years of bending over the bath tub with all of your children. In that case take two ibuprofen before you start. Or during, if you forget.
The best part is when the water starts to turn a little yellowish brown. Just a little. Then you know the dirt is beginning to loosen.
O.K. Listen up. Do not wring out your old linens.
Empty the bath tub of the dirty water and fill it just a bit with fresh water. Squish your piece around again. Repeat this process several times with 3 or 4 fresh water squishings. Do this until all traces of soap are removed. This is important.
Lay your piece (I folded mine over once) on a clean towel.
Gently roll up the edges of said towel. This is how you "wring" it out. Did I mention not to wring it!!
Sigh...I wonder if they need any help on the restoration of the Star Spangled Banner...I'll have to check on that,
get yourself a gallon of water.
Take it outside and pour it into a stock pot and turn on the outdoor cooking stove that your daughter in law gave to your husband for Father's day and the weather is beautiful outside and you are so glad because you live in the desert and you have been inside for 4 months straight.
Or use your regular inside stove.
Then remember that you need to take out a newer tablecloth from your laundry machine to dry out on the green grass of your backyard and be mad at yourself because it would have been so nice to have full sun because this is the ideal bleach. Fresh sun. Green grass.
Place your rolled up towel, Oxi~clean (love.this.stuff) and long stirring stick on nice table next to stove. Not to worry, I don't use the forked end. 
Now wait on your garden bench while your gallon of water comes to a boil and take pictures of yourself because you are odd.
And because people already know you are odd, due to the fact that you are taking pictures of yourself and cleaning vintage linens is your hobby...make funny faces and take more pictures of yourself.
I hope my husband doesn't see this one. 
Well now, the water has come to a boil, turn off the stove and add 1 cup of oxi~clean to the pot.
Get another gallon of very hot water from the tap and pour that into the pot with the soapy, hot boiling water. 
Stir the pot. No, really. Stir it.
Unwrap your beauty from the towel sausage.
Lower that baby into the cooking brew of oxi~clean.
Stir some more, ever so gently, until the piece is immersed well. With the exception of checking every now and again to make sure the piece is submerged, let her sit and bathe in the pot for several hours (MAKE SURE THE STOVE IS OFF!). Check for dye "bleeding" as you may want to remove sooner if this occurs.
Now take your Christmas tablecloth off of the lawn because you forgot that your son's Beagle is not smart enough to know she shouldn't walk across it. Find your redneck outdoor wash line and hang her there.
Because you didn't plan well and started your project later in the day, you now return to your pot after dark. Past the prime time for drying your towel in the sun. Also, the trip to Costco inbetween triggers your memory and you remember that you need to make 7 lbs. of meatballs for the evangelism outreach and bring them to church the next day. 
Back onto the towel. No wringing. I mean it.
The inevitable red dye bleeding. Hopefully fading is minimal.
More rinsing. No wringing. Place the piece in the stock pot in your kitchen sink. Add fresh water and squish to remove all soap. Do this quite a few more times until oxi~clean free.
Back to the towel sausage roll. Yes, I'll say it again...NO WRINGING!
Hang your clean piece on the redneck wash line to dry. In the dark. Because it's late. And you missed the sun.
Don't leave it out too long. You know, birds and things that creep in the night.
The next day, after a gentle, gentle iron, you can muse and nuzzle and ooooh and aaaaah over your clean and restored fabric.
Did I mention that I love old linens? I dream of them. Yes. I do.
Before gentle, all day, oxi~clean, bath soak, into the night and 7 lbs. of meatballs...
...crisp, fresh, restored, don't touch this with your dirty hands, art deco, tea towel! The photo doesn't do the detailed justice, but it's clean baybee, clean.
There you go. Don't expect this again. This is the last time I'm telling you.
Cleaning linens to me is as gardening to others. Can you imagine the linens in heaven? Someone will have to clean them. I mean, they will get very dirty after thousands and thousands of years ;O).
I've searched the world over (well, not really...just ebay forums and tablecloth websites), and I've made some compromises, taken short cuts along the way. There is only one method (in my humble opinion) that truly works to restore these precious vintage fibers. How many linens have I ruined? I shall not linger on that question, I move on...
Go out and find yourself a beautiful, old linen. I'm using this coarse, linen, art deco, tea towel. I don't have a book on tea towels, but my best guess is that it is from the 20's or 30's based on design, dye and fabric. I purchased it from an antique dealer who was having a delicious garage sale (cost me a toe nail...but that's another story). I love the design and the feel of the fabric. But. It. Is. Dirty. Filthy. Time for a bath dear towel, so here we go...
Purchase a little bottle of "Woolite". Remember this? Your mom always used it. Yeah, that's the one.
Now put a little water in your tub, add a smidgen of woolite, and soak that sweet baby. This step is vital. The linen has most likely been tucked away in some forgotten drawer with accumulated dirt and dust. Not to mention the precious fiber is old. Old as the old dirt. Gently, gently add it to the water and listen to it say, "aaaaaah! thaaaaank yooooouuuu dear wash lady".
Start squishing it around. This is the therapeutic part. Unless you have trouble bending over the bath tub because your back hurts from years of bending over the bath tub with all of your children. In that case take two ibuprofen before you start. Or during, if you forget.The best part is when the water starts to turn a little yellowish brown. Just a little. Then you know the dirt is beginning to loosen.
O.K. Listen up. Do not wring out your old linens. Empty the bath tub of the dirty water and fill it just a bit with fresh water. Squish your piece around again. Repeat this process several times with 3 or 4 fresh water squishings. Do this until all traces of soap are removed. This is important.
Lay your piece (I folded mine over once) on a clean towel.
Gently roll up the edges of said towel. This is how you "wring" it out. Did I mention not to wring it!!Sigh...I wonder if they need any help on the restoration of the Star Spangled Banner...I'll have to check on that,
get yourself a gallon of water.
Take it outside and pour it into a stock pot and turn on the outdoor cooking stove that your daughter in law gave to your husband for Father's day and the weather is beautiful outside and you are so glad because you live in the desert and you have been inside for 4 months straight. Or use your regular inside stove.
Then remember that you need to take out a newer tablecloth from your laundry machine to dry out on the green grass of your backyard and be mad at yourself because it would have been so nice to have full sun because this is the ideal bleach. Fresh sun. Green grass.
Place your rolled up towel, Oxi~clean (love.this.stuff) and long stirring stick on nice table next to stove. Not to worry, I don't use the forked end. 
Now wait on your garden bench while your gallon of water comes to a boil and take pictures of yourself because you are odd.
And because people already know you are odd, due to the fact that you are taking pictures of yourself and cleaning vintage linens is your hobby...make funny faces and take more pictures of yourself.
I hope my husband doesn't see this one. 
Well now, the water has come to a boil, turn off the stove and add 1 cup of oxi~clean to the pot.
Get another gallon of very hot water from the tap and pour that into the pot with the soapy, hot boiling water. 
Stir the pot. No, really. Stir it.
Unwrap your beauty from the towel sausage.
Lower that baby into the cooking brew of oxi~clean.
Stir some more, ever so gently, until the piece is immersed well. With the exception of checking every now and again to make sure the piece is submerged, let her sit and bathe in the pot for several hours (MAKE SURE THE STOVE IS OFF!). Check for dye "bleeding" as you may want to remove sooner if this occurs.
Now take your Christmas tablecloth off of the lawn because you forgot that your son's Beagle is not smart enough to know she shouldn't walk across it. Find your redneck outdoor wash line and hang her there.
Because you didn't plan well and started your project later in the day, you now return to your pot after dark. Past the prime time for drying your towel in the sun. Also, the trip to Costco inbetween triggers your memory and you remember that you need to make 7 lbs. of meatballs for the evangelism outreach and bring them to church the next day. 
Back onto the towel. No wringing. I mean it.
The inevitable red dye bleeding. Hopefully fading is minimal.
More rinsing. No wringing. Place the piece in the stock pot in your kitchen sink. Add fresh water and squish to remove all soap. Do this quite a few more times until oxi~clean free.
Back to the towel sausage roll. Yes, I'll say it again...NO WRINGING!
Hang your clean piece on the redneck wash line to dry. In the dark. Because it's late. And you missed the sun. Don't leave it out too long. You know, birds and things that creep in the night.
The next day, after a gentle, gentle iron, you can muse and nuzzle and ooooh and aaaaah over your clean and restored fabric. Did I mention that I love old linens? I dream of them. Yes. I do.
Before gentle, all day, oxi~clean, bath soak, into the night and 7 lbs. of meatballs...
...crisp, fresh, restored, don't touch this with your dirty hands, art deco, tea towel! The photo doesn't do the detailed justice, but it's clean baybee, clean. There you go. Don't expect this again. This is the last time I'm telling you.
Cleaning linens to me is as gardening to others. Can you imagine the linens in heaven? Someone will have to clean them. I mean, they will get very dirty after thousands and thousands of years ;O).
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