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VERY soiled USMC WWI tunic, suggestions on cleaning?


MurfreesboroMemphis
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MurfreesboroMemphis

I just picked this tunic up and its in really bad shape. It appears to have water damage. I don't want to scrap it because I think these are so cool and if I can get it into some semblance of a displayable piece I'd prefer that. I think its got some mold and a lot of dirt. Does anyone have any ideas as far how to best start the cleaning process??

 

Thanks,

Will

post-19889-0-24216200-1374012143.jpg

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I had to hand wash one of mine about 6 times to get the stench of sweat out of it. Just use a very mild detergent and hang dry it. If there are any manufacturing details or name check them after the first hand wash to make sure the detergent is not too strong. They were hand washed way back when so why not today.

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For soiled heavy fabrics such as that I use brass lint brushes: you can brush very hard and they can work miracles without damaging the fabric:

 

brassbrush.jpg

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You know this is one item I would go to a professional clothing/Museum restorer.

 

There is just too many factors that can go wrong if you tried to do this yourself, especially with this rare jacket.

 

Trust me I'll be the first to tell you to dry clean and hand wash but cleaning this yourself could lead to disaster, and the jacket is valuable enough to spend the extra money on.

 

Good Luck!

Leonardo

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I have had luck with cold water and Woolite. Soak it in the woolite and gently massage or knead the fabric, and then keep repeating the process in cold water until the water is clear. Don't wring it, lay it on a big beach towel and then gently roll it up to get out the excess water and then lay it flat to dry. Don't put it on a hanger or clothes line. Good luck, I look forward to seeing it cleaned up.

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Leatherneck72

When I was the historical officer at 1st Marine Division, the lady over at Base Historical used to send out their uniforms for a "conservation cleaning." If memory serves me correct, it was a museum approved method of dry cleaning. It really made a difference on the dirty stuff they had. Just my two cents...

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Find out who does the cleaning for your local historical society, and use them -- they should be able to handle the job. I would have them avoid pressing -- just have them block it into shape.

 

G

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1. Check for any markings, names, etc, now before you start.

2. I'd brush as much loose dirt off by hand (lint roller or piece of tape) or a brush with soft bristles.

3. a tiny bit of woolite and cool water, use the tub so it can stay spread out and you don't have to bunch it into a bucket.....more of a soak than a hand wash....do this several times until you can get the water to not turn brown. Air dry on a plastic hanger.

4. See where you're at, then possibly use a dry cleaner.

 

It's rough enough right now, many cleaners probably won't touch it- I've had that happen before.

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Thoroughly photo document it, especially labels/tags, chevrons, braid, etc before doing anything.

 

JimB

 

 

 

1. Check for any markings, names, etc, now before you start.

2. I'd brush as much loose dirt off by hand (lint roller or piece of tape) or a brush with soft bristles.

3. a tiny bit of woolite and cool water, use the tub so it can stay spread out and you don't have to bunch it into a bucket.....more of a soak than a hand wash....do this several times until you can get the water to not turn brown. Air dry on a plastic hanger.

4. See where you're at, then possibly use a dry cleaner.

 

It's rough enough right now, many cleaners probably won't touch it- I've had that happen before.

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MurfreesboroMemphis

So after considering all the options that were presented here, and finding out that there weren't any dry cleaners in the area willing to mess with an already damaged uniform close to 100 years old, a fellow forum member and friend of mine, Josh (Haditha07USMCR) and I decided to try the woolite and bathtub method. It took us a while as we were very cautious due to the fragility of the uniform, but I'm pleased with the results. No damage was done to the uniform and though some stains remain after the wash, I feel that the uniform is 100 times better off than it was when I purchased it. Thanks for all the advise!



-Will



[sorry about the picture quality. Having some camera issues]


post-19889-0-64581900-1374446488.jpg

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Nice Job. You are right it does look much better. I have had the same problem in this area, a lot of cleaners would not touch old uniforms and the ones that would take them it I didn't trust. They would just toss it in an then shrug if it fell apart.

 

Usually the woolite brings some life back in to the old wool and getting that crud out of the wool should help preserve it. Good job.

 

Dennis

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unclegrumpy

One thing that will further improve it, is a good brushing. Before WW II, there really were not dry cleaners. People brushed out their woolen clothing.

 

I would not use a wire brush as mentioned in a previous post, but rather an old time hogs hair or similar clothing brush. If you keep an eye out for one, you will find an old one on the loose for $5 to $10. I have a couple of nice ones that were once a part of turn of the century women's dressing sets, and another that was from a high end mens clothing store from about 1920.

 

Essentially the procedure is to put the item in the sun and brush, and repeat. The sun will help the wool will expel much of the dirt and grim. Sometimes you have to dampen an area, but most of the time not.

 

Even though you have washed the uniform, a good brushing will still help it.

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