ot BUT THOUGHT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP...

[BlueIrises]

Since you are all experts at laundry w/the cloth diapers and proper laundering, I have a question...

My son is being Baptized later this month and I really want to have him wear my Christening dress and start a family tradition. However, my dress has some yellow stains up near the collar...I'm guessing drool or spit up that has been sitting there for 34 years...is there a remedy? I washed it once and put some dreft on it directly but nothing...

The washing directions are still on a paper inside the box and it says no chlorine bleach, not sure why as the dress isn't silk...its 65 poly and 35 cotton. I was wondering if I diluted some bleach and used a Q-tip to apply some on the stain if that would work or if I am going to cause more yellowing (you know how sometimes bleach turns some clothes yellow)

Should I bring it to the cleaners and see if they can help...there is an organic cleaners near me too...can a 34 yo stain be removed?

[octobermom]

I'd take it to a cleaners personally

[mimid]

Try Borax. I used it on 3 year-old grape juice on a white silk matzah cover and it is sparkling new.

[Just Me]

I had a 25 year old formula stain on a baby outfit that was mine. I soaked it in Arm and Hammer detrgent and a tablespoon of borax and it came out safely

[jbpoetmom]

My daughter wore the Christening dress (also a cotton/poly blend) that I wore and my older sister wore, and my mom washed it with CASCADE and made a paste to get out the 30-year-old stains - unbeliebable but true! It was WHITE WHITE WHITE. I was surprised it held up . . . then my sister's daughter wore it too! Good luck!

[chel]

I've found oxi clean type cleaner has worked well for old stained stuff.

[momto l&a]

I'd soak it in a good quality oxygen bleach.

[Treece]

Originally Posted by jbpoetmom

My daughter wore the Christening dress (also a cotton/poly blend) that I wore and my older sister wore, and my mom washed it with CASCADE and made a paste to get out the 30-year-old stains - unbeliebable but true! It was WHITE WHITE WHITE. I was surprised it held up . . . then my sister's daughter wore it too! Good luck!

I *think* (please don't quote me) that Cascade has bleach in it. I may be badly mistaken. BTW, my mom never bleaches, just Cascade (well, generic, I think).

[tracykg]

Oxyclean. I saved all my baby clothes from my oldest daughter, and as they sit, those spit up stains just get more and more yellow! On some of her clothes, I made a paste of oxyclean, wet the areas to be cleaned, and applied it. Let it sit overnight. It was clean the next day. I don't know about the gown's durability, though. I just know it worked for me on some sturdy cotton stuff.

[avendesora]

I had a similar problem - we had a beautiful 120+ yr old gown that had yellowings. Because of its age, I didn't want to just wash it with whatever. I asked a woman I know who works in the clothing/costume section of a museum. She recommended washing it with "Lestoil" which I found at a regular grocery store. I don't recall exactly, but I think it's pretty nontoxic. I think I may have then also washed it with a bit of Oxysomething, but I don't remember that for sure. The Lestoil worked well.

Good luck!
Aven

[BlueIrises]

Wow...great suggestions here...now to decide which one do I try first!