My mother recently gave me the stockings she knitted for my sister and I about 50 years ago, but they are badly discolored. The white and light colored areas are yellowed and they generally look grungy. I think they are wool or a mostly wool blend. I really want to see if they can be cleaned up but only if I can do it safely I have Orvus and time.
Any and all help
Many thanks
Cheryl
Wool is tougher than one sometimes thinks.
I would try a very mild solution of oxiclean (or your US equivalent) and see what happened.
Remember somebody on rctn who was a chemist explained to us all once how things like bleach or oxygen cleaners work and she felt the oxygen cleaners would do little harm but would not work all the time, it entirely depended on what caused the stains. I have found that to be true. Have used the oxiclean stuff very successfully on old linens without dire results. Never use bleach but YMMV
Please don't use Oxiclean. It's an enzyme formulation, and it can actually dissolve protein fibers like wool and silk. It's safe on cellulose fibers, but not wool!
Monique in TX
I used to wash my wool sweaters in mild dish detergent. The kind made for hand washing dishes, not the stuff for dishwashers.
I was careful to find one without perfume, citrus or bleach.
It worked for me.
I'm not sure if it will take out the yellow, but it might just take out the grunge.
Lucille
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Sounds like time for the Orvus! works for most anything else I want to wash. I'll let you all know what happens.
Cheryl
Just let it sit in the soapy water for a bit, swish around and rinse, rinse, rinse. Then probably repeat the whole thing and again, rinse, rinse, rinse.
Then you will have to block them. You know how--squeeze out water, roll in a towel and then lay flat on a towel, wrestle into shape and wait forever for them to dry.
Lucille>
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