skip to main content

Antiques & Collectibles

restoring old linens

16 years ago

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I tried posting this question in search and no examples came up. I have some old linens, bedsheets, pillow cases, fancy pieces that have yellowed over the years. some that are mild may be due to age but others, like the pillow cases are very yellow and I suspect this is from chlorine bleach, though no one has admitted using it. I really would like to restore them to their original whiteness as they have a lot of my great grandmother's embroidery on them. Is there any way to reverse the horrible yellowing on old sheets etc.?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

calliope
16 years ago
Why don't you go to the quilting forum and ask. They are lovely folk over there and are familiar with dealing in old cloth and preserving antique quilts. I'll be they'd know.
lindac
16 years ago
Yellowing is not from chlorine bleach...it will just "eat" the fabric and whiten rather than yellow...unless the fabric is silk.
If you have really lovely antique linens you need to soak them in an anionic soap (Orvis...available from quilt shops) and distilled water...and make a support frame to rinse and dry them....but if you have merely "old linens" from say the 50's, soaking in a solution of oxy clean will go a long way toward restoring whiteness.
Linda C
Related Professionals
Lake Zurich Furniture & Accessories · Bloomingdale Interior Designers & Decorators · Mansfield Interior Designers & Decorators · Lake Forest Painters · Richmond Painters · San Diego Painters · Sedona Painters · Severn Painters · Tustin Painters · Owensboro Furniture & Accessories · Roswell Furniture & Accessories · Culver City Furniture & Accessories · Fillmore Furniture & Accessories · Cockeysville Professional Organizers · Los Angeles Professional Organizers

Related Stories

HOUZZ TV FAVORITES Houzz TV: See How Early Settlers Lived in This Restored Pilgrim House

Passionate restoration and preservation efforts give a 1665 home an honored place in the present

BEFORE AND AFTERS Kitchen of the Week: Classic White Farmhouse Style Restored

By Sarah Greenman

A couple remodel their kitchen to better match their 19th-century Oregon home’s style

CRAFTSMAN DESIGN My Houzz: Small-Space Living in a Restored Bungalow

By Bonnie McCarthy

See how this homeowner celebrates his personal style, his flea market finds and the heritage of his 1919 Long Beach home

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Updated Elegance for a 200-Year-Old Norwegian Mansion

By Vanessa Brunner

Original details are restored to glory with a modern color palette and set off by fresh furnishings and a more open layout

TRADITIONAL STYLE Decorating With Antiques: Luxurious Linens

By Mike Dietrich

Bring quality, comfort and a sense of old-world romance to your rooms with vintage tablecloths, sheets, napkins and more

BEFORE AND AFTERS Restoration Rallies a 1790 Stone Springhouse

By Becky Harris

An old outbuilding gets a new purpose — several purposes, that is — thanks to careful efforts by stonemasons and architects

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Loving Linen All Over the Home

By Cedar Hill Interiors, LLC

Charmingly rumpled or ironed smooth, these linen finds from napkins to curtains bring casual elegance to rooms

TRADITIONAL HOMES My Houzz: A Centuries-Old French Estate Charms Again

By Holly Marder

Time and local artisans help a couple realize an idyllic French country retreat — and you can rent it

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Spanish Colonial Restoration in Hollywood

Honoring its Spanish heritage, a 1928 home in California becomes a romantic sanctuary and inviting space for entertaining

UPHOLSTERY The Perks and Perils of Reupholstering Old Furniture

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Secondhand upholstered pieces can add character to a room, but beware of bugs, snakes and hidden costs

Sponsored

Kuhns Contracting, Inc.

26 Reviews

Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

More Discussions

Automated Silverplate Pattern Identification Actually Worked!

1

Pattern ID Help - Limoges - Vignaud - Haviland?

3

Any rug experts out there? I'd love to have some info on THIS rug.

13

Pottery found at thrift store

1

Chest of drawers repair

8