Tried cleaning my grandma's 1920s quilt with vinegar instead of dry cleaning...

I have this old crazy quilt my grandma made around 1925 with bits of her wedding dress in it. I read online that vinegar was safe for antique fabrics so I spot cleaned a small stain near the edge... and the color from the fabric bled right into the white sections. Now I'm debating whether to take it to a pro in Portland or just leave it as is for the history. Has anyone else had a home remedy wreck an heirloom, and did you fix it or just accept the damage?

3 comments

3 Comments

markl755d ago

Wait the person who said it adds character is kind of onto something though? Like yeah it's not what you wanted but now that quilt has a visible story from YOUR time with it too, not just your grandma's.

thea6925d ago

oh man that sucks so bad! i did the same thing with my great aunt's 1940s tablecloth and a baking soda paste. i just went ahead and left the stain cause it felt like part of the story now.

rowan8495d ago

Ugh, honestly are we sure this is a disaster though? I mean, you spot cleaned a tiny stain near the edge and maybe the bleeding just adds character? Like, that quilt already has her wedding dress sewn in, a little color shift is just part of its life now. Idk, maybe I'm being too chill but I'd just leave it. Taking it to a pro in Portland sounds expensive and stressful, and what if they mess it up even more?