A few weeks ago, my boyfriend bought me a beret I was admiring at an antique mall. I love it and I want to wear it! but. it smells. It smells "vintage" - like it lived in someone's attic for years and then lived in an antique mall for years and soaked up everything else's smell. Which is probably exactly what happened.
There's no tag but I think it's wool so I don't want to just throw it in the washer. I tried letting it air out for a few weeks and that didn't help, so I tried cleaning it with Soak Wash (http://www.soakwash.com/) a couple times and it still stinks.
Any ideas? I rarely shop vintage so this is new territory for me. Most of my clothes are easy throw-them-in-the-washer types
-- Edited by Kelly on Sunday 16th of January 2011 10:20:36 PM
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Fashion is art you live your life in. - Devil Wears Prada | formerly ttara123
Take it to the dry cleaner and ask his/her advice. FWIW I take almost everything I get at a thrift store to the dry cleaner immediately - sometimes I don't even bring things in the house first - or put in the wash right away.
Hmmm. That's tough since it can't be laundered. Dry cleaning is a good suggestion. My at-home suggestion is to try spritzing it with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 vodka (don't soak it, just spritz it), then toss it and a dryer sheet into the dryer on the fluff cycle (heat will shrink it). Cold air also helps. Can you put it outside for a few days? HTH!