Before wet cleaning, dust, dirt, and individual stains should be removed from the clothing.
It’s convenient to clean clothes using a stiff bristle or nylon brush on a large table covered with a plastic tablecloth. The temperature of the cleaning solution should not exceed 122°F (50°C).
To prepare the cleaning solution: dissolve 100g of toilet soap, previously grated, in half a liter of boiling water. After the soap has dissolved, allow the mixture to cool, then add a tablespoon of ammonia and half a liter of pure gasoline. Stir the warm paste and let it cool.
Start by cleaning the collar, lapels, and pockets of the jacket or coat.
Moisten the clothing with warm water, apply the soapy paste with a brush, and rub it into the fabric. For pile fabrics, rub the paste in the direction of the nap. After this, clean the soaped areas with a brush dampened in warm water. Rinse off any remaining soap with warm water. After cleaning, the item should be rinsed and thoroughly wrung out. Then hang it on a hanger to dry.
Once dry (but not over-dried), iron the item; when ironing the shoulders and chest, use a small cushion covered with dense canvas.
Cleaning Fur. White fur is cleaned with a paste made from dried potato flour and high-quality gasoline.
Dust and dirt are removed from the fur, then it is beaten, and the gasoline mixture is rubbed into it and allowed to dry. After that, the fur is brushed. If heavily soiled, the cleaning process is repeated.
If gray astrakhan fur has yellowed, it can be lightened with a solution of hydrogen peroxide (one teaspoon of peroxide per cup of warm water). A few drops of ammonia are added to this solution. Sometimes the yellowing does not completely disappear; in this case, after bleaching, the fur is wiped with a clean cloth dampened with water and then lightly tinted with a pale solution of blue dye (for cotton fabric). When tinting, ensure that the dye solution is applied evenly to the nap. Avoid over-tinting; first, test a small, inconspicuous area and let it dry.
If the fur has lost its natural luster, it can be refreshed with walnut oil. To do this, crush several peeled fresh walnuts, wrap them in a cloth, and squeeze out the oil, which is then used to wipe the fur. This oil can be used on both light and dark furs.
To soften fur that has become stiff, prepare a fatty emulsion by mixing an egg yolk with a tablespoon of petroleum jelly (available at pharmacies). Add half a teaspoon of glycerin and dilute it in half a liter of warm water. Shake the emulsion and use it to wipe the fur from the inside. Avoid soaking the fur too much. After this, allow the fur to dry and gently knead it. Fur treated with this emulsion retains its softness for a long time.
To stretch the fur, moisten the skin side with warm water mixed with two tablespoons of emulsion per liter. Lay the damp fur hair-side down on a board, stretch it, and secure the edges with small nails; dry the fur at room temperature. Fur items clean better if the lining is removed.
Cleaning Felt Hats. Before cleaning, remove the brim from the hat. Felt can be effectively cleaned with gasoline. You can either immerse the entire hat in a basin of gasoline or use a brush dampened with gasoline. Gasoline dissolves only greasy stains. Sweat stains are cleaned with the aforementioned gasoline soap.
Hats can also be cleaned with a paste made from gasoline and dry potato flour, which is rubbed into the felt using burlap. When cleaned with gasoline, the hat retains its shape and does not shrink; however, wet cleaning may cause the hat to slightly decrease in size and change shape. To prevent this, dry the hat on a hat block after cleaning. Before ironing, soak the hat in a 5% gelatin solution and then iron it on the block.
Cleaning and Whitening Straw Hats. Before cleaning, remove the brim from the straw hat and soak it in cold water for 10-12 hours (it will not lose its shape in water). After removing the hat from the water, clean it with a file dampened in a soapy solution or gasoline soap. Once all dirt is removed, proceed to whiten the straw.
There are several methods for whitening.
First Method. The cleaned, damp hat is moistened inside and out with a purple solution of potassium permanganate. After two to three minutes, the darkened straw is lightened with a fresh solution of acid fixer used in photography. This treatment gives the straw a white color. To enhance this, rinse the straw thoroughly after whitening and lightly tint it with a blue dye solution used for cotton fabric.
Second Method. The clean, previously soaked hat is placed in a bucket of cold water, to which a packet of the bleaching agent “Persol” is added. Gradually heat the water until it is nearly boiling. Rinse the bleached hat in cold water and dry it in the sun.
Hydrogen peroxide also has bleaching properties for straw: mix two teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia in a cup of warm water. Dry the hat in the sun.
In addition to the aforementioned chemicals, straw can be whitened with a 10% solution of oxalic or citric acid. Hats bleached with any of these acids should be rinsed in cold water and dried.
To maintain the shape of the hat, if a block is not available, shape it by hand and gradually sprinkle it with medical or sculpting plaster. The plaster hardens, and the hat dries, retaining the shape given to it. After drying, carefully remove the plaster.
Severely yellowed and unbleachable straw can be dyed any color with fabric dye. Dyeing can be done in a bucket, bringing the dye solution to a boil, as is done when dyeing fabrics. The straw will not be damaged, but the hat may change shape. To restore the desired shape after dyeing, use plaster.
Straw hats can also be coated with alcohol-based lacquer of any color. Before coating, the straw should be thoroughly dried.
To prevent the hat from losing its shape, after cleaning and whitening, cover it with a warm 10% solution of food gelatin. During rain, the gelatin film may swell and soften, but it regains its original elasticity once dry.
Hats coated with alcohol-based lacquer maintain their shape well.
Cleaning Rubberized Raincoats. Rubberized raincoats are washed with warm soapy water, adding a small amount of ammonia. Lay the raincoat on a table and clean it with a stiff brush dampened in the solution. Then rinse the raincoat thoroughly in water and dry it on hangers. Do not wring out the raincoat or use any solvents (gasoline, turpentine) during cleaning. To refresh the color, wipe the damp raincoat with a cloth soaked in vinegar.