Every vintage lady needs a pair (or 10) of crisp white gloves. Vital for protecting dainty little fingers from all the environmental hazards of the world around us, little white gloves were a necessity in the days before sunscreen and hand sanitizer. Vintage gloves are not a rare find by any means, but ones that aren't wrought with stains from decades of neglect are few and far between. Luckily, there are ways to make your little white gloves fresh again, without using harsh, potentially damaging chemicals.
Always hand-wash your gloves using mild dish soap and warm water.
Modern detergent is rather harsh, and can degrade delicate old fibers. Dish soap is so mild you can soak your hands in it, yet tough enough to dissolve grease (do I sound like a Dawn commercial yet?) Your best bet is to mix a small amount of soap with warm water in a clean plastic or glass bowl. Don't use your sink as a bath, as it could potentially have left-over food particles (last night's spaghetti sauce, for example) that may stain cotton. Using warm water will activate the soap, without potentially shrinking the gloves.
Avoid the temptation to bleach.
Although bleach is powerful in eradicating most stains, it's also incredibly harsh. If you intend to preserve your gloves for years to come, skip the bleach and opt to add Oxy Clean to your soap bath instead. Feel free to use a few scoops if your gloves are especially soiled. Just make sure the powder is fully dissolved before adding your items. Your gloves are safe to soak for hours, and are likely to be just as white, if not whiter, when they emerge from the water.
Rinse gently and remove all excess soap.
Remove your gloves from the bath and rinse very well with coolish water. Make sure you remove all traces of soap. Avoid wringing your gloves. Instead, try to push the excess water out, either with your hands or a clean, dry towel. Place your wet gloves on the towel, gently roll the towel up, and push down firmly with your palms.
Don't use the dryer.
Instead, let your gloves drip-dry, either draped over a hanger or clipped to a clothesline. Not drying your gloves in a commercial dryer will keep them from potentially shrinking, as well as give you that nice crisp feeling you're looking for in a clean pair of gloves.
When all else fails, dye!
There are plenty of gentle methods to dying fabric, from tea to coffee to Kool-Aid. Of course, you can opt for something like Jacquard Procion MX Dye or Rit, too. Have fun with it, but remember that light colored dyes will not cover dark colored stains. Be careful. Do your research before reaching for the dye bottle, and follow the directions to a T! There's not much room for error when it comes to dying fabric, but at least you can always take the color darker if you do make a mistake.
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