Embroidered Vintage Tablecloths

[SpacegirlRevisited]

I've thirty used embroidered white cotton vintage tablecloths from my wedding.

I washed them with bio Persil on a delicates this morning but many of them still have stains on them. The stains are from tea, coffee, Pimms and chocolate cake.

I'm going to have to wash them again but can anyone suggest a good stain remover or the best and safest way to get these stains out.I'm slightly worried about damaging the coloured embroidery with my usual 'stick it on a boil wash' approach.

Hope someone can help.

I'd be tempted to use napisan but it may fade the embroidery a little bit.

If we get a sunny day, that should help bleach them - my cloth nappies always look better after a day on the line.

Maybe soak in Biotex if you can still buy it.

Don't use napisan it WILL fade embroidery. You need to treat the stains only with a stain remover and then you need a sunny day.

The pink spray bottle carpet-cleaner is amazing at removing stains of coffee and wine. I think it must have peroxide or something in it. It seems to be stronger than the pre-wash stain removers.

First stick them on the line - even if rainy.
Some stains do just magically disappear like that.

Next I would try a hotter wash (perhaps a 50) with some washing soda in. My theory is that you can't use them stained so it's nothing lost if you do have a mishap removing the stains.

If you really cannot bear the idea of possibly damaging them,perhaps spot treating with hotter water and a paste of washing powder?

I'd try spot-cleaning with the Astonish stain-remover bar, using damp and leaving say 10 mins before rinsing well and drying in sunshine.

Thank you so much everyone for your suggestions.

Figuring VerySmallsqueak had made a good point about damaging them further being worth the risk, I tried several of your suggestions.

Hanging them on the line did indeed remove some of the stains even in the watery Cornish sun.

For the remaining I found the Astonish worked well and a couple of really stubborn stains responded to Napisan dabbed on.

All now freshly starched and put away until the next time I need 30 tablecloths!