Christening gowns are used for Christian baptismal ceremonies symbolizing the dedication of a boy or girl to the Christian faith. Christening gowns are typically white and represent purity, new life and joy. There are many people in possession of heirloom or antique christening gowns who want to know how to clean them. Over time, an antique gown has a tendency to experience some yellowing with age, even when it's been stored properly, but there is a way to clean an heirloom christening gown to bring it back to its original look.
Things You'll Need
1 cup of Woolite
A bucket
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Step 1
Fill a bath tub with lukewarm water. The water shouldn't feel so hot, however, that it could damage the heirloom gown.
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Step 2
Put one cup of Woolite into a bucket of hot water. Make sure that the Woolite solution has dissolved completely.
Step 3
Pour the solution of mixed Woolite and hot water into the bathtub.
Step 4
Lay the antique christening garment flat down in the bottom of the tub. Let the water flow through the gown as it rises to the top. Don't exceed 30 minutes if the gown is cotton or linen.
Step 5
Apply gentle pressure with a sponge to any stains on the gown.
Step 6
Drain the tub and rinse the gown with the shower head. If you don't have a shower-head, fill the tub again with water and allow to drain six or seven times until garment is free of soap.
Step 7
Lift the garment out of the bath tub, gently allowing the water to drain from the garment. Do not wring the water from the gown as you could damage the gown.
Step 8
Get a towel and place the gown inside and gently get rid of excess water. Allow garment to hang dry, do not place in the dryer.