Thrifting is one of the best ways to find something in your style on a budget. So make sure you know the Best Way to Clean and Restore Thrift Finds!
Thrifting is one of the best ways to find something in your style on a budget. Whether you’re trying to furnish a home or find something nice to wear, thrift stores have it all at a reasonable price. With the discounted price comes some difficulties, though. You may have several spots to clean and other areas of the item to restore, so it’s best to be prepared for any type of cleaning you may encounter.
Sometimes an item will be too dirty or damaged to be worth it. Think about how much time and money you might have to put in to make it usable. In other cases, however, the piece might be too good to pass up. If you fall in love with a thrift find that needs a little love, there are plenty of ways you can give it new life.
Why Should You Clean Your Thrift Store Hauls?
If you bring anything home from a thrift store, you should resign yourself to cleaning it. When buying something second hand, you have no way of knowing whether the store or the former owner cleaned it at all. You might encounter dust, stains, or even worse: pests.
For example, bed bugs are small but can build a colony rapidly. Bed bugs are annoying and can bite humans while they’re trying to rest. You can search for them inside a thrift store, but in suboptimal lighting, you might not catch everything. As such, you must know how to thoroughly clean the objects you bring into your house so you don’t acquire pests.
Anything with stains should be treated. You may not know what kind of stain it is, but with some close analysis and a few trials and errors, you should be able to realize whether a chemical stain remover can take it out or if you need to rely on something like an enzyme cleaner. Once you’re well-versed in identifying stains, cleaning items from thrift stores becomes as simple as looking up what to use.
The Best Ways to Clean Your New Items
Before you go thrift shopping, you should understand what you’re looking for. With a plan, you can determine which items you hope to buy and which you should be prepared to clean. Understand that different things may need different types of cleaning – but once you do it, your items won’t even look like they’re from the thrift store.
Furniture
The kind of furniture you get from the thrift store will determine how you should go about cleaning it. For example, you should take a different approach to cleaning wood than you would cleaning upholstery.
You can remove water stains on wood using something as simple as mayonnaise, but you should also disinfect it with soap and water. As for cotton fabric, use baking soda to deter any odor. You can spot clean any stains, and if you can remove the cushion covers, run them through the washing machine.
Remember to thoroughly inspect any furniture before you bring it home. There could be hidden issues that you had no idea about until you got it home. Check all around and under the furniture before deciding whether to purchase it. With wooden furniture, what you see is often what you get. You have to be more careful when buying furniture with fabric.
Jewelry
When you get jewelry from a thrift store, you may have to clean it to really see its worth. Always use warm water and mild soap to take care of any spots and stains on jewelry. With a soft brush, like an unused makeup brush, gently scrub the piece to get dust and grime out of any ridges or engravings. To avoid losing small pieces down the drain, wash them in a cup or bowl.
You will be amazed at how much dirt rinses away from the jewelry, and you’ll be glad you didn’t put those earrings on right away.
Clothing
The care tags on the clothing you pick up detail how you should clean each garment. If something says hand wash only, you should only wash it manually or on a very gentle cycle.
These tags should also tell you what not to use – because certain chemicals could damage the garment’s integrity – or what temperature of water you should choose when cleaning. To give your thrifted clothes the best chance of surviving well past their expected years, you should care for them accordingly.
Give Your Thrift Finds New Life
While many items sit in thrift stores look sad and dirty, it is possible to help them look new again. The trick of making your finds sparkle is knowing just how to clean every item that passes through your hands. Be sure to stock up on gentle cleaning products for different types of materials, like wood, glass and fabric. Pay attention to clothing tags, and do some research on stain removal.
With these tips, your thrift cleaning and restoration game will be unmatched – and you might even trick your guests into thinking the items are brand new.
Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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