Doilies really aren't that hard to care for, especially if you know what not to do with them.
I have made, sold, and decorated with a lot of doilies over the years. I've always recommended to my customers the same care plan that I have used myself with much success at keeping my doilies looking beautiful for many years.
Dusting: When you dust a room, simply shake the doilies to get the dust out of them. The more often you do this, the less often you need to wash them. Wash when they look like they could use a good freshening up. Colored doilies will not need to be washed as often as white doilies.
Washing: To keep my doilies looking their best, I prefer to hand wash them. Suds up a little bit of dish soap or mild detergent in a sink of lukewarm water. Don't overdo the soap, it doesn't take much. You just need a bit of suds, not a lot. Soak the doily for a bit, swishing a few times, then drain and fill the sink with plain water for rinsing. Swish the doily in the rinse water; drain and repeat until no suds are left. Gently squeeze the doily to remove most of the water, being careful not to wring it. Press the doily between two layers of a thick towel to absorb the remaining water. Smooth the doily into shape on the top layer of the towel and leave to dry. Important: Most doilies are 100% cotton. Do not wash your doily in hot water, and do not dry your doily in the dryer, as your doily will shrink and be ruined. (I have heard too many horror stories.)
Washing: To keep my doilies looking their best, I prefer to hand wash them. Suds up a little bit of dish soap or mild detergent in a sink of lukewarm water. Don't overdo the soap, it doesn't take much. You just need a bit of suds, not a lot. Soak the doily for a bit, swishing a few times, then drain and fill the sink with plain water for rinsing. Swish the doily in the rinse water; drain and repeat until no suds are left. Gently squeeze the doily to remove most of the water, being careful not to wring it. Press the doily between two layers of a thick towel to absorb the remaining water. Smooth the doily into shape on the top layer of the towel and leave to dry. Important: Most doilies are 100% cotton. Do not wash your doily in hot water, and do not dry your doily in the dryer, as your doily will shrink and be ruined. (I have heard too many horror stories.)
Ironing: To iron a doily, heat your iron on the cotton setting. Smooth your doily out on a towel or ironing board, face down. Lightly spritz the backside with a spray bottle of water. Iron your doily, starting each stroke from the center and working your way outward to the edge. (Never iron your doily from the edges in or from side to side.) To keep your doily symmetrical, iron in the following fashion: north, south, east, west, northeast, southwest, southeast, northwest. Basically you don't want to work all of one side and then the other. Continue alternating sides in this manner as you iron, because the iron will stretch out your doily in the direction it goes, and you want to keep it all balanced. (Just remember, always iron from the center outward.) And keep the iron moving, as you don't want to shrink or scorch your doily with too much heat in one spot. If you have misted your doily lightly and preheated your iron, it won't take much to iron it. Also be careful to not go too fast or you may catch the point of your iron in the openwork of the stitches. Do take care not to catch the lace as you iron.
Repairs: I have never needed to repair any of my own handmade doilies, but I have repaired quite a few vintage and antique doilies for others. For those of you that do have doilies in need of repair work, I will try to write a how-to repair article for another post in the future. Or you might want to look for someone who does quality crochet work and see if they can do the repair work for you.
Repairs: I have never needed to repair any of my own handmade doilies, but I have repaired quite a few vintage and antique doilies for others. For those of you that do have doilies in need of repair work, I will try to write a how-to repair article for another post in the future. Or you might want to look for someone who does quality crochet work and see if they can do the repair work for you.
-- Nikki Weiss / myMountainStudio
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