If you love to thrift, but hate trying to understand how to clean your vintage and thrifted pieces – this is the post for you! I’m going to share my 12 best tips for cleaning your thrifted hauls so that you can feel good about bringing your new treasures into your home!

I am often questioned how I clean the items I share that I’ve found second hand. This can include thrift stores, garage sales, vintage shops, online auctions, and even Facebook marketplace finds.

If you’re buying something that has been used and loved – sometimes for upwards of 20 to even 100+ years – you’re going to want to know how to clean it thoroughly, while also protecting it from damage.

Is it Worth it to Spend Time Cleaning Thrifted Pieces?

For some people, the idea of germs on thrifted pieces is too much to swallow… but I’m going to just come right out and say it, the world is full of germs. I don’t like thinking about it too much, either, because it does make my skin crawl; but it helps us to understand that, and to know that we’re not ever going to be able to eliminate all germs.

We even have reason to believe that some exposure to germs helps stimulate our immune systems.

That’s right – we’re out here thrifting for the sake of our health!

All jokes aside, I understand there is a huge difference between our own family’s germs and other peoples’ germs. Am I right?

When we moved into our 1907 Farmhouse, I spent 3 hours cleaning our upstairs bathroom with bleach. It was old and needed refinishing, so it didn’t even look much better – but it felt better knowing that any mess going forward was just from our own family.

All this to say – I absolutely believe that it’s worth it to spend the time and effort to clean vintage & thrifted finds so that you can feel comfortable incorporating them into your own home.

Knowing how to clean them well means that you don’t feel like you have to cringe every time you want to use that basket from the thrift store or the velvet feather pillow you found at a garage sale.

*This post contains affiliate links to products I know &/or love.

12 Tips for Cleaning Thrifted & Vintage Finds:

Number One | Washing Machine

This is without a doubt the easiest way to wash second hand clothes, blankets, sheets, curtains and even feather pillows!  For years our family used strictly second hand and hand-me-down clothes and it cut our clothing budget down by 90%!  From my experience, a good dunk in the washing machine with lots of your favorite soap (mine is Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Lavender Soap) is enough to make them feel like they have always been yours. If that doesn’t work to make them smell fresh and clean, I would probably not keep them.

Number Two | Lysol Spray or Rubbing Alcohol

I’d recommend using Lysol spray or rubbing alcohol for anything that doesn’t do well in water, for instance: shoes, baskets, even vintage books.  Just spray lightly over those books, OK?

Number Three | Dishwasher

I know everyone has their own standards for washing dishes, one of my aunts would die before she put a wooden spoon in the dishwasher!  But, at least once, I am going to run my thrifted silverware, dishes, mason jars, etc through the dishwasher on hot.  If it can’t survive the initial initiation into my home, it probably wasn’t meant to be.

Number Four | Mrs. Meyers All Purpose Cleaner

I like to buy the Mrs. Meyers concentrate in the lavender scent and then mix my own spray bottles.  One bottle of concentrate lasts us all year. So, it’s a great investment!  Use this to wipe down any hard surfaces that you can’t put in the dishwasher.  I especially love this cleaner for wiping down furniture before I paint.

Number Five | Oxiclean

I love to use Oxiclean for any stains that you are nervous about using bleach on. It uses oxygen to take stains out and is especially nice for vintage linens. I also love using this for white upholstered furniture and keeping my bed sheets white and bright.

Number Six | Shop Vacuum

I use this little cordless one from DeWalt for everything!  It is the perfect tool for vacuuming out upholstered furniture and the inside of drawers in thrifted furniture.  As a side note, I will usually line my drawers with contact paper (or you can also use wrapping paper) so that they feel new and clean for storing my things.

Number Seven | Tooth Brush

This is a no brainer, but all you need for cleaning out little nooks and crannies is some Mrs. Meyers and a tooth brush.  Save your old tooth brushes for this task and it will save you time, as well.

Number Eight | Magic Erasers

When magic erasers first came out, I had toddlers in the house, and I think I heard angels sing. I seriously considered giving them as Christmas gifts to all my fellow mom friends at the time!  I since have learned that they are made from a pipe insulating material and can be purchased dirt cheap from knock off brands. Use these for getting any tough marks off hard surfaces, they are especially good for dealing with painted pieces.

Number Nine | Hemp Oil

I keep this “Milk Oil” by Miss Mustard Seed on hand to condition, clean and restore raw wood and leather pieces. I also have had great success with Howard’s Restor-A-Finish. You can see how well it worked on my bathroom vanity HERE.

Number Ten | Goo Gone

Goo Gone works great to remove stickers, pricetags, labels and other left behind adhesive “gunk”.

Number Eleven | Febreeze

I love Febreeze Fabric Refresher, specifically for upholstered items that I can’t get the smell out of. Febreeze doesn’t just cover smells, it actually has a chemical reaction and neutralizes the chemicals that are causing the offending smells.

Number Twelve | Kitty Litter

Kitty Litter is said to work wonders on ridding things of that horrid, musty smell that I’m sure you recognize. People often use it on steamer trunks and suitcases! If you have a suitcase or trunk that won’t be helped with kitty litter or coffee grounds, I have a tried and true method that DOES work that you can follow. Click HERE for the tutorial. And speaking of suitcases – if you’d like to reline one, I have a tutorial for that as well.

So, don’t be afraid of bringing home thrifted hauls filled with new-to-you items just because they seem dirty.  Following these tips you should have very minimal cases of decor item casualties. And, more often than not you will get to enjoy your new vintage items for many years to come- and not be grossed out by them!

Journal Posts Related to Cleaning Thrifted Items:

• 10 Ways to Repurpose Your Vintage Linens
• 5 Secrets to Shopping Yard Sales
• Best way to Clean an Area Rug
• How to Clean White Upholstered Furniture
• 12 Vintage Cleaning Supplies that Double as Decor

Pin with me on Pinterest | I have an entire board dedicated to Vintage Household Cleaning.

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