Thrift shopping can be a great way to get the items you need without spending a lot of money. One possible reason for this is that the items are often in good condition and have been taken care of. Another is that thrift stores have frequent sales and discounts on certain products. And finally, many people donate their old yet quality clothes to thrift stores, which you can bag at discount price tags.
However, while you can use these items to save money, you’ll often come across dirty and grimy stuff as well because people have donated them without washing them first. But even if they are laundered, it’s still advised to take the time to clean these items if you get them from a thrift store. So, here are a few suggestions on how to care for items that you brought from a thrift store:
Furniture
When you buy furniture from a thrift store, it’s usually in a good state but not necessarily in perfect condition. There are often a few stains, scratches, or tears that may need to be fixed or cleaned before using the piece for its intended purpose.
The first step to cleaning any item is assessing what needs to be done. For example, if the stains on your furniture can be removed with water and a cloth, this would be an easy fix.
However, if the stains cannot be removed in such a simple way, you may need to use other methods like rubbing alcohol or bleach. Depending on what type of furniture you get from a thrift store, you can always get cleaning products, such as a leather cleaner or sandpaper and varnish to shape and coat wooden furniture.
Clothes
Thrift stores are great places to find gently used clothing items – but they can also be a challenge to clean. The clothes you get from these stores can be stained with dirt or cosmetic products, and it can be challenging to remove those stains without using harsh chemicals.
Fortunately, you can clean your new articles of clothing with water, vinegar, and baking soda. You should soak the item in the solution for about 20 minutes before washing. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the dirt and dust from your clothes. However, if you’re struggling to get rid of stains, you can also take your clothing to a professional cleaner similar to this Croydon Dry Cleaning service for a deep clean.
Wooden Items
You can remove some stains from your wooden thrift store finds by using lemon juice and salt. Mix equal parts lemon juice and salt in a bowl, then dip your wood item in it for about 10 minutes before rinsing with water and drying off with paper towels or a regular towel. You could also try using a rag dipped in vinegar for this method.
Jewelry
Finally, the most effective way to clean jewelry you get from a thrift store is by taking off any accessories that may have been added to the piece, such as necklaces, ribbons, and chains, and clean it with a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice.
You can also use dish soap and water in place of baking soda and lemon juice. If you don’t have any of these items, you can also use toothpaste, which has abrasive properties that will help remove stains.
