Restoring an old dress doesn't have to mean shelling out for pricey treatments or risking your clothes with harsh bleaches.
A dry cleaner with decades of experience just showed how they brought a 70-year-old Bloomingdale's dress back to life using just hydrogen peroxide and detergent — and people can't get over how easy it is.
The scoop
The viral TikTok from Jeeves New York (@jeeves_ny) walks through each step.
@jeeves_ny Replying to @Gordon Farms I'm a 4th generation dry cleaner and this is how I cleaned and restored a 70 year old Bloomingdale's dress. 1) I hand washed this very gently with a free and clear detergent (I didn't want any dye on this garment) 2) Dry flat and then apply a low percentage hydrogen peroxide (I started with 5%) 3) Let it air dry and check in on it the next day 4) Repeat and increase the hydrogen peroxide percentage if you want better results. However the higher the percentage, the more likely you are to harm the fabric Music by Dyalla!!! #restoration #thrift #garmentrestoration #whitening #bleach #bleaching #laundry #laundrytips #laundryhacks #satisfying #stainremoval #howtowhitenclothes ♬ original sound - clean freakz
"Hey I'm a dry cleaner, and I'm going to show you how I restored this 70-year-old dress. So come along and enjoy the process," the poster says in the clip.
Instead of following the "dry clean only" tag, they hand-washed the delicate dress with warm water and a free-and-clear detergent, noting in the caption, "When hand washing try to use gentle up and down motions and rinse thoroughly."
Next up was whitening. "We're going to start with 5% hydrogen peroxide and go up from there," they explain.
After letting the first round air dry, they boosted the peroxide to 15%. A few stubborn spots held on, so they used the stronger solution again.
"Here are the final results. Pretty much perfect in my opinion," they say. "And all this was done with our hands, which is pretty neat."
How it's helping
This hack saves money, plain and simple. No need for pricey dry cleaning or specialty whiteners. And no bleach needed. Just two things most people already have at home.
Using at-home tricks like this doesn't just cut costs. It also keeps plastic jugs, packaging, and chemical-filled cleaners out of your house and landfill.
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Saves money 💰 Social media users have shared other cleaning hacks using pantry and cleaning cupboard staples, with one cleaning a washing machine with baking soda and lemons, and another brightening tile grout with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide, when used correctly, is gentler than you think. Unlike chlorine bleach, it breaks down into water and oxygen — a win for your clothes and the planet.
Switching to more natural cleaning products can be really beneficial. One person managed to bring sneakers back to bright white using just toothpaste, saving money on replacement kicks.
This isn't just a cleaning win. It's proof that sometimes the simplest tricks really work. And they might already be sitting under your sink.
What everyone's saying
People were stunned by the results.
"This is so incredible and truly an art your skills are so admirable," one viewer commented.
Another said, "Thanks I've got a couple of bad spots on us Christmas tablecloth that used to be my mother's. I've been trying to get them out without bleach so the fabric won't be damaged. I will try hydrogen peroxi(de)."
One commenter added, "I love your h2o2/oxyclean tips! It takes quite a long time but ugh seeing my clothes turn white again feels so good."
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