Greetings & Welcome to a Short Guide on Buying & Caring for Vintage Aprons.....

To my knowledge there is no price guide to date for buying vintage aprons.......what I do know is that many folks are now rediscovering the wonderful "old-time aprons"......

The utilitarian aprons used by grandma in by-gone days, the prettier versions worn when meals were presented, and the just plain fun and collectibles brought home from family vacations are all still very much available to us......

Finding the right one for you is simple.....always get one of each.....one to wear as you tend to duties in the kitchen or doing household chores, one to wear while serving up the vittles and as a conversation starter, and one of course to display in your retro kitchen if you choose...

Patterns, colors, & styles are abundant.....just make sure that what you are buying has been laundered and held up to a good washing....many times these aprons are bought from estate sales or farm sales and could have been in uncontrolled storage, as in a damp basement, a leaky barn, etc...dry rot sets in...then when it's laundered it could fall apart.....how disappointed you would be...

If you do happen upon an old apron that is in need of a good cleaning......fill your sink with hot water, add a scoop of Oxi-Clean or Biz and place the apron in the sink to soak.....do not throw your vintage aprons in the washing machine on the regular cycle---it's much to harsh...if you must use the washer, go with the gentle cycle.....always, always rinse until the water runs clear......

Now check for stains....never put your vintage aprons in the dryer.......

Stains.......are they set in?  Try re-treating each stain after the initial soak in the sink.....I know you probably do not have an old washboard but good old hand working will do the trick.....then re-soak that apron...rinse...rinse...rinse...hang to dry....it's wonderful if you have sunshine to help out, but if you don't....clip it to a hanger and let drip dry in the tub.....

When the apron is dry.....it's time to put the old iron to it....now ironing is foreign to a lot of folks, but if you put your mind to it you can do it.....and how you will love the outcome.....freshly pressed and oh so sassy......

Pressing or ironing the cotton aprons is a breeze.....take care when trying to press one of the fancy nylon aprons....always use a pressing cloth....a hot iron placed directly on these old nylon ones results in damage to the material......

Now that the basics are out of the way....how about having some fun....bring the whole family in on it....the kids love the old tales about how aprons were actually used in the old days.....you can explain that they were used to carry eggs from the chicken coup to the house, newborn chicks even got a ride in a grandma's aprons sometimes.....vegetables from the garden were carried in the apron and all while it was being worn....use your imagination...reach back and remember....the kids will be wide-eyed and full of wonderful questions.....

Now for the husbands......what man doesn't like an apron wearing woman.....they drift back to the old days when the apple pies were home made and cooling on the window sill...and the aroma of fresh baked filled the house when they walked in from work....the mind is a wonderful sensory thing, if you can imagine it, you can smell it.....

So what are you waiting for.......go in search of the that perfect apron for you......

And while your at it, get a fancy, pretty one to wear to the mail box-----wave at the neighbors-----and just smile......