Featured PANICKING HERE....LOOKING FOR SOME ADVICE???? Found a lovely antique

tablecloth in my storage heap tucked away, that I'd like to use Thursday, but someone apparently washed it eons ago, and the fringe was left all knotted and looks terrible!!!!!!! Does ANYONE have ANY SUGGESTIONS I can do to make the fringe presentable ???? I'd have no problem washing it again, but then what???? HELP HELP HELP HELP!!!!!
@Northern Lights Lodge ??

 

1. Lightly spray with water and work a little fabric softener on them. Always work from the bottom up and gently try to untangle them.
2. Try a tapestry needle. Same deal. Work your way from the bottom.
That's all I can think of or you can just sit while watching tv and work on it a bit at a time.

 

My solution would involve a pair of scissors. Snip. Snip. Snip. Unlikely what you want to hear!

Debora

 

LOL Debora, I am with you but I know we are being bad.

 

Or use a different tablecloth? (Also unlikely to be what you want to hear.)

 

Yeah. Falls into the "Life is too short to stuff mushrooms." category.

Debora

 

If the rest of the tablecloth is in good clean condition with no nasty stains, I would use it anyway. The gnarled up fringe will likely not be noticed with all the good food on top!

And yes, I would re-wash it because who knows what fell on it in the eons since it was last washed.

 

@ulilwitch, @Debora, @pearlsnblume, @Figtree3 and @ola402, I've already washed it by hand with the tub of "Restoration" that I have.....the first washing and the water was VERY yellow.....it's a white patterned linen with a red patterned border all around (will show eventually), and IN the water, so many of the tangles WANT to come out, but the fringe is about 4" long, and am afraid I'm just going to have to (UGH!) trim some off.....much as it's going to pain me!! So far it's been rinsed 4 times & about to hang it up to dry after squeezing (not wringing) out as much water as possible......And thanks for your help and suggestions.....!!!!! I really don't have much of a choice for tablecloths......we always use placemats!!!

OK, MINE is "Similar" to this.....NOT as fancy braiding just above the fringe.....

​

 

No idea if it would work but flexible detangling hair brushes have been a game changer in our house. It could just work if the threads are as fine as the ones in that photo. Or not, I have no idea!, maybe with some fabric conditioner?

 

I would try @ulilwitch 's ideas. If those don't work, scissors.

Will you let us know how it goes?

 

@Aquitaine Argh! It's so inconvenient that we all live apart and only visit in the cloud. On Saturday I picked up a lot of linens I won in an on line auction and I must have at the very least 20-25 Tablecloths right now. I'm sure one would fit your needs, but alas, no time to mail anything. I really like the tablecloth in the photo. As we prepare for these big holiday feasts, we must try not to get tangled up in "knots" over what the fringe looks like on the tablecloth. (Although, that's exactly what I would do!) I'm sure it will work out fine.

This is exactly why any rugs in my house that have fringe on them are carefully folded under and taped to the bottom of the rug. I have nothing against fringe but my sweeper sure does! Have a happy and fun holiday, everyone!

 

Try massaging in a fine oil like coconut then use a hair brush or with a fine toothed comb and tease out the tangles , holding on to the fringe at the tablecloth end, so you don’t weaken or pull the threads out.

 

You can then place a damp cloth over the fringes and try ironing the fringe once you've worked the tangles out with fabric softener

 

Well, I just lost all that I had typed. If it does not come through, I will try again.

 

UPDATE!
WEEELLLLLL, SUM TOTAL OF AT LEAST 5 hours today and at least 7 or more yesterday, my results, I feel, are mixed, but I'm satisfied enough to use it IF I can find a Clear tablecloth cover tomorrow at Walmart!!! I just CAN'T go through this again!!! I DID TRY as @ulilwitch suggested with working up from the bottom....THAT WAS A MUST, but the fabric softener did not work for me.......I was very gentle, but for me, had to stick with my finger nails (what I have of them!!).....and I did HAVE to cut the fringe to about HALF of what it was before.......HEY, I had to survive this ordeal!!!! AND Thanksgiving IS just around the corner, so here are the results.....I did the best I could under the circumstances!!!​

First, what I had to work with:


The results of the first comb and trim.....


The finished results, combed, ironed & folded, leaving me a good 6 inch overhang all around the table.....yes I had to trim to approximately 2 1/2" fringe.....and I did not iron the fringe....I kind of liked it the way it is.....just me.....
Thank you ALL for your help and suggestions!!!!!​

 

Looks great to me! Nice work.

 

Good save! But what a lot of work!

Debora

 

It looks great.

 

So very pretty. You did a great job!

 

That's wonderful, @Aquitaine ! Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving. After all of that work, the rest should be easy!