Cleaning and stretching kid leather gloves?

[maudelynn]

I have purchased a pair of above the elbow length, ivory kid gloves. They are slightly dirty and slightly too small.
Can anyone suggest the best method of cleaning and stretching the gloves?


Thanks!

[cosmoblue]

From vintageSewing.info:

Cleaning gloves is often a problem. Suede cannot, as a rule, be successfully cleaned, though it can be made to wear longer by rubbing shiny patches with a piece of emery paper. Brush the gloves afterwards the way of the pile, using a special suede brush. Suede cleaner, such as that sold for cleaning shoes, can be used, but great care must be taken when brushing the gloves afterwards that every trace of the cleaner is removed. If this is not done properly you run the risk of soiling everything you touch.

Chamois and doeskin can, of course, be washed. Put the gloves on and wash in warm, soapy water. Swish several times, using clean soapy water, then pull the gloves into shape gently and lay flat on a towel to dry away from the sun or fire. Pull the gloves on several times while they are drying, kneading them gently to keep the skin supple. Cleaning fluids should never be used on leather as they are liable to damage the surface and may remove the dye.

The woolen linings of gloves sometimes get soiled but it is a comparatively simple matter to clean them. Turn the gloves inside out with the aid of a wooden spoon and clean them with one of the proprietary brands of cleaning fluid, following the directions on the bottle. Be careful not to let the liquid soak through to the leather. Allow the gloves to dry thoroughly, leaving them in a current of air to get rid of any smell, then turn them right side out and pull into shape.

One difficulty sometimes met with in wearing unlined suede gloves is that the dye is liable to come off on the fingers. To prevent or at least to mitigate this, sprinkle talcum powder in the gloves before putting them on.

Never dry wet gloves in front of a fire or on a radiator as this will make the leather hard. Leave them to dry naturally. Fur gloves may be brushed with a soft brush as soon as they are quite dry.

From OperaGLoves.com:
TAKING CARE OF YOUR VINTAGE GLOVES

Vintage gloves are best stored in dry places, wrapped in tissue paper or kept in a specially made glove box (you can find lovely glove boxes at just about any good antique store) or in plastic containers (the kind you can get at any dollar store) with tight, sturdy lids. The objective in storing vintage gloves is to keep the leather in its original condition of softness, smoothness and suppleness.

Cleaning vintage leather gloves can sometimes be problematic, especially with white kid gloves, when the stains have been in the leather for a long time. The best substance I have found so far for cleaning leather gloves is Horseman's One-Step, a lanolin-based cream which you can purchase at any tack shop (a store specializing in saddlery) and at some leather-goods stores. Lexol, a liquid which comes in two varieties (cleaner and conditioner) is available at many leather-goods stores and can also be used, but must be used with caution because it will tend to stiffen and darken leather if improperly applied. As a last resort, you could have a leather repair store redye the leather to its original color, though this might or might not have a deletrious effect on the suppleness of the leather.

Two articles from 1868 and 1911 give different approaches to cleaning kid gloves. The first, from the 1911 book The Practical Drycleaner, Scourer, and Garment Dyer, edited by William T. Brannt, is not really practical for the average glove collector, calling as it does for large quantities of benzene, ether and chloroform (running the risk of accidentially knocking yourself out while cleaning your operas! The second article, a cleaning recipe from an 1868 Ladies Friend (later to be called Peterson's Magazine), presents a more feasible method, which calls for milk, "yellow soap", and white flannel. The original scans of the articles, contributed by Marna Jean Davis of Shooting Star Enterprises, are provided below for your review and edification; for the 1911 article, the first, second and third images are the most relevant to kid gloves. A third recipe, originally presented in Godey's Lady's Book in 1865, calls for pipe clay (not as odd as it sounds; in the 18th century, it was a standard part of a British soldier's kit for keeping the white parts of his uniform spotless) and yellow ocher, mixed in proportion according to the exact color of the glove.

[maudelynn]

Thank you! I think I shall take them to a pro.
I do not understand the size thing, though.
My hands are TINY, I wear a size 2 on my wedding ring finger
and a 5 on my index. These gloves say 6 1/4 and they don't
fit well. Almost, but not quite.