Stain on a Bunad – First Aid on the Spot

First aid: blot, don't rub

What you do in the first minutes matters more than anything, and it all comes down to lifting the stain gently instead of driving it deeper. Rubbing pushes the stain into the weave, can felt or abrade the wool and damage the embroidery – which is why you always blot.

1. Gently lift or scrape off any excess (food, spill) with the back of a blunt spoon – without smearing it around.
2. Press a clean, dry, white cloth or paper towel onto the stain to soak it up.
3. Work from the outside of the stain inwards, so you don't spread it into a ring.
4. If the spill is water-based and fresh, dab with a barely damp white cloth – a little, then stop.

The rules that save the wool

A few 'never' rules decide whether the stain can be saved. Break them and you can do lasting harm to wool and embroidery that cannot be replaced.

• No heat: no hot water, no hairdryer, no ironing over the stain – heat sets protein (blood, egg, dairy) and tannin (wine, coffee) permanently.
• Never bleach: chlorine destroys wool, strips colour and yellows.
• White cloths only: a coloured cloth or paper towel can transfer its own dye into wet wool.
• Test on a hidden spot first: bunad wool and hand-dyed embroidery threads aren't always colourfast – try inside a seam or hem before doing anything.
• Go easy on water: too much water on wool leaves its own ring and can felt the surface – a little, then stop.

Common 17 May stains – gentle first aid

Most bunad stains happen on the day: food, drink, candle wax, grass, sweat in the spring sun. Here is the honest first aid by type – and for several of them the wisest move is simply to stabilise it and let professionals take the stain itself.

• Red wine, coffee, tea (tannin): blot up as much as you can with a white cloth; don't pour salt or hot water on – leave the rest to professionals.
• Blood, egg, dairy (protein): cold only, never hot; blot gently and let professionals finish – heat sets the protein.
• Grease and sauce: lift off the excess, blot lightly – oily stains on wool are a professional job.
• Candle wax: let the wax harden, don't smear it while soft; ironing it out through paper uses heat that can damage wool and colour, so on a bunad this belongs with professionals.
• Grass: blot up the moisture; grass is dye- and protein-based and shouldn't be scrubbed – leave it to cleaning.

When to stop and let professionals take over

If the stain doesn't lift with a gentle blot – or it is oily, protein, tannin or dye-based, on coloured wool or near embroidery and silver – you should stop and let professionals take over. Tell us exactly what the stain is and what, if anything, you already did; a 'mystery' pre-treated stain is the hardest to save. You can send the bunad to us from anywhere in Norway, and if the silver is to be polished at the same time, you write that in the comment field. You see the price before you order. Be early before 17 May, as the cleaners fill up in the weeks before Constitution Day.

Frequently asked questions