In the Season 1 finale, we dive into the essential art of bunad care and preservation. From stain removal and moth prevention to pressing wool, maintaining silver, and conditioning leather shoes, listeners will discover practical tips to keep bunads beautiful for generations. This episode is both a technical guide and a reflection on why preserving bunads matters—as heirlooms, as heritage, and as living cultural treasures.
For the final episode of Season 1, we turn our attention to what happens after the bunad is made: how to care for it, preserve it, and ensure it can be passed down through generations as a true family heirloom. Bunads are more than garments—they are living pieces of cultural heritage—and their longevity depends on how we treat them.
This extended episode offers a comprehensive guide to bunad care, covering every component from wool skirts and bodices to shirts, aprons, shawls, stockings, shoes, and silver. We’ll discuss practical solutions for common challenges, including how to handle stains, prevent moth damage in untreated fabrics, and keep silver gleaming without harsh chemicals.
Listeners will learn detailed storage and maintenance techniques, such as using breathable garment bags, hanging methods that prevent fabric strain, and why shirts should never be ironed before long-term storage. Special care for delicate fabrics—like silk shawls, embroidered aprons, or linen shirts with wool stitching—is explained step by step. We also cover how to properly damp and press wool to avoid shine, maintain the structure and color of Toskaft fabric, and air garments after pressing.
Finally, the episode highlights care tips for accessories and footwear, from polishing bunad silver to conditioning leather shoes with grease or mink oil, using shoe trees, and ensuring they hold their shape between wears.
More than a technical guide, this episode explores the deeper cultural importance of preserving bunads, ensuring they remain not only beautiful and wearable, but also meaningful symbols of heritage that can be inherited by future generations.
Whether you own a bunad, plan to make one, or simply want to understand the traditions behind their care, this episode will leave you with the tools and knowledge to protect one of Norway’s most treasured cultural legacies.
✨ Thank you for joining us throughout Season 1 of this podcast. We truly appreciate your listening and support. Please stay tuned for Season 2, where we’ll bring you even more exciting history, fascinating facts, and useful insights into the world of bunads—directly from Hulda Bunader in Norway.