I "inherited" a bunch of ties from my FIL. I took them apart (that horeshair interfacing does not wash well), put them in net bags (the ties ravel a lot) and washed them all, in cool water in the washing machine and then dried them. They have worn very well. Many years ago I watched a program on Simply Quilts about making tie quilts. The lady bought all her ties at thrift stores and this is what she did to get the grime, spots and drycleaning solutions out. It worked for me.
I would definitely tell the person you got them from that they needed to be washed -- if you don't want to do it tell her to do it. Also, when using the ties remember that the point is a true bias point so you can figure out the grain.