Below: Proper storage method. 1880’s baby gown in correctly sized acid free box with archival storage tissue.
Below: Improper storage method. Items piled on top of one another in wood b
Below: Two-piece 1880’s black dress with sequined overlay on display.
How to Care for Textiles
by Jennifer Kozik, WCHS Collections and Exhibits Manager
From your 1960s polyester pants to your grandmother's antique wedding dress, textiles are often sentimentally priceless and worthy of preservation. Whether you want to display or store your clothing, quilts, rugs, tapestries or needlepoint, a few simple rules to live by can help make your treasures last.
Light and lack of air circulation are usually the biggest enemies to conserving textiles. Light can cause discoloration, which is often uneven depending on where it makes contact with a textile. Avoid direct sunlight and regularly rotate your textiles on display with those you have in storage. Turn lights off when the room is not in use. The best place for storage is a cool, dark, dry room with good air circulation.
Storing textiles in wooden boxes and drawers or mounting them on wooden frames can cause permanent stains from acids in the wood. If storing clothing on a hanger, be sure to use one that is strong enough to support the weight and is properly sized and slanted to accommodate the shoulders. A clean, undyed muslin dust cloth is preferable to a plastic dry-cleaning bag. Sealing items in plastic containers or covers does not provide air circulation and often leads to the development of mildew.
The proper way to store textiles is in a correctly sized box lined with archival tissue paper or muslin. Oversized flat textiles such as quilts and rugs can be rolled and then wrapped in a muslin dust sleeve. Textiles need to be inspected and refolded regularly. Look for creasing and any signs of insects, and be sure to smell for mildew. Conservation and storage materials can be obtained from suppliers such as Art Media (503) 223-3724 www.artmediaonline.com, Gaylord (800) 448-6106 www.gaylord.com, Metal Edge, Inc. (800) 862-2228 www.metaledgeinc.com.
If water damage occurs and textiles need to be moved, try to carry the items with a solid support and do not unfold delicate fabrics that are stuck together. Gently re-wet with clean water and blot with dry towels or blotting paper. Do not squeeze or wring the fabrics. Reshape them while still damp and dry flat indoors with the lights on. Using fans and a dehumidifier will decrease the chance of mildew growth.
When in doubt, it is always safest to call in a professional textile conservator. Two local conservators listed by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) are J. Claire Dean, Portland, (503) 331-1972, and Sandra L. Troon, Beaverton, (503) 521-0719. To learn more about preservation, you can visit the collections section of our website at www.washingtoncountymuseum.org, or call Jennifer Kozik, Collections and Exhibits Manager at the Washington County Historical Society & Museum, (503) 645-5353.
Sources:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/mushbkI.html
National Park Service Museum Management Museum Collections Handbook Web Edition
http://preserve.harvard.edu/emergencies/recovery.html
http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/disaster/txsalv.html
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, AIC
Conservation Source List
Arthur W. Schultz, ed., Caring for Your Collections, 1992 (New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated), 87-95.
