Historic Clothing and Textile Collection Care of Historic Clothing and Textiles

 

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Conservation - The Enemies

Enemies for your antique textiles and clothing include:
- Temperature over 70°F
- Humidity above 65%
- Excessive exposure to light
- Acid producing items (wood, paper, cardboard, etc.)
- Environment (oil, dirt, insects, rodents, etc.)

TEMPERATURE
A temperature between 60 and 65 degrees is ideal for antique textiles. As a general rule avoid storing antique textiles in attics where they may be subject to extreme heat. It is better to keep them in the living space of your house where you are more likely to regulate temperatures for your own benefit. It is also import to avoid exterior walls and cooking areas because heat may transfer from those areas into the stored textiles.

HUMIDITY
Control humidity in the space where the antique textiles are stored as much as possible by using air filters and leave closet or other doors open in order to discourage mold growth. Clean mold and mildew from the area often and avoid storing antique textiles in places with high humidity and moisture such as basements and bathrooms.

LIGHT
Avoid direct light on the textiles for long periods. Excessive light will make the colors fade and the can also weaken the fibers. There are several ultraviolet light filters in the market for light instruments, including fluorescent lights. You can also purchase ultraviolent protecting film for windows. Check the following links for more information and visit supplier such as Gaylord.com to purchase preservation materials.

DUST AND WATER
Dust and water can immediately or slowly damage textiles. It is important to avoid storing your antique textiles on the tops of shelving units or other uncovered surfaces where they may gather dust. Use blinds, curtains, and covers made from cotton muslin or Tyvek to protect objects from dust. To protect textiles from flooding store them in elevated furniture. Tyvek covers can also help you protect textiles from water spills.

ACID
Acid producing materials such as cardboard, paper, and wood can damage textiles. Avoid using tissue paper or newspaper to wrap textiles and don’t let textiles come in direct contact with wood, cardboard, or even with other textiles since chemical finishes from one textile may be damaging to another piece. Avoid blue tissue paper like the one often used by dry-cleaners since the wax coating does not age well and the blue dye may run and damage textiles. As a rule stick to white paper to wrap your textiles and whenever possible use ACID FREE PAPER. You can buy acid free paper at Gaylord.com and other suppliers. UNBUFFERED paper is normally used for wool and silk while BUFFERED paper is used for cotton and linen and is also better for white textiles.
PLASTIC can also be very damaging to textiles particularly Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which is chemically unstable. This is the type of plastic used in most cheap bags, including those at the dry cleaning. Polypropylene and Polyethylene are stable and safe to use with textiles as are most polyester products.

ENVIRONMENT
Elements in the environment cab harm vintage textiles, keep your objects as much as possible in conditions that protect them from dust, pests, and oils. Always wash your hands before handling precious objects and clean your work surface constantly. Keep area free of books, pens, sharp objects and remove your jewelry while working with textiles. Do not eat or drink while touching the textiles or allow anyone to bring food or drinks close to the objects. Beware of leather and fur since pests tend to attack these materials first. Inspect textiles frequently to determine if they have been infected with pests such as carpet beetles, clothes moths, and silverfish. Determine if you can remove them manually and avoid using pesticides. If this is not possible you may want to considerer freezing textiles (in a freezer not containing food). Freezing the textile for at least 24 hours may eliminate some of the pests but you may have to freeze the textile a second time to eliminate eggs. At any rate, freezing a textile must be carefully considered and other options should be explored. Use mothballs carefully in airtight containers avoiding contact with the textiles.