Keep textiles out of sunlight and fluorescent light. Don't store them in direct contact with acidic cardboard, paper, or wood.
Acidic materials will slowly destroy your heirlooms. Acid-free materials may be buffered (slightly alkaline) to help counteract the effects of acids or unbuffered (neutral). Buffered materials are safe for most treasures but choose unbuffered for fabrics.
Image: "Sunburst Quilt" (Kentucky Library and Museum, Western Kentucky University)
Saving Kentucky's Past -- Preserving Quilts
Use and Display
- Wear cotton gloves to handle antique quilts. Move them on a support or in their boxes.
- When displaying quilts, keep the light low and the occasion brief.
- The weight of a hanging quilt should be well supported. Isolate the quilt from wood and other materials with acid-free paper or board.
- Periodically replace quilts on display with others.
Storage
- Avoid folding fabrics for storage: creases weaken fibers and cause garments to become brittle and crack. Roll them. If fabrics must be folded, pad the folds with acid-free tissue to avoid creasing.
- Store textiles in acid-free boxes with acid-free tissue between layers, or wrap them in clean white sheets.
- Do not store fabrics in cardboard boxes. These release damaging acids.
- Cover with unbleached muslin. Plastic bags trap moisture, as well as release chemicals under extreme conditions.
- Do not use mothballs or crystals. These products are extremely toxic and leave a permanent odor.
- If storing a quilt in a wooden drawer or cupboard, apply a polyurethane finish over the wood to keep oils from the wood from staining the quilt. Loosely wrap the quilt in muslin or acid free paper rather than plastic wrap, so the quilt can breathe.
- If storing old quilts with black or brown components, separate them from other quilts by stacking muslin between. The dyes used to produce these colors often catalyze the deterioration of the underlying fibers.
Care
- Never wash or dry clean antique fabrics (those dating before the 1940s). Blot any spills immediately and seek expert advice.
- Do not hang quilts outside to dry on a line. The weight of the wet fabric can pull out threads and stretch fibers. Instead, lay the quilt flat on the ground, and place a sheet below and above it to protect it from the ground and stray pets. The sheet will also protect it from sunlight.
- Sturdy items can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner on low suction, using the brush attachment covered with cheesecloth.
- Do not vacuum painted quilts, as the paint may strip off.
- If mending a quilt, wash the repair fabrics and thread before use. Stitch through existing holes and avoid piercing existing threads.
Storage
- To store heavy blankets, roll them with the pile outward around PVC pipe that has been wrapped in acid-free tissue. Then, wrap the roll with washed muslin (undyed 100% cotton).
Image: "Bear's Paw Quilt Square," Courtesy of the Kentucky Library and Museum, Western Kentucky University.
Glossary
acid-free tissue - In the course of time most tissue paper will become acidic and brittle with age. The acidity will transfer to adjacent objects causing these objects to become weaker and possibly discolored. Acid free tissue papers are specially processed to remove such contaminants. An 18 pound weight paper is useful for quilts, coverlets, and the storage of other flat textiles. For stuffing or interleaving, a lighter 12 pound paper is better. This lighter acid free paper is also known as "laminating tissue."
conservator - persons who periodically
examine objects, document their condition, and, if necessary, treat and repair
them to protect collections over time.
For more information or to locate a professional conservator, visit The
American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.
muslin - a thin plain-weave cotton cloth used for curtains, sheets, and dresses
PAT test (photographic activity test) - a test that predicts possible interactions between photographic images and the enclosures in which they are stored. Boxes or other types of enclosures that hold several images, even if those images are in envelopes or sleeves, should be tested too. Many of the harmful chemicals in poor-quality enclosures can become airborne and, over time, work their way to the photograph.
PVC pipe - a lightweight, durable, and waterproof plastic pipe used for plumbing
polyethylene bags - flexible, extremely tough, and chemical-resistant plastic bags commonly used as sandwich or freezer storage
ragboard - board made from cotton and contains no wood (lignins). Little pulping or purification is required because cotton is the purest natural form of cellulose. Rag board is also called Museum Board, is acid-free and meets the standards set by the Library of Congress for museum quality matboard. It is available with or without buffering.
unbuffered - containing neither alkaline nor acid