Textile conservation

How do you (or someone else) clean your dirty clothes? No doubt in the washing machine with shop-bought detergent. But what if the clothes were family heirlooms, like your great grandparents' wedding outfits? These are unlikely to be washed in the same way as your everyday gear and instead would probably be washed by hand with special 'gentle' detergent or taken to the dry cleaners.

Careful handling is essential to protect delicate historical textiles during wet cleaning. A shallow bath with just enough solution to cover the flat textile and very gentle padding with a natural sponge helps minimise physical damage to the vulnerable wet textile

Why the special treatment? Well, for one thing, the outfits have been kept for a long time, probably 80 years or more, and the fabrics will have aged and become fragile. The mechanical action of the washing machine and the chemical strength of today's commercial detergents would prove too harsh for the fibres and physically damage them. These vintage clothes are also heirlooms, part of your family's history. If they become damaged, they can't be replaced easily, if at all.