Please take great care in researching the origin of very old textiles and ensure you have the right information about your particular textile before proceeding to clean, repair or store it. These are my suggestions only.
Tips for Everyday Cleaning
Vacuuming is the easiest and least hazardous form of cleaning - especially for those pieces which hang vertically on display.
To wash or vacuum textiles on a horizontal surface, first cover them with a 1x1 metre nylon filament screen. This will ensure that you do not damage the item in the cleaning process.
Be very careful when washing delicate articles. When in doubt, consult an expert - either at a museum or a dry cleaner before proceeding.
If you are washing an antique quilt, try to determine if the “batting” is wool. If so, do not wash as it will shrink, pulling the blanket away from the binding.. You do not want the wool inside to shrink and ruin the piece.
Washing & Drying
Place a nylon filament screen in a basin full of room temperature water.
Dip the item into the water, and hand wash using a gentle detergent, such as Woolite.
Once you're done cleaning the item, pick up the nylon filament screen and bounce it up and down over the basin to remove the water. If the water in the basin is still visibly dirty, replace it, and repeat the process until the water runs clear.
Once your item is clean, replace the basin one last time with clean water (minus the detergent) and rinse using the process as above.
To dry, remove the nylon filament screen from the basin (leaving the item on top) and place on top of a dry towel. You can also take the item outside to dry, but ensure that you cover it with a bed sheet.
Large articles (do this on a HOT summer day):
Place a clean bed sheet in a bath tub full of room temperature water.
Put the item into the tub, and hand wash it using a gentle detergent, such as Woolite.
Once you're done cleaning the item, pick up the bed sheet and bounce it up and down over the tub to remove the water. If the water in the tub is still visibly dirty, replace it, and repeat the process until the water runs clear.
Once your item is clean, replace the tub one last time with clean water (minus the detergent) and rinse using the process as above.
Lay towels on the floor, and lay the item on top. Gently roll up the towels and squeeze the water out of the item.
To dry, lay the item on a dry sheet on your lawn and cover it with another sheet.
With the right side of the article facing out, use a linen roll (for example: a piece of cardboard covered with acid free paper) and roll it flat. You can put more than one article on the linen roll, so long as you separate them with a sheet of acid free paper.
Store in a cool, dry location, away from fluctuating temperatures and humidity.
Store larger articles in a flat box lined with acid free paper. You can put more than one article in the box, so long as you separate them with a sheet of acid free paper.
Ensure that you take articles out of storage every six months to re-fold in another location so as not to put strain on fibres. You can also insert an acid free or cotton tube along the fold to take stress off fibres.
Did you know!? Bugs eat starch! Therefore, you must remove any articles that have been starched before storing.
Concerned your items have been in contact with bugs? Put them into a sealed plastic bag and put it in the freezer for a couple days.
For more information and tips about caring for textiles, I highly recommend “Caring for Textiles” by Karen Finch O.B.E. & Greta Putnam.
Tafadhali chukua tahadhari kubwa katika kutafiti asili ya nguo za zamani sana na kuhakikisha una habari sahihi kuhusu nguo yako maalum kabla ya kuendelea kuifuta, kurekebisha au kuhifadhi. Hizi ni mapendekezo yangu tu. Usahihi wa kila siku: Vacuuming ni njia rahisi na ya chini ya hatari ya kusafisha, hasa kwa vipande vya nguo vilivyowekwa kwa wima. Kwa ajili ya kuosha au vacuuming nguo juu ya uso wa usawa, kwanza kufunika yao na 1x1 mita nylon filament screen. Hii itahakikisha kwamba huwezi kuharibu kitu hicho wakati wa kusafisha. Uwe mwangalifu sana unaposafisha vitu vyenye umbo dhaifu. Ukishangaa, wasiliana na mtaalamu - iwe ni katika jumba la makumbusho au katika duka la kuosha nguo kabla ya kuendelea. Ikiwa unaosha kitambaa cha kale, jaribu kujua ikiwa "vitambaa" ni sufu. Kama ni hivyo, si kuosha kama itakuwa shrink, kuvuta blanket mbali kutoka binding. hutaki sufu ndani shrink na kuharibu kipande. Kuosha na kukausha Kuweka nylon filament screen katika beseni kamili ya joto la chumba maji. Weka bidhaa hiyo ndani ya maji na uosha kwa mkono kwa kutumia dawa ya kuosha yenye unyevu, kama vile Woolite. Baada ya kusafisha, chukua nylon filament screen na kuipiga juu na chini juu ya beseni ili kuondoa maji. Ikiwa bado maji ya beseni yanaonekana kuwa machafu, badilisha maji hayo na urudia utaratibu huo hadi maji yatakapokuwa safi. Baada ya kuondoa, badala ya kuondoa, na kuondoa maji safi (na kuondoa detergent) na kuosha kwa kutumia utaratibu wa juu. Ili kukauka, kuondoa nylon filament screen kutoka beseni (kuacha kitu juu) na kuweka juu ya kitambaa kavu. Unaweza pia kuchukua bidhaa nje kukauka, lakini kuhakikisha kwamba wewe kufunika na kitambaa. Kwa mfano, kama unafanya kazi ya kuosha kitanda katika siku ya joto, weka kitambaa safi cha kitanda kwenye beseni la kuoga lenye maji ya joto la chumba. Weka kitu hicho ndani ya beseni, na usafishe kwa mkono kwa kutumia dawa ya kusafisha yenye upole, kama vile Woolite. Baada ya kusafisha kitambaa, chukua kitambaa cha kitanda na kukipiga juu na chini kwenye beseni ili kuondoa maji. Ikiwa bado maji ya beseni yanaonekana kuwa machafu, badilisha maji hayo na urudia utaratibu huo hadi maji yatakapokuwa safi. Baada ya kuondoa, badilisha chupa kwa maji safi (bila dawa ya kuosha) na kuosha kwa kutumia utaratibu uliotajwa hapo juu. Weka taulo ardhini na kuweka kitu hicho juu. Kwa upole futa taulo na uchujue maji kutoka kwenye kitu hicho. Ili kuuka, weka kitambaa hicho kwenye kitambaa kavu kwenye nyasi yako na ukifunike kwa kitambaa kingine. Kwa upande wa kulia wa bidhaa kuelekea nje, kutumia kitambaa roll (kwa mfano: kipande cha makaratasi kufunikwa na asidi bure karatasi) na roll ni gorofa. Unaweza kuweka zaidi ya bidhaa moja kwenye roll ya kitani, kwa muda mrefu kama wewe kutenganisha yao na karatasi ya asidi bure karatasi. Weka mahali pazuri na kavu, mbali na joto na unyevu. Weka vitu vikubwa katika sanduku tambarare lililofunikwa kwa karatasi isiyo na asidi. Unaweza kuweka zaidi ya bidhaa moja katika sanduku, mradi tu unawatenganisha kwa karatasi ya karatasi isiyo na asidi. Hakikisha kwamba unachukua vitu kutoka kwa kuhifadhi kila baada ya miezi sita ili kuviweka mahali pengine ili usiwe na mkazo juu ya nyuzi. Unaweza pia kuingiza asidi bure au pamba bomba kando ya fold kuchukua mkazo mbali nyuzi. Je, ulijua!? Wadudu hula wanga! Kwa hiyo, ni lazima uondoe vitu vyote vilivyotiwa wanga kabla ya kuvihifadhi. Una wasiwasi kwamba vitu vyako vimekuwa katika mawasiliano na wadudu? Weka ndani ya mfuko wa plastiki uliofungwa na kuweka kwenye friji kwa siku chache. Kwa habari zaidi na vidokezo kuhusu kutunza nguo, ninapendekeza sana <unk>Kutunza nguo<unk> na Karen Finch O.B.E. Greta Putnam