ponto
January 25th, 2006, 11:59 AM
Long before there were cameras and camcorders, quilts told the stories of families and provided a unique perspective on the events and happenings in their lives. These cherished fabric records are often the only tangible reference to a family’s past.
To provide future generations the opportunity to learn the stories that quilts can tell, it is important to handle them with care, especially when cleaning. Your best bet is to have an old or fragile quilt cleaned by someone with professional expertise. Many old quilts have been ruined in the cleaning process.
If you do try to clean a quilt yourself, keep these things in mind:
To get rid of a musty smell, air a quilt outside in the shade. When combined with frequent vacuuming, this is the only safe treatment for delicate, fragile, silk or painted quilts. Never shake or beat an old quilt.
Even if the quilt is damaged, you can safely vacuum it by placing fiberglass screening on the surface of the quilt and using the upholstery tool on the vacuum hose. It is recommended that you vacuum both sides of the quilt.
Dry cleaning is not recommended for historic quilts.
Wet cleaning, though it can result in a cleaner quilt, is also a potentially damaging method if not done properly. If you do choose to wet clean a quilt, vacuum it on both sides first. Then check the fabric for colorfastness before you proceed.
Place the quilt completely flat, using a fiberglass screen for support. Mix a detergent solution (not soap) of ½ ounce liquid detergent to each gallon of water. Distilled, filtered or deionized water at 70 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended, especially for the final rinse.
Submerge the quilt for no more than one hour. Use a sponge, moving it away from the center of the quilt to the outer edges. Rinse at least four times or until there is no remaining detergent. Litmus paper can be used to test the rinse water. A 7 on the pH scale indicates all detergent is removed.
Stretch the quilt on a flat surface and shape it to the original size. Don’t ring out the water; press gently. Do not iron the quilt.
Source: Sara Bogle, Fulton County Family and Consumer Sciences agent
To provide future generations the opportunity to learn the stories that quilts can tell, it is important to handle them with care, especially when cleaning. Your best bet is to have an old or fragile quilt cleaned by someone with professional expertise. Many old quilts have been ruined in the cleaning process.
If you do try to clean a quilt yourself, keep these things in mind:
To get rid of a musty smell, air a quilt outside in the shade. When combined with frequent vacuuming, this is the only safe treatment for delicate, fragile, silk or painted quilts. Never shake or beat an old quilt.
Even if the quilt is damaged, you can safely vacuum it by placing fiberglass screening on the surface of the quilt and using the upholstery tool on the vacuum hose. It is recommended that you vacuum both sides of the quilt.
Dry cleaning is not recommended for historic quilts.
Wet cleaning, though it can result in a cleaner quilt, is also a potentially damaging method if not done properly. If you do choose to wet clean a quilt, vacuum it on both sides first. Then check the fabric for colorfastness before you proceed.
Place the quilt completely flat, using a fiberglass screen for support. Mix a detergent solution (not soap) of ½ ounce liquid detergent to each gallon of water. Distilled, filtered or deionized water at 70 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended, especially for the final rinse.
Submerge the quilt for no more than one hour. Use a sponge, moving it away from the center of the quilt to the outer edges. Rinse at least four times or until there is no remaining detergent. Litmus paper can be used to test the rinse water. A 7 on the pH scale indicates all detergent is removed.
Stretch the quilt on a flat surface and shape it to the original size. Don’t ring out the water; press gently. Do not iron the quilt.
Source: Sara Bogle, Fulton County Family and Consumer Sciences agent