There are many suggestions for storing antique and vintage textiles. Our goal is to share the methods we applied in simple terms, and allows the reader to apply the knowledge based on his or her circumstances. We believe functional design can be acheived with a little creativity. The type of textiles or the intrinsic value of the items ultimately dictates the level of care required.

Storage

When Mahogany Ridge began, we needed to determine the best possible method to store the textiles we acquired. Our storage methods are based on museum recommendations, slightly modified to be practical from a space perspective. We also wanted a space that was visually pleasing and did not appear to be an industrial storage site. It is important that our textiles do not compromise the collection of our clients by introducing unwanted elements. The key storage elements required for textiles are as follows, as well as how we addressed them. You may notice that many of the suggestions create not only a healthy environment for textiles, but for people as well.

Air movement/Exposure to oxygen

The textiles should be clean and dust free. The dust can cut the individual fibers creating weak areas, soil can further breakdown the fibers of the textile and inhibit the necessary oxygen exchange. Storing linens in plastic or cedar chests can cause permanent yellowing as the fiber reacts to the acid in the wood or the gases omitted by the plastic. Wire shelf racking permits air flow around the textiles in all directions. To organize the categories of items, we placed large wicker baskets, lined with muslin and labeled according to the contents. The muslin lining is laundered annually.  Larger textiles are not placed in lined baskets. Quilts are stored flat on beds, yardage of fabric is stored on rolls. Plants were added to create a healthy supply of oxygen (and also to add a decorative touch), spider plants are known for doing a excellent job creating oxygen. The groupings of plants also help increase the humidity during the dry winter months. Textiles with musty odors contain Fungi or bacteria, and should be treated prior to introducing them to clean textiles.

Lighting

The textiles should not be exposed to harsh interior lighting or direct sunlight. Cotton and Linen contain cellulose, and silk and wool contain animal fibers (proteins) that are damaged by UV light called tendering. Sunlight gradually oxidizes cotton fibers, weakening and yellowing. Linen is more resistant to sunlight than cotton. Sunlight will gradually destroy silk and deteriorate wool. Because we have plants in our space which require sunlight, we added wood dividers to block the sunlight from the textiles, but still permitting the plants to recieve ample sunlight from the windows.

Folding & Stressing

The textiles should be exposed to minimum folding and pressure. By constantly creasing the same areas, fibers can eventaullay break (the same concept applies to ironing in creases as well). Reducing the weight of the stacked textiles by placing the shelves close together and stacking things like pillowcases, fabric pieces and towels no more than 8" tall is beneficial. We use our judgement with fragile and older items, many of which are stored alone with no stresses. Muslin or acid free tissue can be added to folds to help reduce the stress on the fibers. Heavy garments are never hung, lighter garments are hung on padded hangers.

Wood

The textiles should have no direct contact with raw wood, cardboard or acidic tissue paper. Wood and paper are acidic (unless acid free) and work like an acid, breaking down the fibers. Hence we chose wire racking. I cringe when I see quilts stacked in a wood armoire 10 quilts high, it simply breaks too many rules, contact with wood and too much stress on the creases.Silk and wool are more resistant to acids than cotton or linen. Cotton is 90 percent cellulose. When cellulose is combined with wood, the acids in the wood create a reaction, creating brown or yellow lines in the fabric.

Atmosphere

Textiles should be stored in a temperature range of 65-70 degrees farenheit, an ideal relative humidity is 40 to 50 percent, and should never be more than 68 percent. A decorative barometer can help you keep your environment in line. Our Pennsylvania weather requires us to have both heating and cooling systems in our space.

At 82 percent humidity,  mold can form on cotton and at 85 percent mold can form on wool. The terms mildew, rot and decay are variously used to indicate growth upon or damage to textiles by microorgansisms such as fungi and bacteria.The most common types fungi that affect textiles are penicillium and aspergillus molds. The bacteria that cause damage are bacillus or rod type. Animal fibers such as wool tend to not be as senstive to mildew and rot. Bacteria will thrive in temperatures of 75 to 100 degrees along with a relative moisture content of 20 percent. Once started, mildew can absorb water hygroscopically from the air or condensation, that is why packaged or folded fabrics without adequate ventilation will sometimes mildew in relatively dry rooms. Periodic spraying with Lysol can help control mold in less than ideal storage conditions.

Insects and Dust Mites

Insect damage can wreak havoc on all fibers both natural and synthetic. While insects do not consume man made fibers, they may chew them to form an escape route or to acess edible fibers. The most commonly known chemical method to deter insects from textiles is moth balls (paradichlorobenzene or napthalene). The gas omitted by the moth balls is what kills the insects. This works if the items are in sealed containers permitting the gas to consume the item. The problem with moth balls is that they are poisonuous to children and the gas is a poison that can cause ill effects to adults, vomiting, nausea and headache. The smell of mothballs is not very pleasing either.We chose natural Lavender as an insect repellent, and the space smells great. Other natural insect repellents include cedar, and aromatics such as cloves. The repellent should never come in direct contact with the textiles, regardless of the method chosen.

Dust mites are so common in most households we simply assume that all textiles have them. There are two methods we use to rid textiles of dust mites. Dust mites can be removed by laundering the textiles in water that is 130 degrees. Cold and warm water does not kill dust mites. Freezing for 24 hours will kill the dust mites, but does not remove the residue, so vacuming  or laundering are a necessary second step. If you wish to remove dust mites from a sofa, wait until winter sets in and the temperature is 32 degrees or less and put the item outside overnight. Dust mites are 80% water, so freezing them ruptures their shell as the water expands during freezing.

We hope you find this information beneficial and please let us know if you are interested in additional topics.