General Rules of Thumb

•     Textile preservation requires constant attention to six factors: light, temperature, humidity, fumes, dirt particles, and insect infestation. Being aware of these factors  and taking the necessary precautions will help you maintain your textile for years to come.
•     Light will cause colors to fade and fibers to weaken. This is particularly true of UV radiation from sunlight. So, minimizing light exposure is vital.
•     High temperatures encourage textile fibers to become brittle. The ideal temperature for textiles is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 to 24 degrees Celsius.
•     An excessively dry environment causes a textile to shrink, while an excessively humid environment increases chemical changes that results in damage. High humidity also encourages the growth of mould or mildew that also fades and damages textiles. The ideal condition is keeping the relative humidity in the range of 30 to 70%. Sudden variations in temperature and humidity such as those induced by turning on and off an air conditioner is damaging to a textile.
•     Fumes such as smoke and auto exhaust can cause chemical deterioration and fiber breakdown. A smoke and fume free environment is ideal.
•     Dirt particles act like sharp knives, causing colors to fade. It is important to regularly dust or vacuum your textile using a low suction setting with a smooth-edged attachment and to keep textiles in a well-ventilated clean environment.
•     Finally, one needs to be aware of carpet beetles and moths that are attracted to silk and wool and silverfish that are attracted to paste, glue, and starch. Minimizing lint, dust, and hair will discourage insects to nest. Frequent inspection is also suggested.

    

Displaying Textiles

    Hanging
    Make sure that the textile is hung evenly over all the vertical threads. Raw metal, adhesive tape, and unsealed wood should not come in contact with the textile. Wood that does come in contact with the textile should be properly sealed and preferably covered in white cotton. Never hang a textile in direct sunlight. Since textiles will stretch from their own weight over time, it is best that you rotate your textile display so as to allow the fibers to relax. We recommend casing or Velcro hanging methods.

    A casing of heavy cotton or linen can be sewn across the back of a sturdy weaving or tapestry. The cotton or linen casing helps to buffer sharp changes in relative humidity. It is critical that the casing is sewn on straight to prevent uneven distribution of weight that could warp a textile. A plastic rod or a wooden rod, which has been properly sealed, that is shorter than the width of the textile can then be inserted into the casing. The rod can be supported by angled nails, screws, or suspended by monofilaments from above.

    An alternative to casing is Velcro hanging. A strip of Velcro shorter than the Width of the textile is sewn across the back of a sturdy weaving or tapestry. The soft fuzzy side of the Velcro is sewn to the textile, while the rough side is attached to a wooden board using a staple gun. The wooden board should be covered with cotton cloth and, ideally, it should also be sealed. It is critical that the Velcro is sewn on straight to prevent uneven distribution of weight that could warp a textile. The wooden board is finally mounted on the wall and the textile is pressed into place.

    Mounting
    If you intend to mount your textile, one popular method is mounting on stretchers. A heavy cotton cloth is stretched over a wooden frame and attached at the back. The textile can then be sewn directly onto the cotton cloth. It is critical that the textile is not only sewn to the cotton base along the entire length of the edges, but also throughout the entire piece. Wisely matching the color of the thread to the textile will make the thread barely noticeable. Otherwise, the center of textile will eventually stretch and it will no longer lay flush on the cotton surface.

    A mounted textile can then be placed in a Plexiglas box frame. Plexiglas is preferred because it breaks less easily. If the location receives direct or indirect sunlight, the Plexiglas should be coated with a UV filter. The glass or Plexiglas should never come in direct contact with the textile for fear that mold might grow. If the textile is mounted on matting, the matting coming in contact with the textile should be acid free. Ordinary paper and cardboard should never be in contact with the textile.

    

Storage

    Textiles should be kept in as clean and stable an environment as possible. It is best to store textiles in a clean, cool, dry, well-ventilated environment. Never store textiles in the basement or attic. If textiles are stored in a closet, then there should be good circulation. If textiles are stored in a wooden drawer or shelves, the wood should be sealed and lined with archival cardboard and/or white cotton or muslin. Textiles should never be stored directly on metal shelves due to condensation and oxidation. Like wood shelves, metal shelves should be lined with archival cardboard and/or white cotton or muslin. If the textile needs to be folded, try to avoid sharp folds by using crumpled acid-free tissue paper to support the textile.