Cleanig\ng smoke damaged tapestries
Steven Boyes
ideas, I now need some help.
We had a house fire last week and some of my tapestries are smoke damage.
They have all been Scotchguarded but look dirty and smell of smoke. Does
anyone have any idea about the best way tp clean them? Not sure whether to
try dry cleaning, washing, foam cleaners etc or which would be the best. I
am in Australia so info on local products would be most helpful
Thanks in anticipation.
Steve
bungadora
cotton?
Either way, fabrics suck up the smoke smell like crazy and sometimes
you can't get rid of it.
dora
Olwyn Mary
Many of these can be washed, but we need to know EXACTLY what they are
made of, and whether there are any non-fiber (i.e., pearls, beads etc.)
incorporated. Just recently, a friend brought me some embroidered pix
which had been through Katrina flooding and coated in the "toxic soup"
and I got them clean and ready for framing again.
HOWEVER, the way we treat them depends totally on the fiber and
embellishment content. Give us all the details, and we can tell you how
to handle the task.
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.
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Mirjam Bruck-Cohen
..
mirjam
Steven Boyes
also six dining chair seats, also wool on canvas.
"bungadora" <bung...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1161530738.4...@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
ellice
> They are actually Beth Russell rugs in Appleton wool on canvas. There are
> also six dining chair seats, also wool on canvas.
>
I'd wash the rugs - gently, gently - if you have a front loader machine - on
a wool wash, not with woolite (which can be harsh). OR in the bathtub, with
plain Ivory soap - dishwashing liquid - and a good splash of plain white
vinegar in the mix. You could add some baking soda - as that also helps
absorb the odors.
I'd definitely vacuum first. You could test spray the back side of
something with some Febreeze . I've found it works well for odor removal.
Definitely vacuum. You could try dusting the chairs with some baking soda,
let it sit a while, and then brush and vacuum well. You can also use a damp
sponge to try and remove some of the soot. There are some non-detergent
cleaners used for natural fibers - wool - like Eucalan - which is a
non-rinse product. You could certainly wash the rugs with that, then
reblock them as they dry. And you might be able to use that as a spongeable
cleaning solution for the chairs.
I'm sure it would be a serious pain to remove the chair covers, wash, and
reblock - but that's your final option.
Hope this helps,
Ellice
bungadora
I found a good article. Drycleaning is not recommended. The ozone can
cause deterioration of the textile. Warning. The article says you might
have to wash the articles in question 5-6 times in order to get the
smell out. I would start with the smaller articles, air them, coat
them with baking soda until you're ready to work on them.
http://www.chicora.org/fire.htm
Dora
Steven Boyes
as I first thought they would be. I will try coating with baking powder to
neutralize the soot then a light soap wash. I will let you know how I get
on.
Steve
"bungadora" <bung...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1161617268....@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
Lucille
Amongst other things baking powder contains salt. Be sure to use Baking
SODA.
Lucille
"Steven Boyes" <sbo...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:IJm%g.52268$rP1....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
bungadora
Scotchguarded, and so soot particles probably are sitting on the
surface of the fibre rather than inside. Definitely vacuum as much as
you can first. I'd also Scotchguard afterwards. And like Lucille said,
baking soda, not baking powder.
I saw a reno show on tv a while back which featured a house which had
been though a fire. There was a comment that for many people, the
trauma of the fire often results in them being able to smell a smoky
smell, even when no one else can smell it. Hopefully that won't be your
experience. Let us know how you get on.
Dora