CARE AND KEEPING
OF TEXTILES
TXA 355 D
PREPARATION
No food or drinks in exhibit/storage area
Remove any jewelry that could snag
garments
Wash hands
Put on gloves
No pens used around garments
Handle with the utmost care! These
garments were a gift and we must take care
of them.
MOLD AND MILDEW
 Treatment (See more detailed instructions in manual)
 Remove garment from harmful environment
 Keep separate from non-infected garments
 The most likely cause would be too much humidity
in the environment, so the best way to treat a
garment with mold is to dry it out. Not using heat,
but using fans with cool air blowing.
 After drying, a soft brush or covered vacuum can be
used.
 Gloves, and if possible goggles, should be worn
while treating garments (Use a vented hood when needed)
 Signs
PACKING MATERIALS
Archival materials should always be used
when packing garments. That includes:
The tissue paper we use – acid free
The boxes we use (acid free)
The bags we use (tyvek)
PROPER PACKING – BAG/HANGING
Hung garments should be in a healthier
condition
Padded hangers preferred
Avoid hanging heavily beaded garments
When hanging pants with clamps, make sure
to pad the clamps with tissue paper to avoid
damaging the fabric
PROPER PACKING - BOX
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Cut and place linen sling
Layer bottom of box with tissue paper
Lay garment as flat as possible
When folding, make sure to put a layer of tissue paper in
between each fold so that the fabric doesn’t lay on top of
itself
 Finish off with another layer of tissue paper on top of the
garment
 Padding may be necessary
 If there are heavy parts of the garment, such as a beaded
neckline or sleeves, make sure to put padding in those areas
so the weight of the fabric doesn’t harm the fabric
underneath
STORAGE
Keep boxes off of the floor!
Boxes must be 18 inches from the ceiling
If a box or hanging garment is removed from
its space, a marker should be left
If space in a box is not being well used,
choose something compatible to “share” the
space or move to a smaller box
If artifacts are not properly packed, remove
and repack