Removing stains from textiles

I am interested in possible methods for the removal and prevention
of a specific type of stain on 19th century cotton textiles. The
items themselves are normally hand sewn, patchwork domestic items,
such as quilts, pillow cases, etc. Those I'm dealing with are from
southeastern Pennsylvania (the Pennsylvania German area). The
fabrics are 19th (sometime early 20th) century commercially woven
and dyed cotton (both solid colors and printed calicos) and the
colors involved are always yellows and oranges.

The stain is always a dark, shadowy, almost charcoal-like color that
sometimes is uniform on the particular patch and sometimes has a
configuration associated with folds or creases in the fabric. They
are not liquid water stains or soiling from some external agent.
Other, immediately adjacent fabrics of different colors on the same
item characteristically do not exhibit the stain. I have not seen
this particular type of stain on any colors other than yellows and
oranges.

I have concluded that it may be associated with the particular dye
used for these colors and that oxidation may be the cause. I have
rejected (rightly or wrongly) the possibility that the stain was
caused by mold, since immediately adjacent white, for example, does
not show the stain.

Is this a well known phenomenon? Is it possible to remove these
stains without damaging the stained fabric and the adjacent fabrics?
Sometimes these stains occur on "crisp", never washed items. As a
result careful treatment of selected areas would be the preferred
method. Has anyone encountered this particular problem and are there
techniques for removal of these stains?

James A. Tshudy
Environmental Research and Consulting
56 East Mohler Church Road
Ephrata, PA  17522

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:79
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 11, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-79-015
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