Drycleaning a boy's suit

[Joan_Marshall@xxxxxxxxx]

I need to clean a boy's tussah silk suit from c. 1880 consisting of a jacket,
pants and pleated skirt.  Components of linen and cotton are contained in the
lining.  The pants have been washed many times (I theorize) but have lost only a
little body and the overall colour is within the range of the other two
garments, which have not been washed.  No starch or size remains on the pants,
while the inner waist/button band on the skirt tested positive for starch.  All
three pieces are in good condition; the fabric is still extremely strong, though
there are a few tiny insect holes.  The pieces are dirty and grey and each has
several stains of various types.

 We would like to dryclean (with a reputable drycleaner we sometimes use) the
jacket and skirt, but wash the pants.  I can be present during the cleaning
process.  I have the following questions after two meetings with this
drycleaner:

-Spotting (no bleaches) would be helpful for some of the stains.  What do I ask
the cleaner not to do in terms of aggresiveness in treatment?

- I think that perc in a closed system would probably do the best job.  The
garments would be suitably prepared for this process and the cycle would be
operated manually, with just a few revolutions of the drum.  It is possible to
extract and dry the garments with light spinning by turning the extraction motor
off and on (to keep RPM low) and temperature low with the occasional turn of the
drum during drying.  I have read Kathleen Kiefer and Jonathan Scheer's
recommendations.  I need to be able to convince the drycleaner to do what I ask.
Are there any more considerations I should bring up with him?

-Are there detergents in common use by drycleaners that do not contain
conditioner/finishers?  If one is used, can it be easily removed in a final
distilled rinse?

-Should a Suzy be used for the jacket?  Is it possible to regulate the amount of
pressure, steam or temperature when using one?

I'm asking for any tips or information anyone can give me re: these questions as
I feel I need them to approach this particular drycleaner.

Thanks,

Joan Marshall
Contract Conservator, CCI