Re: muslin for storage

["Karin von Lerber, Prevart GmbH" <karin.vonlerber@xxxxxxxxxx>]

For small Museums and private Collections we usually use unbleached wide
cotton fabrics, unsized (as they are sold e.g. for theatre drops). They are
relatively cheap and - if used to wrap around several times - offer quite
good dust protection.
If thorough dust protection is needed, we use cotton down cambric (normally
used for feather pillows), a lightweight but very dense cotton fabric. It
only comes bleached and is rather expensive, but great.
For very low tech solutions we often make e.g. churches collect white cotton
bed sheets, have them washed once with a detergent without perfume ore
bleaching agents (they can be bought in health- or oeco-shops in Europe as
part of a modular washing-solution system and are much more easily available
than real conservation degree detergents, even though essentialy similar),
and then washed again without any additives. This is a virtually free
solution as far as materials are concerned.

I don't think that - in Switzerland - we worry much about the *grade* of
cotton. Its much more the finishes that bother us. There are lots of
flame-proof, ready-for-printing-, anti-crincle-, etc. finishes; but we also
get quite a wide range of non-treated cotton fabrics nowadays. Why do you
worry about the grade? Because of the inclusion of heavy metals in the
cellulose? That is - as far as I know - a general problem nowadays when
growing cotton and not really connected to the grade?

I hope these remarks are of some help to your work.
Sincerely, Karin

--------------------------------------
Karin von Lerber
Prevart GmbH - Konzepte für die Kulturgütererhaltung
Oberseenerstrasse 93
CH-8405 Winterthur
Tel. +41 (0)52-233 12 54
Fax +41 (0)52-233 12 57
e-mail: karin.vonlerber@xxxxxxxxxx
www.prevart.ch


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Kiplinger" <jkip@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 4:19 PM
Subject: muslin for storage


>       I know this question was asked and thoroughly answered previously
> but it appears I have inadvertently deleted that information in my save
> file.
>      I plan to use muslin as a wrap primnarily for some rolled fabrics
> but am not sure about type of muslin to use. If I bought the finest
> cotton grade at Joanne's, for example, and washed it several times in
> either WP or Oxiclean or a combination of both would muslin then be
> suitable? Possibly there is also another cleanser this list can
> recommend.
>     Storage is in a "non-museum quality home", not an institution, and
> will be used for vintage rolled wool felt and silk velvet. Pieces are
> too wide and large to be accommodated in available sizes of acid-free
> tissue. I think there are large bulk rolls on the market but that would
> not be satisfactory for my situation.
>      Appreciate any of your suggestions.
>