Upholstery and Fabrics - antique upholstery
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stevebro
05-26-02, 01:04 AM
I recently acquired a chaise lounge, or "fainting couch" from my mother that dates back to approximately 1860. My mother took great pride in that piece; she is 72 years old and says her grand- father would take his naps on that couch. At this time it is long overdue for a cleaning. A neighbor advised not to use the "wet method" from a steam cleaner, as he says the couch is filled with cotton and horsehair (he says the cotton will turn moldy and smell). Would you agree with his opinion, and if so, how would I go about cleaning this piece without further damage? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Thank you.
twelvepole
05-26-02, 10:58 AM
"But the question of whether to clean at all is one which conservators must address anew with each individual project. Signs of wear and dirt may offer crucial clues to the historic use of a textile, and act as a vital witness to its authenticity." Targett, J. Textile Conservation. Retrieved 26 May 2002. http://www.antiquecc.com/articles/dec96/DEC9.html
jczxohn
05-26-02, 10:21 PM
Before deciding whether to clean your piece or not, one of the first questions to be answered
is whether it has been reupholstered in the past.
This is fairly easy to determine; turn the piece over, remove the cambric at a corner, and open up the outside back a bit to see if there are old tack holes left by a previous fabric. Also, more than one layer of webbing would indicate previous work. It is doubtful a piece from 1860 had only been done once. If so, it would probably be unusable in its present condition. Ergo, a fabric that wasn't original wouldn't add to the value of thepiece as an antique, but probably lower it.
If the piece is in good enough condition for use in its present state, the recommended method of cleaning would be dry foam extraction, a relatively new technique which is more expensive than shampooing, but does is less damaging and less likely to result in streaking, the most common problem associated with wet methods. If no one does this in your area, make sure the cleaner uses a preparation with a mold/mildew additve.
is whether it has been reupholstered in the past.
This is fairly easy to determine; turn the piece over, remove the cambric at a corner, and open up the outside back a bit to see if there are old tack holes left by a previous fabric. Also, more than one layer of webbing would indicate previous work. It is doubtful a piece from 1860 had only been done once. If so, it would probably be unusable in its present condition. Ergo, a fabric that wasn't original wouldn't add to the value of thepiece as an antique, but probably lower it.
If the piece is in good enough condition for use in its present state, the recommended method of cleaning would be dry foam extraction, a relatively new technique which is more expensive than shampooing, but does is less damaging and less likely to result in streaking, the most common problem associated with wet methods. If no one does this in your area, make sure the cleaner uses a preparation with a mold/mildew additve.