[MR] cleaning linen

[David Chessler]

------ Original Message ------
Received: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:13:59 AM EDT
From: Alexandria Stratton <kyrilex at yahoo.com>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: Re: [MR] cleaning linen

> I've never tried it with anything other than white linens, but  if you spray
hydrogen peroxide  to saturate the fabric and then let it dry in direct
sunlight, it will bleach the fabric without damaging the fibers. You can also
put it directly under an electric light, but sunlight works better. It works
great on antique linens as well as other natural-fiber materials. As with
anything, it's a good idea to test a spot first.

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I don't know about the above, but with mud on wool or cotton, the first thing
to do is let it dry. Then scrape it off and brush it off. You don't want it to
soak into the fibers. Once it's there it's minerals, mostly, and isn't much
affected by bleaches, etc. I've put cotton especially in the dryer on AIR ONLY
(no heat), but cotton can take the beating. I don't know about linen, and I
haven't had to try it with wool.

To get mud out of the fibers, about all you can do is soak (after you've
brushed). Use a bucket or plastic garbage can with cold water and soap or
detergent (detergent is usually better). Let it sit for a while, stirring a
couple of times a day. There are probably ways of doing it with high flows of
water, but I don't know. I would not put a pressure washer on clothing,
however.



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YIS

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