Quilt Care

Straight Talk About Quilt Care Book

Chapter 4B

Continuation of Handling Quilts: Biohazards and Other Considerations

by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings, et.al.

Freezing Quilts After a Fire: Buying Time from Mold Damage

Quilts that have been soaked by fire hoses need to be rinsed in clear water and then dried as quickly as possible, within 48 hours, according to an article link on the AIC (American Institute of Conservators') website.

To buy a little time, wet quilts can be frozen. In one instance, a meat packing plant offered (victims of a home fire) space to freeze their quilts for awhile. Use only clear plastic bags, not garbage bags, and wrap each quilt in new, white towels or “de-sized” muslin. This textile barrier will adsorb the moisture that will inevitably collect on the inside of the plastic bag.

Freezing is no guarantee that the quilts will be saved in the long run. One house fire victim says, “Be prepared to lose some quilts, if you freeze them.” Many mold spores, the spore being the most durable part of the “plant,” are hardy and can survive freezing. They just become dormant until climactic conditions are right again for them to begin growing. This is one reason that frozen quilts should be thawed rapidly and dried quickly.

At the other extreme, keep in mind that some types of mold are not eradicated even in temperatures close to the boiling point, according to online remarks shared by Laurence B. Molloy. The Wikipedia Encyclopedia online defines “boiling point” as the temperature at which a liquid can become a gas throughout the bulk of the liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. If an “almost” boiling point temperature does not succeed in destroying some mold spores, one can readily see what a tenacious enemy they are!

Lemon Juice and Salt Past: Old Time Remedy for Mildew

An old time remedy suggests that mildew on lines can be treated with a paste of lemon juice and salt and then placed in the sun. Presumably, the stained area would be well-rinsed with water after sun exposure and dried a second time. This lemon juice/salt method would be problematic to use on a quilt because there are three layers, and because it could be difficult to isolate a small area for treatment.

To try to treat the entire surface of the quilt in this manner would be very time-consuming, particularly if areas of embroidery need to be avoided, as in the 1890 Redwork Quilt previously described.

Over time, it is likely that the lemon juice and salt treatment will turn light-colored cloth, yellow, We always need to consider the long-term effects of any cleaning procedure that we undertake. The “treatment” can turn out to be damaging later.

Smallpox was Communicable through Bedding

Smallpox is usually spread by person-to-person contact. However, one way that people have been infected with Smallpox, in the past, was through contact with contaminated bedding or clothing, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.

The good news is that no outbreaks of Smallpox have been reported in the United States since 1949, and the last known case was seen in Somalia in 1977. As far as health officials know, the only extant Smallpox viruses now exist in laboratories. The bad news is that this organism is on a list of potential threads for bio-terrorism, a situation that is being carefully monitored by federal health officials.

There are three types of this infectious disease, two of which are fatal 100% of the time. A third viral strain results in the demise of 30% of individuals who contract the virus. For more information, see the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/index.asp

Smallpox is only one causative agent of serious disease. We do not know what pathogens or carcinogens may lurk on the surface of old bedding material.

Precautions should always be taken when handling unknown textiles. Disease-causing agents or organisms pose a potential danger to those who handle these old textiles. Old dyes, or chemicals used in the production of fabrics could present additional health risks. Always wear masks and nitrile gloves when repairing or working closely with old quilts, and when you are cutting up fabrics.

Mice also Like Quilts, or the Story “Of Mice and Men”

Quilts are often placed in unmonitored areas where rodents can do their damage, unnoticed. Many homes have house guests: mice! Sometimes, the four-legged critters can be heard scampering round the petitions, knocking down insulation. A mama mouse, in search of nest building materials will chew through the wall of a closet where you are storing old quilt. They will gnaw holes in the quilts and pull out the soft batting inside.

antique quilt block with mouse holes

Tulip Block shows a mouse's entrance and exit holes on this antique 1930s quilt.
photo by James Cummings

Mice go about this task in a very quiet way. You may not notice anything different until you pull out a quilt from a closet, one day, and notice mouse dropping and holes in the quilt. Mice will always make an entry hold and an exit hole, like any burrowing animal. If you see this, you will know that a mouse has been at work!

One person told me about how his wife had stored a baby quilt in a plastic bag in an attic space. When she retrieved the bag, she found mice skeletons along with the gnawed-on quilt. They must have enjoyed their stay so much, they lived there until they died and went to mouse heaven!

Hanta Virus: A Story of Man vs. Mouse

Hanta virus causes illness that is sometimes fatal in humans. The way in which the virus is transmitted is through human contact with mouse droppings. Only the Muridae family of rats and mice, which exist in the Americas, is responsible for transmitting the virus to people. The mice are carriers of the virus, but do not seem to suffer any ill effects from it themselves. Hanta virus is a condition that is contagious between humans.

The Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), is just one of 430 species of this family of rodents whose range extends throughout North, Central, and South America. This kind of mouse most often transmits Hanta virus in the United States. Cases of the sometimes fatal illness have been found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

The Four Corners areas of the United States, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, meet, has reported the most cases of the disease in North America. Cabins located within twenty national parks in the southwest have been pinpointed as the sources of infection.

There, and in other rural areas across the nation, deer mice habitually enter unused buildings to nest and to seek safely from the elements. They leave behind their dried mouse feces, urine, and saliva that contains the live viruses.

Sleeping bags being laid down in dusty, contaminated, cabin areas account for at least some of the reported cases.

People can become infected, by inhaling airborne particles of “mouse dust,” or by eating food that has been contaminated by this mouse fecal material. The virus can also find its way into the human body through an open wound. The disease begins with flu-like symptoms and can escalate into internal bleeding and respiratory failure.

Clean, As A Precautionary Measure

One way to avoid contamination is to wash down the entire inside of a cabin with a hydrochlorite solution (1:10 ratio of chlorine bleach and water), followed by vacuuming the area, before sleeping in the cabin. Of course, other precautions should be taken, too such as gloving and masking before cleaning.

Hanta virus is deadly for more than a third of its victims. The Centers for Disease Control provides ongoing updates about Hanta virus. The recommendations that were posted to their website, http://www.cdc.gov on April 13, 2005 include how to handle mouse invasions in your home. They suggest using spring-style mouse traps, baited with a peas size amount ofchunky peanut butter.

Place the trap in the area where the mice seemto coming in. Dispose of dead mice in accordance to the government's safe guidelines that are mentioned in the April article, or contact your local health department for suggestions. For more information, please see Kim Cabrera's website where you will see lovely photos of cute, little deer mice: http://tinyurl.com/cabkb

Obviously, there is a reason for telling you about deer mice and Hanta virus. Mice can enter the best of homes, even ones that seem to be “mouse-proof.” Mice are said to be able to flatten themselves out so that they can squeeze through a crack that is 1/4” wide. Whether you live in a new or old house, chances are good that at some point, you may encounter a mouse. The worse case scenario is that you do not realize that mice have found part of your quilt collections and have gnawed open a quilt to retrieve sleeping material for the youngsters.

Take any mouse presence seriously, and please put the “Oh, the poor little thing” thought aside. Mice are cute. Mice are destructive. Declare any mouse who enters your home, “the enemy.” As we have just seen, mice can and do carry deadly agents. Standing on top of the kitchen table and shrieking will do no good. You know what you have to do!

Deliberately keeping rodents as pets is risky business. Health officials do not recommend it. The fleas of rodents have been known to carry plague, a disease that is still around in the twenty-first century! Forewarned is forearmed. I share ALL of the above, because I care! Take care of yourself!

A Mite-y Problem is No Laughing Matter

Dust mites were first seen by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1694 after he had invented the microscope. There are two types of mites: the North American House Dust Mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, and the European House Dust Mite, D. pteronyssinus. These small creatures live in dust and more importantly, for humans, on textile surfaces. They are not a true insect but rather an Arachnid, a relative of spiders, ticks, and scorpions.

These formidable-looking creatures live in spaces occupied by people. Their main food supply is the thousands of skin particles that are shed from every human being, every day. Most commonly, dust mites are found in beds, favorite upholstered chairs and sofas, in carpets, and on stuffed animals.

William F. Lyon'swebsite entry makes the startling statement that a used mattress can contain anywhere from 100,000 dust mites to 10 million of them. One person estimates that 10% of the weight of a two-year old bed pillow can be attributed to the weight of dust mites.

In an advertisement received from David Oreck, founder of Oreck Corporation, that sells a hypo-allergenic vacuum cleaner with seven filters, “a mere ounce of dust can contain 10,000 dust mites.” With his clean-air vacuum technology, he promises that his product will trap “99.9% of dust, bacteria, dust mites, pollen, dander and other harmful allergens down to 0.3 microns.”

The microscopic Arachnids need magnification of 10X to be seen. While they are “out of sight, out of mind” for most people, allergies can be the result of exposure to their shed skin casings and their abundant frass. One researcher estimates that 80% of all asthma cases are due to contact with dust mites. Nosebleeds, and even feelings of mental depression, are reported to have been linked to exposure to dust mites in the home.

What Can You Do?

For those with known allergies to dust mites, it is recommended that you wash all bed sheets and (synthetic) blankets in hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit), every other week. Avoid having wool blankets on the bed. Put washable covers on both pillows and mattresses. Home Trends sells a waterproof mattress pad that provides a special barrier for dust mites, and they also sell a new laundry additive called “de-mite.” For more information call 1 (800) 810-2340, or visit: www.ShopHomeTrends.com

Washing quilts frequently is not recommended for their sake, but it is possible to air them often. A white sheet that is brand new and has been washed and dried is ideal for draping over the quilt if the quilt is laid over a clothesline outside. Large white, terry-cloth towels are just right for “padding” the clothesline, under the quilt. Of course, one would never hang a wet quilt at all. Unless your quilt is exceedingly old and decrepit, you should be able to hang it outside in the manner described.

In addition, good housekeeping goes a long way toward keeping the problem under control. To minimize dust being stirred up, spray furniture cleaner onto a dust cloth and then use the cloth to wipe down wood surfaces. For further dust mite control, buy a Hepa-filter vacuum and use it to clean carpets once a day.

The bad news for dust mite allergy sufferers who love quilts is that they should remove “extra” textiles in their lives such as stuffed animals, cloth lampshades, and wall hangings. These all attract dust. Of course, telling quilters to remove textile objects definitely is not welcome advice!

An enchanting and haunting book, The Secret House: The Extraordinary Science of an Ordinary Day by David Bodanis (Simon & Schuster, 1986, is an entertaining glimpse into the molecular life that is present in every home. Dust mites are discussed as part of the unseen world!

Speaking of Dust...

Dust is the number one culprit in damaging quilts. Take down wall quilts and vacuum them on a regular basis, following the instructions provided in this book. Leave no wall quilt hanging for more than three months, and then let it “rest” for at least the same amount of time that it was displayed. Always clean quilts well before storing them.

Take advantage of a clear, breezy day to air your quilt. The quilt will smell wonderful! Please cover the surface of the quilt with a washed, brand new, white percale sheet to lessen the impact of damaging ultraviolet rays.

Fresh Air is Vital

Quilt shop owners and others who constantly cut a lot of new fabrics have been known to contract allergies and asthma. Breathing in cotton dust particles is not good for the lungs. Foreign particulates that find their way to the lungs can result in disease as we can readily see when we look at the history of mill conditions in early New England. Emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis were prevalent in the mills because of sealed, humid buildings. Often, all of the mill windows were sealed shut in order to prevent workers from opening them. The humid conditions were necessary to keep cotton yarns from drying out and snapping during spinning and weaving.

Arsenic and Old Dyes

Arsenic is a widespread element that is found in the earth's crust. Since ancient times, it has been known to be toxic to man. In fact, arsenic poisoning was often used in murder plots. “Arsenic and Old Lace,” was, of course, a 1944 “humorous, dark comedy” movie based on a stage play written by Joseph Kesselring. The plot centers on a drama critic, played by Cary Grant, who has just discovered that his two maiden aunts are helping the sad, lonely gentlemen who board with them, by dosing their food with arsenic, thereby sending them to another world.

Arsenic is rarely found alone in nature. Instead, it usually exists in two forms: organic and inorganic.

When arsenic combines with carbon and hydrogen, it is considered an organic compound. Arsenic of this type is sometimes applied to plants as a pesticide.

When arsenic combines with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur, it forms an inorganic arsenic compound. Inorganic arsenic is hazardous to humans and is a known carcinogen. A variety of symptoms can result from even low level exposure, over time.

In an online article from June 12, 2003, reporter Kristen Philipkoski discusses the dangers of arsenic in “This Artist Painted With Poison,” in Wired News. Philipkoski states that in 1867, the father of William Morris, the famous British, Decorative Arts designer, owned a business that processed arsenic that was sold to other commercial establishments that manufactured green pigments. Historically, the color green had been a very elusive color to achieve for dyers and fabric colorists. The usual means of obtaining green on fabrics was by “penciling” (that is, hand painting the color blue over the color yellow.)

The green arsenic pigments sold by Morris were used to manufacture paint, wallpaper, and worse yet, clothing. Conceivably, some fabrics created by the use of arsenic pigments were sewn into quilts.

To provide an idea as to the toxicity of arsenic, Philipkoski mentions that, in damp rooms, fungi that lived in the wallpaper paste, converted arsenic salts from the green pigments into trimethylarsine. When inhaled, the highly toxic substance caused illness, and sometimes, even death.

Arsenic salts were one of the elements that were used to add weight to silk during Victorian times. This is one of the reasons that it is a good idea to wear a protective mask and nitrile gloves, at all times, when working on any antique Crazy Quilt from the Victorian Era.

An Unexpected Pleasure

On May 25, 2005, “The Antiques Roads Show-FYI” on WGBH, Boston, a local Public Broadcasting Station, featured a visit to the Conservation Lab for Textiles at Colonial Williamsburg, where Loreen Finkelstein, textile conservator, was interviewed.

Finkelstein examined an antique “Flying Geese” quilt to determine areas of loss. She explained that the first order of business for a conservator is to write a condition proposal which states the current state of the textile, and a proposed treatment plan. In the case of the quilt, she explained how glassine, a glossy transparent paper, would be overlaid on each damaged patch. The paper would be scored and then trimmed into a template by which a piece of Stabiltex (stabilizer) can be cut to size. The edges of the Stabiltex will be touched with a heated iron to melt them (polyester easily melts.) after the edges are melded in this way, the patch will be tacked down over the damaged area, and the stitches will be placed where the cotton is the strongest, around the area of loss.

An appliqué quilt, circa 1850, is in very good condition and will be able to withstand being displayed without the use of a slant board. Finkelstein estimates that she and her assistant spent about 40 hours passing a needle from the back of the quilt to the front of it, as they tacked on extra support backing of 100% cotton fabric. The random and large basting stitches did go all the way through to the front and out to the back again.

In another area of the lab, a woven coverlet had been placed on a washstand and it was tested for colorfastness (fugitive dyes) by the use of white “blotters” and drops of de-ionized water. When no transference of color was noted, the item was deemed appropriate for “wet washing” in a .5 pH solution of Orvus solution at at water temperature of 85 degrees. She rinsed the coverlet seven times before she was convinced that no trace of the detergent remained in the textile.

Meanwhile, her assistant was busy dyeing fabric samples to see if she could come close to creating a new fabric to match a silk petticoat from the mid-eighteenth century. It took several tries but she was happy with the result of her efforts.

While Colonial Williamsburg conserves only the textiles in their own collection, the reporter told the listening audience that one can expect to pay between fifty to one hundred dollars per hour for work of this kind.

To have found this program, just by chance, was an unexpected pleasure, and just one of the reasons we like to support public television.

Go to Chapter 5