Preserving And Cleaning Your Tapestries

By Author: Alla Marinow
Total Articles: 8
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Looking after your tapestries is really not a big deal! Let’s take a look at how tapestry wall hangings were preserved, cleaned and looked after throughout the centuries, and then discuss how you can clean and preserve your wall tapestry for generations to come.

Going back to medieval times, cleaning and preserving hand woven tapestries was a challenge. Castle walls were cold and dank, often with moisture seeping through nooks and crannies. Tapestries would be hung on the walls to keep the cold out, and the warmth in. The only source of heat was a fireplace either at one end of the room or in the center with the smoke rising through hole in the roof. Often the room would be filled with smoke and soot due to prevailing winds. Lighting in the room came from candles or pitch soaked torches. Sometimes the tapestry wall hangings would be set away from the wall, with four tapestries creating chamber or a room within a room. Eventually the smoke and soot would coat the hand woven tapestries beyond recognition and they would have to be taken down for cleaning. ...
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Cleaning of tapestries in medieval times was quite a process. Hand woven tapestries were woven in 100% wool, and could not be laundered as the wall tapestry would shrink. So, stale bread was stored and kept for the purpose of cleaning them. The bread would be crumbled into large breadcrumbs, dampened and then rolled across the face of the tapestry. The soot and dirt would be absorbed by the breadcrumbs that were discarded and a new batch used until the face of the wall tapestry was ‘clean’.

As time went on into the late 1600’s- 1900’s cleaning of European tapestries was less arduous. Rooms were cleaner, and the fireplaces had better drafting mechanisms, so smoke and soot would not fill the rooms. Liquid paraffin was used for lighting often with glass surrounding the flame. As tapestries became dusty and dirty they were taken down (if they were not set into a panel) taken outside, hung on a clothesline and beaten with a wood paddle to remove dust and insects. This process was no different than the cleaning of area rugs.

Through time tapestries were often taken down from the walls to move with the owners to their summer or winter location along with much of the furniture. This allowed for cleaning to take place at least once if not twice a year. As a result, we are fortunate to have many tapestries at our disposal in museums, castles, chateaux, and villas for our viewing pleasure. Some of these European tapestries go back to the 14th century and are still in good shape.

Today, in our clean, sanitized homes, with center heating, air conditioning, dry wall, insulation, hardwood, tile or marble floors and very dry rooms, tapestry cleaning and preservation is very simple. No, you do not have use damp breadcrumbs or beat your tapestries to remove dirt! All you need is your vacuum cleaning and the nozzle attachment that comes with it. The face of your wall tapestry typically will not take on too much dust, as it hanging vertically. You will get some dust accumulation along the top. So running a vacuum nozzle across the face and along the top should do the trick. Check the back of the tapestry to make sure a spider or two has not made the tapestry its home. Typically moths will not settle in on the back of the wall hanging tapestry, provided you have a backing or a cotton lining on the back. If your tapestry wall hanging is a hand woven wool tapestry, make sure it is lined.

Lastly, never, ever take your tapestries to the dry cleaners – unless the label states so (these are usually the less expensive tapestries woven in the USA in cotton and synthetic fibers). Italian tapestries, French tapestries and ones woven in Belgium are European woven on old reproduction looms in a very tight weave. Chemicals will destroy the fibers and your wall hanging will be damaged.

Otherwise enjoy your tapestries, clean them with a vacuum cleaner nozzle only, and leave them in a preserved state for future generations to enjoy.