"What's the best way to store textile treasures so they'll be in good sewing condition months, years, decades or even a lifetime later," we asked conservation experts and museum archivists.

"Textiles are pretty good at surviving intact for years, but the cooler and drier the storage environment, the better," says Dr. Michael Trinkley, heritage preservation specialist at South Carolina's Chicora Foundation, Inc.

While his museum-based clients can control temperature and humidity within a narrow range year-round, this isn't practical in the average home. "If you store fabrics in areas where you live-- such as a bedroom or family room--rather than areas such as the garage, basement or attic which aren't climate-controlled, your fabric collection will benefit," he advises.

Another element affecting fabric longevity is exposure to light, especially natural sunlight and artificial fluorescent light, both of which contain damaging ultraviolet rays. "All textiles eventually degrade, but whether they take years or decades to deteriorate depends upon conditions. Silk and nylon fibers in particular are very vulnerable to light. We store everything in the dark," says Linda Eaton, textile conservator for Winterthur, the Delaware American decorative arts museum.

Especially relevant to light-exposure concerns is the unstable nature of dyes used on fashion fabrics. "Most apparel dyes are light-sensitive," comments Robert Marshall, a textile conservation consultant from Pittsburgh, PA. "Dye resins actually mutate in the presence of ultraviolet light and can be destroyed."

Air Circulation

To keep fabrics fresh and new until you're ready to sew them, an added consideration is air circulation. "It's best to store fabrics hung or folded for air movement," advises Trinkley. He's one of several experts with reservations about using common household plastic containers for fabric storage. "Plastic containers and garment bags could ultimately become a micro-environment," he warns. "If there's moisture inside and they're kept in a dark place, such as under the bed, mold can grow. If you expose them to light, you're creating a greenhouse in which pests can grow."

According to Eaton, "The danger is twofold with plastic tubs. One, the plastic can give off gases that cause yellowing and textile deterioration. Two, if the plastic container has a very good seal, you can set up a situation which accelerates fiber bio-degradation."

Not all plastics are a threat, points out Lucy Commoner, textile conservator at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, NY. "The type of plastic is important, but it's not easy for the consumer to determine this. Furthermore, a company may change its formula from time to time," she says. Commoner recommends using special, acid-free cardboard storage boxes rather than plastic containers. These archival-style boxes, once sold only to conservation pros, now are available in sizes and quantities practical for sewing hobbyists.

"Acid-free" is becoming a familiar term today, particularly with the popular interest in preserving family items made from fabric, paper and other materials. "Memory" products, such as acid-free cardboard and acid-free tissue paper, can be found in many craft and fabric stores, as well as through mail-order sources. These products can help keep fabrics from coming into contact with the corrosive acid effects found not only in ordinary cardboard cartons and tissue papers, but also wood.

"Acid turns textiles brown," explains Marshall. "Oak, for example, is laden with tannic acid. In the humid conditions, the acid can transfer into the fabric fibers and actually dye the fabric brown."

At Winterthur, Eaton stores many textile items flat, with as few folds as possible, in acid-free boxes with acid-free tissue paper to cushion the fabric folds. "Otherwise, creases can turn into splits over time," she cautions, pointing out there are two acid-free tissue paper types available for interleaving.

"Buffered acid-free paper is treated to make it alkaline and prevent the paper from going acidic, but we've found fabric print colors offset onto this paper type," she warns. "Neutral-pH, unbuffered paper works better, but it's expensive."

She recommends consumers use white cotton bed sheets between stored fabric layers as a substitute for unbuffered paper. "Old sheets are great", she says. "Just run the sheets through two hot wash cycles using only water to be certain all the detergent is removed."

Eaton rolls large textile items on acid-free cardboard tubes. To approximate this setup for home fabric storage, she recommends, "You can cover any cardboard tube with household aluminum foil to prevent acid migration. Because the metal surface will encourage condensation, cover the foil with sheets of acid-free tissue or laundered muslin, then wrap the fabric around the tube for long term storage."

When storing decorator fabrics rolled on tubes, however, even this conservator's approach may not protect the textiles from decay. "We're finding that finishes that repel stains or resist wrinkles deteriorate and break down over time into chemicals which harm the base fabric," says Eaton, implying it's wiser to turn home furnishing fabrics into slipcovers and window treatments than to store them long-term.

Pest Control

A final fabric storage issue is pest infestation. "In general, silk and wool fibers are most prone to insect attack. The cellulosic fibers, such as linen, rayon and cotton, are more prone to mildew," says Commoner.

Pests like a warm, moist environment most of all, but infestations are most likely to occur in an undisturbed environment. You have to monitor your collection." Trinkley advises, "Follow grandmother's example and periodically inspect stored items. Move them around and clean the area."

Unfortunately, a traditional cedar chest may not successfully protect keepsake wool fiber fabrics from pests. "Cedar chests aren't good enclosures to prevent pest infestation because they're not airtight," says Trinkley. "Furthermore, studies have shown that cedar must have volatile oils present to be effective. Old cedar chests made of heartwood cedar had a good supply of these oils and offered protection for a long time, at least until the wood dried out. Newer cedar chests no longer are made of heartwood cedar and may offer only months of protection."

Another traditional preventative, moth balls, also isn't a practical option. "I don't recommend moth balls. The moth ball concentration needed for effective fiber protection is so high, they're a health hazard," says Commoner.

"Also, moth balls can react with some dyes and some synthetic fibers. You can get 'melt down'."