You will, I am sure, receive a lot of responses to your inquiry.  I have a
few comments I would like to add.  First, definitely rehouse the materials!!
With some items you may even want to pad out shoulders, sleeves, legs, to get
rid of creases and support the material.  As for cleaning, would sending them
to a conservator be an option?  If there isn't enough money in the budget for
that, I would contact some conservators (independent or at other museums) and
ask their advice.  They are the experts when it comes to cleaning textiles.
For dust, you can use a very gentle vacuum--something that will not suck up
the material, but merely the dust.  There is a great book called "Caring for
Your Collection," that I cannot remember the author of, but is an excellent
introduction into caring for your collection. I'm sure you can find it on AAM
website among other places.  Good luck!!!

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