If the quilt is really precious, and not modern, this probably isn't a good thing to do. The stains might fade, but so might the rest of the quilt! Sunlight isn't great for fabric. If the quilt is worth it, she could consult a conservator and see if washing the quilt gently with Orvis might work - I guess if the quilt is sturdy enough to stand being wet-washed twice, a third time might not kill it completely, but you never know! Sometimes the difficulty of removing a stain means that even if it's ugly, it's better for it to just stay rather than hurt the rest of the quilt while trying to clean it. A professional conservator's judgement would probably be the best thing. Genevieve Ellerbee Associate Registrar DAR Museum Washington, DC 202.628.1776 x 331 > -----Original Message----- > From: Kimberly Kenney, Curator [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 1:41 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: removing iron stains from fabric... > > Hello all, > > I recieved a plea for assistance on the phone from a > woman who would like to remove iron stains from a > family heirloom quilt. She has washed it twice, and > the stains remain. > > She heard that putting lemon juice on it and setting > it in the sun would help. She wondered if that was > safe. > > Has anyone heard of that, or have a better idea for > her? > > Thanks, > > Kim Kenney > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).