A few thoughts on dealing with mould and textiles. Firstly, mould is a serious health concern -- it can cause respiratory problems as well as skin and eye irritations. This tapestry should be handled with gloves (disposable latex rather than cotton), goggles, and a mask (preferably with a HEPA filter). To remove the mould, I would recommend that surface cleaning rather than wet cleaning be attempted. Vacuum following the screen technique but make sure that the mould is dry (otherwise the brushing and vacuuming will just smear the mould into the yarns). Also, isolate the tapestry from the rest of your collection. Do the vacuuming outdoors or direct the exhaust outside through a window to prevent the mould spores from spreading through the museum. Seal and discard the vacuum bag after vacuuming the mouldy tapestry. If you feel that wet cleaning is necessary, consult a textile conservator. Cleaning a tapestry (or any artifact in a collection) is not a straight forward task -- the dyed yarns will need to be tested for colour fastness and problems in shrinkage might occur with the linen backing. By the by, IMS is Industrial Methylated Spirits which is ethanol with a small amount of methanol. Hope this helps. Contact the AIC's conservation services referral system at (202) 452-9545 for information about qualified conservators in your area. Audrey Yardley-Jones Conservation Co-ordinator Alberta Museums Association 9829 - 103 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 0X9 phone: (403) 424-2626