Ignore any advice you get from people who admit they have no clue how to 
clean a rug but just want to offer you advice. 

Instead you could do a couple of things. 

A) you could start to build your personal or institutional reference 
library by visiting the wonderful web site maintained by the National Park 
Service (USA).  There they publish a series of conserv-o-grams--free--on 
many commonly asked conservation questions. 
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html

B) visit the web site or make a phone call to a professional conservation 
facility. You might start with the American Institute for Conservation 
(AIC) http://aic.stanford.edu/
The AIC can help you locate a professional, trained, conservator who can 
advise you on what is appropriate for you to attempt yourself (i.e. 
vaccuuming a textile) and what is not (oh, say, wet washing). Many 
conservators are happy to provide an initial consultation at no charge. 

C) Purchase the wonderful conservation and collections management series 
published by the Canadian Conservation Institute, called CCI notes. These 
are available in French and English. Here's the link to the English home 
page http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/main_e.aspx

D) find some basic training in collecions care, I have a personal interest 
in the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies which offeres 
training for people in the historic preservation, conservation, and 
collections care fields. http://www.campbellcenter.org/
Helen Alten offers on-line courses and often announces them on Museum-L. 
Search the archives and you'll find her contact info. My personal bias is 
for in person training. This is not meant as a cut against Helen by any 
means. She offers in-person training too. 

E) review the bookstore of the American Association of Museums for works 
specific to your needs. If you can't afford to purchase the books, you 
might find them on interlibrary loan, at a university library, in the 
library of a nearby large museum, or in the lending library of your state 
or regional museum association (although not all of them maintain a 
library.)

It is extremely difficult for a professional to give you specific advice 
without examining your objects in person. Exceptions exist and basic care 
advice can easily be given over the phone. Be cautious of anything that 
sounds like a home remedy. It will likely cause more damage than good. 


Diane Gutenkauf

Information is the best defense against ignorance. 


On Fri, 7 Apr 2006 19:49:50 -0000, Becca Hiller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Dear List Serv, 
>
>Can anyone recommend how woven Indian rugs should be cleaned.  We
>have several which have been hanging on the walls for almost thirty
>years and not protected.  I would like to have them cleaned (to
>remove the grease and grim from the hands of those visitors who
>simply could not resist touching) and then make plexi glass cases to
>cover them. Ideally, I would put them away in our collections for a
>time-to give them a break-but that is not possible. 
>
>Thank you,Becca
>

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