Worried that your precious sari collection is on the verge
of damage and discolouration? Textile conservator V Jeyaraj has a few solutions. Due to a lack of maintenance, some of my precious Kanjivaram
silks had to be discarded. They were either torn, discoloured or brittle.
V Jeyaraj, founder of Hepzibah Institute of Heritage
Conservation and retired curator of the Government Museum, Chennai, who has
been in the field of conservation since 1978, He has done extensive research on preservation and
restoration of various types of textiles.
Herbal disinfectants can be easily prepared at home, but we
need to alternate it with two or three variations, or else insects will get
immune to the disinfectants,”moisture is the main reason why silk and other expensive
textiles get damaged or torn.
“The damage is high where pollution levels are
high, and to safeguard your saris, it is always best to wrap them in pure
cotton cloth or store them in an acid-free board box.”
placing silicone gel crystals in the storage
unit can go a long way in protecting garments.
“These gel crystals (available
in any chemist’s shop) absorb moisture. These blue colour crystals, once they
absorb moisture, turn pink. That is when you must keep them in the sunlight to
dry, and when they turn blue again, reuse them.” When textiles are not
preserved well, insects can damage them further. The excreta of insects is high
on acidity, and therefore over a period of time, the fabric cracks.
De-acidification can save such damages, says Jeyaraj. “Just keep an open bottle
of ammonia in the wardrobe and it will de-acidify and protect your precious
silks,”
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