Expert: Henry Babcock - 1/24/2009

Question
My cousin gave me several beautiful handpainted needlepoint canvases.  Problem is she had them stored where they got damp.  Most of them just smell like mildew, but a few of them have mildew spots on them.  How do I get the smell out and the mildew off?

Answer
Millie,

I apologize for the delay.

If the canvases are painted with colorfast paints, dry cleaning them should take care of the problem.

If the canvases are not colorfast, You could try setting them out in the sun for a few days (take them in at night), making sure to expose both sides to the sun.  This should kill the mold and stop it's spread.  If they still smell, you could try something like Fabreeze (color test on a small area that won't be noticeable after it is stitched over.

You want to avoid wetting (as traditional washing would) the canvases if you can.  If they have to be washed by hand, you would need to reblock and size (it's the stuff that makes the canvas stiff) the canvases before stitching on them.

Hope this helps,

Henry Babcock
AllExperts Needlepoint Expert