90 year old wrinkled, stained, mold infested wool.

[JHoll72]

Hey guys,
Looking for some advice here.
I picked up a WWI uniform that looks like it was shoved in a duffle bag for 90 years and left in the basement. There are dirt and rust stains, wrinkles and the worst the straight leg trousers have a significant amount of mold.
I took the moldy trousers outside and brushed off the loose mold. The advice on the internet is then to wash them..but I don't want to do that with these.
Is there anything else I can do to remove/stop the mold.
The stains I can live with if there is nothing that can be done but I really want to get rid of the wrinkles....as this really detracts from the display.
The cap is cotton is also wrinkled. I have it stuffed with archival tissue paper to help it get it's shape back..is this the best method, given time will it return to it's normal shape.
I have included a couple of pics to illustrate what I have to deal with.

[JHoll72]

wrinkles.

[JHoll72]

More pictures can be found at the following link..no point in reposting them.


http://70.87.163.50/forums/showthread.php?t=349547

[JHoll72]

I brushed off the mold and hung the items out in the fresh air to get rid of the smell.
The only things I need with now is the rust stains and how to safely remove the wrinkles. I have done a google search and come up empty for old wool.
Anyone have any suggestions?

[blinky]

Well, apart from cleaning the only way to deal with the mold is to expose it to bright sunlight. A few days shouldn't cause fading. When you store or display it just make sure the humidity level never exceeds 50% - 60% and any mold left should remain dormant.
Wrinkles.....they should work themselves out eventually. You could try using steam, let the items hang and steam them with an iron. The steam and weight of the material will pull them out. It's not 100% perfect but it can help. Again though, if you do that, expose the items to direct sunlight to kill any mold the steam might have activated.
Rust stains....without cleaning about the only thing you can do is try to brush them out with a stiff brush. If you try spot cleaning you'll probably just end up with a more noticeable "clean" spot.

Mold is tricky and unless you give it a good cleaning or have it professionaly conserved you're pretty much always going to be stuck with it. All it takes is a few mold spores hiding in the fibers of the cloth and high humidity to get it growing again. Sunlight is the best way to deal with it, it's not perfect and you do have to worry about fading but generally if you keep exposure down to a few hours it shouldn't cause damage. The downside is if damage does occur (fading) you can't reverse it.

[JHoll72]

Thanks Blinky,
Since cleaning the mold off, there has been no sunny days here. I will for sure get them into the sun for awhile to kill the mold.
I will try to brush out the rust stains, but they are very well set...if it doesn't pose a threat to the uniform, I can live with those as they are small spots.

The wrinkles are what I was really hoping to get some help with. I had heard steam ironing the wrinkled wool but wasn't sure about putting heat to the wool. Steaming seems like a much better idea and if it comes down to time then so be it...I will have to wait.

[Lenny W]

i have used lysol spray to get rid of mold it worked well on some ammo pouches and a old ratty looking m-34 cap and then let it set in fresh air for a few days they came out great with no ill efects

[MaxxBrunn1938]

I've used lysol spray to and it works without any problems, for the wrinkles I've used steam also depending on the material, I've also have had my dry cleaner work on some items BUT you need to find on that knows what they are doing....

[pbuchh7715]

Jeff,

Sometimes simply hanging the uniform in the bathroom when you take a shower a few times will release some of the wrinkles. Also, you can sometimes realize success if you place the uniform in between your mattress and boxspring for a couple of weeks.

Hope this helps.

Best,

pete

[JHoll72]

Thanks for the tips guys. I am going to try the Benefect product I posted in another thread to try and kill the mold.
I had thought about hanging the tunic in the bathroom while showering, interesting to hear someone who has tried it...I think that will be my first thing to try.
I will keep this thread updated when I have some results....thanks again guys.

[pbuchh7715]

Jeff,

Just as a side, keep in mind that in addition to releasing some (I stress some) wrinkles, it releases a lot of pent up stink from the years. The steam itself helps but a little gentle tugging (mind the seams) helps straightening the fabric. It can be a time consuming project but I think one of the safer methods.

I have hit wool with an iron on a steam setting in the past as well with some WWII wool as an experiment and had no problems. Please note I didn't attempt this on any sewn insignia or metal fittings. Regardless, the results were good.

With lightweight cotton fabrics, I have put them in the dryer with a wet (not soaking) towel for 10 - 15 minutes. This removes a lot of wrinkles as well as a fair amount of "stank". I would not recommend this with anything with leather or bullion insignia

Best,

Peter

[JHoll72]

http://70.87.163.50/forums/showthread.php?t=351728

I used the benefect product with no ill effects on the cotton or wool. Hopefully the companies claims are true and 99% of the mould is gone. The product comes in a convenient spray bottle and is organic and very safe to use.

The wrinkles I am still working on, a couple of steaming showers and no noticeable results but have not been able to spend the time tugging the wool straight.

[Niblet]

I would wash it in woolite,,I bet it would turn out nice

[Infanteer]

Not recommendations per se, but here are some methods that I have used on my wool items.

I have a clothes steamer that my mother in law gave me last year and it has helped with a number of wool items. I like steam since it relaxes the fibres and as far as I can tell and have read there really isn't any negative side effects on uniform cloth. I would be careful around any attached insignia though, just in case the steam causes colors to bleed. An iron can be used but I would use a thin press cloth to prevent any unwanted shine from being introduced.

I have also had success with washing WWII battle dress tunics in Woolite and then allowing them to air dry. It will be necessary to gently pull the material back into shape as the item dries but once dry the results are very rewarding. But again, you will need to make a risk assessment as to whether or not any attached insignia will be adversely affected by the moisture.

Lastly, I did take a German M36 tunic to the drycleaners with great results but it was as a last resort as the tunic had been used by a movie prop company and they applied an artificial dirt/grime compound (to make the tunic look battle worn) that was very difficult to remove. The big thing to consider with a dry cleaner is to talk with them before hand and make sure they understand the situation. Also, try to find out when they change chemicals and have your item cleaned with fresh chemicals. For me this would be a last resort but in my case the tunic came out looking much, much better and there were no adverse side effects that I am aware of.

Weigh all of the options and start with the least risky option first. Good luck.

[bobcam1]

The only caution to be mentioned, where steamers are concerned, is that one must be very careful in handling an item for a few hours after applying steam.
Hand steamers and upright steamers are GREAT for removing even long-term wrinkling.....but.....since the steam relaxes the fibers in textiles, they are susceptible to pulls and snags, while they are drying. Just be careful when moving a tunic or other item, not to pull too much, and avoid snagging it on sharp corners, etc. while moving it, after applying steam.

Bob.