Reply to: "Do you have an opinion on the soap called Orvus? It is used for washing wool and for that it can't be beat. I'm not sure whether this can be found outside the US, but it is carried here by feed stores because it is used to wash sheep and other animals. It is supposed to be the purest soap that exists and contains no phosphates or other nasty things.
"I would value an opinion on this where it concerns cleaning lace. Thanks, Jeri. "Tess (tess1...@aol.com)" ------------------------------------------------- Dear Tess and Others Interested, Orvus is fully addressed, as it pertains to wet cleaning cotton and linen laces, in a long paragraph on _www.honitonlace.com_ (http://www.honitonlace.com/) . Honiton lace is not a wool lace. Orvus is the only product I use and recommend for cotton or linen, as I believe that museum-qualified conservators should tackle permanent stains on anything that does not respond to careful washing. Our Arachne correspondence reaches all continents, excepting Antarctica, probably. My concern is that in many locations there are no professionally-trained dry cleaners who work by hand (instead of using machines). The warnings on the web site are very clear. It is not pleasant to respond - too late - to a do-it-yourself person who has ruined very nice lace of sentimental or monetary value! The Orvus paragraph does mention the use of Orvus on wools - the fact that professional rug cleaners use it. And, that it is used to wash show animals. I would never advise over-doing it -- washing animals or rugs too frequently could present new problems. That said, it is logical Orvus can be used for your wool laces, using all the precautions you ordinarily use when washing wool. There is no wool relationship to Honiton lace. It is as a special courtesy that washing instructions have been placed on _www.Honitonlace.com_ (http://www.honitonlace.com/) ; not something to take for granted. Cotton and linen laces are to be immersed in the Orvus/Distilled water, and thoroughly rinsed (using *my* instructions, not your usual methods) until the water in the basin is clear. Lace can be badly damaged when wet. You must read and **comprehend** -- no speed reading -- how to avoid tearing and other problems. No bleach. If I included the whole set of instructions on Arachne each time this subject comes up, it would run on for pages and pages each time. This would be costly in some countries Arachne reaches. Jeri Ames Lace and Embroidery Resource Center **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
