Washing by the river (Photo credit: Pixabay/sasint)

You have that stunning batik masterpieces stacked neatly in the wardrobe, fearing for deteriorating quality of the fabrics as they age. Undeniably, be it hung on the wall or stored in a treasure chest, there is always a risk of stain, damage or insect infestation. Environmental tri-factors of dust, light and humidity are the biggest banes of textile arts. This batik care list shall serve you – textile owners and collectors – as a handy guide to take care of your masterpiece from the test of weather and keeping its colours bright and vibrant.

Cleaning: Batik Care 101

There are generally two methods to clean a batik textile: dry and wet methods.

Vacuuming

For the dry method, vacuuming over a mesh is probably the safest way to remove fine dirt from textile. Lay the cloth on a flat surface and cover with a mesh which functions to prevent cloth from being sucked in the by vacuum pump. Turn the vacuum to the lowest suction settings. Using the smallest head attachment, gently vacuum the textile over the mesh in one direction. You may use soft paint brush to help loosen up stubborn dirt.

Washing

Wet washing with sudless mild detergent is a must to prevent discolouration of the textile. This DIY method is not recommended for fragile textiles which are prone to discolouration and tear.

In Indonesia, detergent from natural sources, such as lerak (soapberry, Sapindus rarak), are widely used due to the natural pH of 6-7, an ideal range to maintain the colour on the batik cloth. Commercially, batik producers may use Synthrapol as pre-and post-wash to prevent non-fast dyes from staining the cloth. In addition, you may also use deionized or distilled water because the chemicals in the tap water may destroy the fibre in the cloth

Tips: if in doubt, always contact us or any professional textile expert for advice on textile care.

Hand-wash is a must as these clothes need tender love and soft caress. Give a gentle tap and rinse. Spread it out to dry by hanging on a pole under windy and shady area.

Important! Do not wring and do not put it under direct sunlight

Display for the Best Enjoyment

Other than the cleaning, batik care is required during the selection of display system. Firstly, minimize the exposure to the light, including ultraviolet, infra-red and visible light. Prolonged sunlight and strong artificial light will damage the cloth, such as thinning of cloth, drying, fading colour and dark/yellow spots. Place the masterpiece away from the window and, if inevitable, place a UV- or IR-blocking film over the window.

For accent lighting , it can be optimized with halogen lamp which is used on LED or fibre optics so that the colour can match closely to the actual colour and will not destroy the collection with heat generated from traditional light bulb.

If you buy a loose art piece and decided to frame it up, remember to mention to use high museum-quality mounting technique with non-reactive and acid-free materials to the frame maker. Alternatively, you may also display using a decorative rod or a “pipes and velcro” method, laced with acid-free paper.

Storage: Preserving for Future

For long term storage, consider the following: humidity, insects, folds and creases.

Humidity can expedite the damage of a good textile, leading to mold growth or drying up. Consider a regulated humidity environment, dehumidifier or keep the textile in air-conditioned room of between 20-25 degree Celcius and a relative humidity of 50 – 60%. Other than mold, warmth is an ideal condition for insects, such as cockroaches and moths, to breed. Finally, long term storage can lead to permanent creases which weakens the cloth.

Your house is not a museum with big conservation facility, but here’s what you can do to minimize the damage (or at least prolonged the damaging rate):

• Take out the textiles our of the storage area, minimally once a year to air and to let the cloth take a breather. Simultaneously, look out for any damages, eggs or feces of insects and animals.
• When re-folding the cloth, use a different folding orientation to minimize creases.
• Use chemical-free deodorant and humidity absorber. Many batik practitioners recommended adding charcoal or silica gel into the drawer to absorb the moisture as well as whole peppercorn and cloves to rid the insects. For fragrance, select natural flower or chemical-free essential oils placed at the side.
• Roll the art pieces with acid-free-paper in between instead of folding to minimize creases.

Of course, you can use any of these conservative method to most fabric, your expensive fashion collections included. Should your collections show any sign of damage, you may contact us or local textile experts to assist you with curative conservation treatment of your precious collections.

References:

• Caring for Your Textile, Threads of Life, Bali, accessed June 2018.
• Mengenal Konservasi Kain Batik, Afdilla Ranganti, UPTD. Museum Batik Pekalongan, 2016.