I’ve read about how to clean and remove odors etc. from vintage fabric.

 

My question is.. does the yellowing  or slight browning actually add to the value or look of a piece?  Such as flags, banners, etc. that have been hung in VFW halls and such.  A good airing out will sometimes improve the smell but I’m talking about the visual appearance.

 

I don’t have an example in mind but does the backside show the same staining as the front if the item has been hanging for a while or does it show the fabric’s original color?  
 

Thanks for your opinions!

 

 

 

I think that if a flag was hung for decades in a smoky VFW hall it will get dark from the smoke alone. A mild soak in Woolite would help with the smell and brighten it up a bit.  

 

On the other hand, I have a Navy flag that is tattered, has spots of gray paint, spots of oil etc.. I wouldn't try to clean any part of this. It is all part of the flag's history in service to our country. I saw a similar flag that had the tattered end cut straight and then cleaned. That flag hurts my eyes. 

 

Finally, picture another flag folded up where it was attacked by mice. That flag has close to no value unless the base flag is something really special. 

 

Sorry for the long answer but in my mind, some damage is acceptable, some damage improves the value, and some damage destroys any value. 

I agree with you on the flag.  The small Navy one I have has diesel oil and gray paint spots too!
 

Thanks!

I've collected kevlar vests in the past and for some reason the kevlar fibers hold in cigarette smoke like no other. After weeks of soaking in baking soda, lemon juice, laying out in the sun, ozone generators and any other idea I could find online, the only solution I found was to use that pet "vomit, blood, urine odor & stain remover" spray that you find in the pet store & whose smell is ubiquitous inside a veterinarian's office. The only problem is that for a week your own piece begins to smell like that foam spray too, though that odor actually will go away unlike tobacco smoke. Just give it a good soaking and spray that spray into it and rub it in good and then rinse. Had to do that to my first PASGT vest and then again with my woodland OTV.