Tapestry cleaning on a grand scale

At Art of Clean, we clean carpets, we clean rugs, we clean stone and wood and all manner of things. Above all, we love to see something new and interesting in the world of cleaning...and here it is, on a massive scale.

This video shows textile conservators going through the steps as they wash the 17th century 'February' Mortlake tapestry.

It was cleaned at Hampton Court Palace in a specially built bath and is usually displayed at Kensington Palace in the Privy Chamber. It is part of the Seasons series of tapestries, and is the last of the series to be conserved.

Just look at the size of it and it's not the only tapestry that needs a spring cleaning. All around the world we find rugs and tapestries of such outstanding beauty, it breaks our hearts to see them falling into a state of neglect. Luckily, some museums know just what to do. Hat's off to Kensington Palace.

Other iconic pieces include this, the Arbadil Carpet, commonly thought to be the oldest carpet still in the world and as you can see, clearly, one of the most beautiful. Almost a decade ago, the Victoria and Albert Museum took the measure to encase this priceless piece in a specially designed case and placed it on show, smack bang in the middle of Room 42, in case (ha ha) you're thinking of popping by for a look.

www.vam.ac.uk

We all know that colours fade over time and especially in the daylight and as such, the V&A lights the carpet only twice an hours and for only ten minutes at a time. So it's best to schedule your visit in advance.

Here at Art of Clean we wash our rugs and carpets on a slightly smaller scale to that of the V&A and Kensington Palace, but it you can be assured that when we're done, they come up rather shiny and clean. In case you're curious, here's the monster cleaner we use. See, we got skills too!