How can heirloom textiles be disinfected?
A. This is a tough one since the true sanitizing agent would be too harsh for these delicate fabrics. According to Sara Wolfe, with the Textile Museum at Georgetown University, a Phenolic/quaternary mixture such as Lysol* Disinfectant spray or liquid concentrate will kill bacteria without damaging the fibers. The process would be to clean, then disinfect, then rinse once again.
