Connecting to Collections Care

Our museum uses carpet squares to act as a buffer and cushion between art objects and the floor during exhibition installation, de-installation, and majority of the collection storage shelves are lined with them as well. After a mouse incident, I removed the affected carpet squares in collection storage, disposed of them, and lined the shelves with Coroplast. Some of our carpets recently became dirty from making contact with dead flies, dirt, and debris. I'd like to clean the carpet squares, but I'm unsure solely vacuuming is enough. The carpet squares making direct contact with art objects and artifacts has me hesitant about which carpet cleaners to use, if any. Are there any recommendations? Or is it recommended to transition away from the carpet squares and implement different materials for collection objects to rest on during exhibition staging and housing? 

Thank you for your assistance!

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Sammie Jane Hardewig
Collections Curator
DeVos Art Museum | Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI
United States
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Hi Sammie, our museum uses furniture moving blankets as temporary padding between large objects and the floor during de/installation. We'll use pieces of fabric sheeting or towel for smaller objects (often cotton muslin or twill) 

The big advantage is the fabric and blankets can be washed (we take the moving blankets to commercial cleaners with large capacity washers).

The blankets and fabric are smooth and soft, and if needed can be layered or folded for extra padding or to support irregular shapes. 

In storage, we prefer to line the shelves with something smooth and is easy to vacuum/dust- coroplast, archival cardboard, matboard, volara etc.

For the carpet, you could start with vacuuming and see if the results are clean enough for short term contact with collections.  It sounds frustrating to have to replace them all! 

Hope that helps. Let us know what you come up with. 

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Genevieve Bieniosek, AIC PM
She/her
Furniture Conservator
Biltmore, Asheville NC
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