Flour is an excellent binder.  I imagine it's far more
likely that the medium of flour & water kneaded to an
eraser-like consistency will stick more to itself than
as microscopic particles in the textiles, although I'm
sure someone out there has researched it and may be
able to quantify it better.  I wouldn't necessarily
want to try it on anything valuable without further
research. :)

I was under the impression that some historical
cleaning treatments (i.e., bread dough or sliced
potatoes for paintings) were the basis for many of the
modern enzyme treatments used today.  They may still
be of value/interest to the conservation community if
they are better understood.

-Carlota

--- Michele Pagan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> HI everyone,
>
> What am I missing here?
> One of the most basic things I first read about
> textile conservation included the dictum to keep
> food
> away from textiles, for many reasons, one of which
> is
> its attractiveness to pests.
> Why the use of bread - is this not a food item?
> Has no-one ever tested the surface of a textile
> cleaned with bread to determine what kind of residue
> is left? Why would anyone want to revert to using
> bread, now that we have so many synthetic sponge
> materials to choose from?
>
> Please help my feeble brain figure this one out!
>
> Thanks,
> Michele
>
> --- Joanne Hackett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > David Miller, Senior Paintings Conservator at the
> > IMA, supplied the
> > following recipe for bread used in cleaning
> > paintings.  He said it was
> > most often used to clean paintings with no varnish
> > and a thin ground,
> > such as a color field paintings, or paintings such
> > as Morris Louis
> > paintings that have a great deal of unprimed or
> > unpainted canvas.  He
> > first came across the technique when working in
> > Canada in the 1970's
> > with Dutch paper conservators.  The recipe was
> > supplied to him by Jim
> > Bernstein.
> >
> > 1 1/3 pkg. of Fleishman's Yeast - place in warm
> > water (follow package
> > directions) until yeast is activated (frothing);
> > approx. 15 minutes.
> >
> > 2-3 cups lukewarm water
> >
> > 4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose wheat flour
> >
> > Mix together to make a paste then add the flour
> and
> > water (only as
> > much
> > as needed) to form a dough ball.  Knead as you
> would
> > bread.  Do not
> > add
> > any salt, oil, or fat.  Let rise until doubled in
> > size in a bowl
> > covered
> > with plastic wrap, then punch down and let rise
> > until doubled again.
> >
> > Place and form in an ungreased, non-stick
> bread/loaf
> > pan and bake
> > @350F
> > for 45 minutes or until done.
> >
> > Let cool and store in a plastic bag.
> >
> > Use as soon as possible - will only be good for
> 2-3
> > days.  Best to
> > bake
> > the day before needed.
> >
> > Do not use the crust or dry parts of the bread
> since
> > it could abrade a
> > paint surface.  The interior should be moist and
> > spongy.  Break up the
> > interior and apply in a circular motion.  Remove
> > crumbs from the paint
> > surface before the bread becomes completely dry.
> A
> > haki brush is
> > useful
> > for removing crumbs.
> >
> > Joanne Hackett
> > Associate Textile Conservator
> > Indianapolis Museum of Art.
> >
> >
>
>
>
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