"Sacha" wrote in message
...

Some people claim that soapwort sp will clean delicate fabrics. It
certainly
does make a lather (I grow it for that purpose) but I'm not convinced
that
it cleans any better than just water.*

snip

My memory may be at fault here but I think I recall my ex mother in law
who
had reason to care for some lovely old fabrics, telling me that the V&A
conservators who were based at Osterley Park (in the old stables IIRC)
used
soapwort.

No, you're right. Many conservators at museums, National Trust and the like,
have used it, some may still. As I said, _I'm_ not convinced (by my own
experience) that it cleans any better than just water.

The asterisk in the original was meant to remind me to say that I've
recently begun to use Eco-balls for household laundry - with no soap of any
kind. They wouldn't be suitable for delicate fabrics because they need to be
used in machines. Technology is advancing though, if there aren't yet any
better cleansing methods for fragile fabrics I suspect that it won't be long
before there are. Water itself damages delicate materials ... :-(

And they'll all turn to dust eventually - as shall we :-)

Mary
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/