Fumigation for museums, individuals, and insurance companies is now available at our Amesbury, MA, facility for clothing and textiles impacted by the following conditions:
- Mold, mildew, and fungal growth
- Smoke damage and soot from fire or air pollution
- Mustiness and odors associated with use or storage
The Museum Textile Services fumigation facility is located in Amesbury, Massachusetts, near the intersections of Interstate 95, Interstate 495, and Route 1. Drop-off and pick-up are by appointment only. All textiles must be dry to the touch at the time of delivery. We do not accept wet items. All items must arrive wrapped in plastic and be free of pest activity such as clothes moths. We do not fumigate textiles infested with insects. After fumigation, all items are returned in clean plastic, unless archival packing is requested.
WWII uniforms stored in a basement in a plastic suitcase harboring multiple active species of mold.
Pricing Guide
The cost of fumigation is $450 per unit of space, equivalent to up to 15 gallons or 2.5 cubic feet. The entire chamber, measuring 500 cubic feet, can be rented for $3000. Examples of single units of space include:
- One standard kitchen-size trash bag
- One 15-gallon Rubbermaid® or similar tub
- One eight-inch diameter, six-foot-long roll
- One 18 x 30 x 6 inch archival textile storage box
Please contact us to help you determine how much space you need for your fumigation needs.
Additional services
Following fumigation, it is strongly advised to surface clean all items to remove inactivated mold and other particulate matter using a HEPA vacuum. Charges for surface cleaning range from $150 to $500 per textile. After surface cleaning, we can professionally pack your clothing and textiles in a new acid-free box or archival tube. Packing costs start at just $75.
Some items need additional conservation, such as washing, repairs, or display solutions. MTS can perform an assessment to determine your textile’s needs and provide you with a conservation report for $300 per item. Framed textiles cannot be fumigated unless they are unframed by a conservator and have undergone a conservation assessment as part of the fumigation process.
Our Test Results
Museum Textile Services has a 97.4% rate of eliminating live spores on artifacts (1). But killing the spores is just the first part of the process. Dead and inactive spores still contribute to an unhealthy environment and must be removed to avoid illness and lower the likelihood of a re-bloom. This can be extremely difficult on clothing, textiles, carpets and upholstery, due to the porous nature of fibers and the way we use our clothing and soft furnishings.
Despite these challenges, we can safely remove spores, pollen, and dust from artifacts using a high-efficiency filtered vacuum with variable suction, with micro-attachments to reach tight areas (2). When used in combination with proper storage, temperature and relative humidity mitigation, and routine inspection, our fumigation and surface cleaning can prevent damage to artifacts and prevent the rapid spread of fungal activity.
The Museum Textile Services fumigation facility is located in Amesbury, Massachusetts. We can fumigate spaces as small as 2.5 cubic feet and as large as 500 square feet.
(1) A total of 144 tests took place at Museum Textile Services on 11/1/2022 and 1/26/2023 by PowerBees, a licensed and insured company headquartered in Wayland, Massachusetts. Tests were performed with lift tapes and analyzed using light microscopy, which identifies what type of spores are present and in what concentrations. A total of 5 tests were found to contain hyphal fragments on less than 5% of surface area tested after fumigation, indicating the potential of active mold.
(2) Of the 105 artifacts tested after being fumigated and surface cleaned twice, 93% had no detectable spores. Of the artifacts found with inactive spores remaining after surface cleaning, 98.6% tested “very low”, indicating the spores detected on less than 5% of the test area.