Cedar chests have actually been utilized for generations to keep off-season clothing, precious household treasures, and intricately stitched linens far away from the damage of moths. You’ll find them in attics keeping a century-old bridal gown beautiful or best in the middle of a living-room securely storing off-season blankets.
These versatile chests removed in appeal in the beginning of the twentieth century thanks to Virginia furnishings maker, Lane Company. While the tradition of a hope chest has its roots countless years back, cedar became the product du jour thanks to its insect-repelling qualities.
Are cedar chests as versatile as they’ve been made out to be through the years? 2 specialists share why you might want to think twice before you put your most valuable and fragile items in a cedar chest, in addition to 8 items you should never ever store in a cedar chest.
Textiles
Many people most likely think of textiles when they consider a cedar chest. Whether it’s your great-aunt’s embroidered table linen, holiday blankets, or baby afghans, these sentimental textiles frequently get stashed in a long lost cedar chest in a visitor bedroom or attic. You may desire to think two times before you leave them in the chest too long. “Older fabrics can get staining on them from the cedar wood,” states Powell. That doesn’t suggest you have to abandon the chest entirely. Powell states, “If you store these products in a correct plastic covering within the chest, they must be okay.”
Loose Documents
You may have hundreds of art tasks from your kids tossed in a cedar chest, waiting for a day when you’ll either frame them or ship them off with your kids to their future home. Whatever the documents may be, they often discover their method to a cedar chest for storage. The cedar wood will launch acids over time that can harm paper.
Mothballs
Cedar chests are known to ward off moths, however cedar does not actually eliminate moths or their larvae. That’s most likely why individuals have actually put mothballs in their cedar chests for many years. The good news is, we now understand that mothballs are really poisonous and, if you have clothing and other items sealed in a chest with these poisonous fumes, you might be putting yourself in harm’s method when you open it back up.
Leather Bags
Cedar chests usually dry out the products that are saved within them, which is great if it’s clothing or paper. Because of the capacity for damage, it’s finest not to keep leather bags– or shoes or belts– in a cedar chest.
Vintage Clothing And Uniforms
Comparable to fabrics, vintage clothes and uniforms are frequently kept in cedar chests, but that’s asking for problem. Moore describes that her uncle’s World War II uniform was stored in one, and it began to disintegrate since the acidity of the cedar destroyed the integrity of the material. Moore states, “Do not store any textiles in cedar chests for extended periods of time unless they are secured in another plastic bin or acid-free tissue.”
Cedar can also seep color onto fabric gradually, which is another excellent factor to ensure all clothes is correctly protected, even if it’s only kept for a season.
Quilts
A cedar chest loaded with quilts feels like a classic memory– and it must remain in the past. Just like other fabrics, quilts can be quickly harmed by the acidity within cedar chests. You also may find that a quilt kept in a cedar chest takes on an orange tint anywhere it’s been exposed straight to the wood.
The easiest treatment is to cover the quilt or put it in a plastic bin before it goes in the chest.
Loose Photos
Powell describes that loose photos can be harmed by a cedar chest and need to constantly be positioned in archival sleeves or bins before going into a cedar chest. If they aren’t effectively protected, they can be damaged by the acidity within the cedar.
Wedding Dresses
Finally, the idea of keeping your wedding dress away in a cedar chest to give to a child one day might sound romantic, but resist the desire unless you’re going to take the required steps to make sure it’s not damaged by the cedar. If you lay a bridal gown directly into a cedar chest, you could end up with cedar spots along the white or ivory fabric or, even worse, the fabric could begin to break down. Powell suggests safeguarding dresses with a garment bag before you save them in a cedar chest.