A friend has a cedar chest, unfinished inside. White clothes that have been stored in it have developed a yellow stain. Anyone have an idea why?
P.S. No,I didn’t make it. Phew!
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Replies
How extensive is the staining? The volatile oils coming from the cedar could cause some staining. This would be the most likely explanation if the stains are located where the fabric is in contact with the wood.
But there's another possibility as well: Just about any organic oil that's bound to fabric, especially cotton, will discolor if exposed to enough heat (such as from being stored in a hot attic over the summer). This oil can come from skin, food stains, etc. So it could be that it's not coming from the wood.
-Steve
I did a Google search and found, to my surprise, three references to cedar chests sometimes causing linens and cottons to yellow, apparently the problem doesn't occur with woolens.
Yellowing can also be caused by chemicals left in the fabric when it is manufactured, dirt and oils in the fabric, reactions with plastic bags used for storage, and wrapping the fabrics with paper that isn't acid free. Properly storing fabrics is actually quite an art.
John White
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