How to Clean or Restore Needlepoint

Cleaning and restoring needlepoint is a specialty art.  If you need something cleaned, don't take it to the dry cleaners unless you know they are experienced in handling needlepoint and other specialty textiles.

Here's a brief helpful article for spot cleaning from Needlepoint for Fun.  The other links below are more involved and from specialists.
https://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/how-to-clean.htm?fbclid=IwAR3NE1YHConE_3F60PCelQQ23uunBZnbaC05ASou5x_v-L2tcaDF2YhXas0

You can sometimes find help at a museum if you are in a large city.  There are online tips as well.  Here is what the Museum Conservation Institute says about textiles.
https://www.si.edu/mci/english/learn_more/taking_care/handletex.html

Information from the Smithsonian.
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/conservation-and-care/how-to-care-for-textiles

Information from the Victoria and Albert.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/cleaning-textiles/

You can download care tips for textiles here and...
https://learning.culturalheritage.org/caring-treasures

…you can also look for an expert to hire.
https://www.culturalheritage.org/membership/find-a-conservator

Nancy Lukoskie and Melissa Beck are experts on needlepoint conservation and cleaning.  The first link below has some tips from Nancy about cleaning soiled needlepoint.  Amy Bunger took a class with her and wrote it up.  The second link is an interview with Melissa.
https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/p/how-to-clean-or-restore-needlepoint.html

https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2017/07/fiber-talk-interviews-melissa-beck.html

Here is Nancy Lukoskie's website, Fancywork Finishing.  She has quite a bit of helpful information on repairing and cleaning needlepoint available there.  Note that Nancy's new business address (as of December 2021) is now 27469 Rest Cir, Easton, MD 21601.  Her email address and phone number remain the same.

https://fancyworkfinishing.com