The study was undertaken to advise on whether the condition of a portion of a 17th-century tapestry which was dry and rough before and after wet cleaning could be improved by the use of a chemical softener. Two photomicrographs, one of a rough dry area of textile and one of a normal area of textile, show that the rough feel is due to broken fibers. Examination of samples in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirms this observation. The broken areas are thought to have been caused by photochemical degradation, although no attempt is made to explain why this has occurred in only some areas of the exposed surface of the tapestries examined. The benefits of using a chemical softener have been dismissed without any experimental work being carried out.