A parasol with a badly rust-stained and split cotton/silk cover required treatment to be suitable for display. The fabric's composite nature and the dye of the cover made more traditional bleaching and rust removal methods unsuitable, so a reductive bleach composed of 5% sodium hydrosulphite and 1% ammonium hydroxide was used. Its action is briefly discussed and compared with that of other bleaching agents. The overall treatment of the artifact is outlined, including the cleaning of the rusty brass-plated frame, the repair of the splits (using poly(vinyl acetate)-coated silk crepeline) and the re-assembling of the piece.