I have my grandfather's old ladder (must be over 70 yrs old) that MrJanRn lightly sanded and sealed; also found 2 old bunk bed ladders in my neighbor's trash, also sanded and sealed. I have quilts folded over the 5 rungs of the large ladder and use the small ones for runners, wallhangings, etc. I think the most important thing to do is to SEAL the wood--you don't want the wood oils seeping into quilt fabric. I've used these for a number of years and haven't had any discoloration of my fabrics.