27 June 2010

I'd like to talk about moths and dispel any myths of what will act as a repellent. I'm probably going to make some people mad and worry some others of you but the facts are facts. I talked with a conservator and got the following information.

The best repellent is clean. Never put wool away dirty. So that means that your winter sweaters are washed (not dry cleaned) before they are stored for the summer. No need to worry about the yarn you bought. It is clean.

All of the nice smelling repellents are just that - nice smelling and nothing more. They do not repel. Sorry! Neither do cedar-lined closets. The reason that the hope chest works so well is that it seals tightly - not the cedar.

Let's think about what clothing moths' larvae want outside of some dirty hair to eat. They like warm, dark and undisturbed places - think closet. If you have a window in your closet (like we do and my grandmothers had) you will probably never be bothered. Most modern homes don't have windows in the closet so now you have the warm and dark. If you put your winter sweaters out of the way in the closet, you now have the last piece - undisturbed.

Many yarns have a repellent built into the dye. The compound called Mitin FF is put into the bath of dye at the same time the yarn is being dyed. It binds to the wool just like the dye does and does not rub off. Follow the link if you want more information.

Products using Mitin FF are marked as such or state that they are "Mothproofed". This is not new. Mitin FF has been used for many years.

My next blog will have some solutions for the moth problem.