Storing Winter Woollens

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 97, Issue 3, 15 September 1958, Page 276

Storing Winter Woollens

By

MAUD B. STRAIN,

Home Science Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin

OFTEN a storage cupboard, a dark, warm, unfrequented place, is a happy hunting ground for moths, giving them easy access to unlimited food. If these creatures are not to have rights to undisturbed eating, something must be done to make the cupboard repellent to them and the food supply inaccessible to any that are taken in inadvertently. The time is coming when .all woollens will be proofed during manufacture against moths and. carpet beetles, but until then every effort should be made to make conditions so unattractive to these pests that. they, will die of starvation rather than attack stored woollens.

MOTHS usually enter a house by -being brought in as ' eggs or larvae on materials after being picked up on contact with woollens, upholstered furniture, or the fur or hair of domestic pets. Carpet beetles fly readily and in late spring may be seen on window ledges and on flowers in the garden, where one of their chief preferences is the white hydrangea. The moth or beetle lays the eggs, which hatch out in a few days into larvae (caterpillars or grubs), which do the damage. They are voracious eaters and feed on wool, hair, and fur and fabrics made from any of these; carpet beetle grubs will attack leather. If articles are in regular use and being worn and washed repeatedly, the danger of damage from these pests is negligible. It is when garments are left hanging in dark cupboards or

stowed away in drawers for long periods without attention that trouble starts, as such conditions give moths a chance to lay eggs and allow the eggs to develop into caterpillars and the caterpillars to feed on the woollens. ■ Moth-proofed Materials The best , insurance against pests is to buy goods made from materials that have been permanently proofed during manufacture. Various moth-proofing compounds have been available to manufacturers for many years, but their use has been restricted, for various reasons. The earlier ones had undesirable side effects, and as the process was expensive, this added to the cost of the fabric. One compound, “Mitin”, has been used for a number of years for proof -

ing some knitting wools and some fabrics. It is applied as a colourless dye and combines with the wool

molecule and is therefore permanent during the life of the wool, but it does not alter the feel, appearance, or characteristics in any way and is unaffected by washing or dry cleaning.

Recently a substance, dieldrin, has been introduced which is potent at very low concentration and is correspondingly inexpensive. This gives permanent protection and is used particularly with heavier materials not subject to frequent washing, such as carpets, felt floor coverings, and furnishing materials. Temporary protection is available with dry cleaning. Many commercial dry cleaners moth-proof woollen goods during the cleaning process. This is not permanent and must be renewed from time to time. Preliminary Sterilisation As moths and carpet beetles more readily attack soiled and dusty fabrics, the first essential is to keep woollens clean, remove spots as they appear, and make sure that any goods to be stored are free of dust and grease and other spots and not contaminated with any form of moth or beetle life. This can be ensured by: Washing: The normal process of washing, drying, and ironing will kill off all stages of moths or beetles. Dry cleaning, in addition to cleaning the article, will kill any stage of moth or beetle life. Brushing, beating, vacuum cleaning, and hanging in the sun: Brushing, beating, and vacuum cleaning dislodge eggs and grubs. Direct sunlight at 70 degrees F. will kill moth eggs in 1-J- hours and the moths themselves in a few minutes, though a little longer is required to kill caterpillars. . Steam pressing will kill all stages. A temperature of 140 degrees F. is fatal. Pockets should be turned out and all seams and folds investigated for eggs and caterpillars. One or other of these processes is applicable to all woollens. Storage Methods Clean woollens may be protected during storage by any of the following methods: Making Access Impossible The goods can be folded . and wrapped in several layers of paper and all the edges of paper in the parcel should be covered with gummed paper or adhesive tape so that the contents are completely sealed. A plastic or fabric wardrobe with a well fitting slide fastener is good for frocks, suits, and fur coats. The two ends of the fastener should be sealed with adhesive tape. ■

Large plastic bags are good for blankets, and others of varying sizes are excellent for storing small articles. The bags must always be tightly sealed. Small articles such as babies’ bootees, gloves, and scarves can be stored in glass, screw-top jars. One advantage of this method of storing is that because the plastic or glass is

transparent, the contents of the bag or jar can be easily seen when any particular article is required. Cold Storage Low temperatures make grubs dormant and kill moths and beetles. They prevent the growth of larvae and consequent damage to any goods

in storage, but they do not necessarily kill all forms of moth life, and when articles are taken from storage they are again vulnerable.

The home deep freezer with its near-zero temperatures will in time destroy all stages of clothes moth or carpet beetle. If sealed packages are left in the freezer at —l5 degrees C. (5 degrees F.) for 48 hours before storage, they are safe for as long, as the seal is unbroken.

Use of Fumigants

Woollens stored unwrapped in chests or trunks should be protected with a solid fumigant. The most usual ones for home use are paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene. To be effective these must be used in high concentrations, lib. of fumigant to 8 cub. ft. of space, that is, 11b. of fumigant to an average storage chest.

The action depends on the fumes given off during slow evaporation, and therefore storage containers must be carefully sealed. Gummed paper placed over places where the lid joins the container, including the hinges and the lock, will keep the container airtight. Once the seal has been broken and the container opened the concentration of the fumigant will be diluted and its moth-destroying potentialities lost.

A garment bag would require 1 oz. of fumigant and must be sealed.

It should be noted that a handful of moth flakes Casually thrown into a trunk or chest will give nothing more than a false sense of security, and moth balls are useless except as missiles. '

Storage Cupboards

Storage cupboards must be clean and free from dust and lint. Grubs can live on the lint that collects in the corners and crevices. Cupboards should be vacuum cleaned to remove loose lint and dust and then washed out with disinfectant. A 5 per cent lindane or DDT dust can be applied to shelves and cupboards to discourage moths and beetles from laying their eggs.

Routine use of a residual insecticide such as dieldrin, lindane, or DDT in spraying screens and around doors and windows will do much to prevent infestation by household pests.

Good housekeeping, including 6monthly inspection of all stored goods, and thorough sanitation are most important.

Occasionally a solitary grub is found in a drawer or similar place. How this comes about is not clear, because after a beetle lays its eggs several grubs would be expected. It is thought possible that several grubs have hatched out, but in the struggle for existence only the strongest has survived.