How do you properly store your woolens?

Hi, since I joined this forum, I've collected many wool garments like a merino wool watchcap, Brigade Quartermaster's Woolly Pullies (Shetland?) wool mitts and some blankets. I'm also planning on getting Icebreaker merino wool thermal layers. But since I don't use them all year long, the question rises as to how do you properly store them and maintain them? Is there a risk of moth invasion? How do you avoid wrinkles, odors and things like that.

Thanks

Frankie, who is still not converted to the idea of carrying a bulky multitool everyday.

I keep hangable woolens in my closet (wooley pulley, etc) & my arctic gear (includes watch cap, socks) bundled in the garage until the fall when I wash them (again) & carry them in a duffle bag as I come & go, until the spring arrives.

As to care:

I hand wash all my wool baselayers in woolite, squeeze as much water out as possible then soak in a very minimal amount of water with a lanolin no rinse product called Eucalan in it. I let this soak for 15+ minutes then gently squeeze and lay flat on a wire rack to dry.

http://www.yarn-store.com/knitters-wool-wash.html

I buy mine in a wool knitting shop...not by mail.

This rinse is really a great product (I use the eucalyptus version). It keeps the wool underwear (ice breaker, smartwool, terramar, filson, and ibex) soft, I think it may extend the life of the wool, and it smells good too.

I keep my longjohns in a plastic tub in the closet during the off months. Moths are not an issue out here, but if they were I would add a piece of western red cedar wood to the tub.

I do not wash wool sweaters, coats, shirts or pants....those I get dry cleaned (not often either).

Wrinkles I never care about, odors are not much of an issue with wool...but a tumble in the dryer (no heat) can generally refresh most of the items I do not wash.

The biggest thing is to make sure that the garments are clean before you store them, because dirty wool (esp. with food stains, etc.) attracts moths. Anything with a strong odor (cedar blocks, lavender, bay leaves) will help deter moths, but isn't fool-proof. The only thing that kills them is a high concentration of mothballs in an airtight container.

Some people wrap the items in brown paper or put them in cotton pillowcases (moths prefer protein fibers but will eat both paper and cotton if they're really hungry). I have also heard of people using dry ice to create an oxygen-free environment in which to store wool, and using a microwave to kill moths that are already present. Storing in a hermetically sealed container or vacuum sealed plastic bag also helps deter them, and keeps the infestation contained if one of the bags had moth eggs in it before it was sealed.

If you are really worried about it and can stand the smell, the best strategy would be to put them in mothballs.

I had read since wool is actually hair ordinary shampoo and conditioner can be used, but this Eucalan you mentioned has lanolin which was on the raw wool in the first place and is usually removed in the processing of the wool. Sounds like a good product, although I'm one of those that can't wear wool.

Would also like to mention that crickets will eat fabrics, not sure which ones, but something to be aware of.

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure if I should store woolens in airtight plastic bags, as I've read that plastic traps in moisture and keeps the sweater from breathing.

I live in an apartment and not sure mothballs would be a good idea.

But then I've read about storing them in a cedar chest. It's a tempting solution but I guess cedar chests are expensive. It seems that that's what people used before mothballs.

Am I OCD-ing too much over this anyway?

Thanks
Frankie

I think that unless you know you have moth issues I would avoid mothballs. Naphthalene is nasty stuff and it seems that the clothes never rid themselves of the stench.

A plastic tub with a cedar drawer thing should do you well I think. I would not worry too much about storage.

I just read that cedar must be sanded every one to two years to keep its repellant properties (the aroma). But then I've read about a cheap method. Storing each sweater in a paper bag and fold over the opening and seal it. I guess the paper bag still breathes while the moths are not willing to eat through them. Does that really work?

Thanks

No idea about the sanding of the cedar. I have a piece that must be 20 years old in my plastic tub...still smells of cedar....and since we don't seem to have any trouble with moths I assume it works well enough (or wool eating moths do not live out here...more likely)

I just toss sweaters on the shelf, hang my Filson coats in the closet and don't worry about them.

Mostly. Same idea as storing in a cotton pillowcase. Desperate moths (and other textile-eating bugs, like carpet beetles) have been known to chew through both en route to wool, though they definitely prefer protein fibers if they can find them.

I have heard about wool needing to breathe, but I don't buy it, personally. Wool is dead; it doesn't need to breathe any more than any of your other non-wool clothes do. I wouldn't seal it damp in a plastic bag so it won't mildew or mold, or seal it and then expose it to vast temperature changes that might cause condensation on the inside of the bag, but really, it should be fine if it's just around the house.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have vast quantities of wool and other fiber around the house (spinning wool into yarn is one of my hobbies), and - knock on wood - I haven't had any problems either with bugs or wool getting damaged from being stored in sealed plastic.

Here is an interesting article on clothes moths:
http://www.epestsupply.com/moths.htm

Excerpt: "Clothes moth larvae are particularly damaging to fabrics stained with materials such as oil from human hair, human sweat, urine, beer, tomato juice, milk, and soft drinks. These caterpillars require a certain balance of nutrients in their diet to develop properly, and they especially need vitamin B. First instar larvae cannot survive on "clean" wool, but require the nutritional supplements found in soilage (body oils from the wearer of a garment)."

Cedar oil doesn't have much effect on adult moths, but can kill very young larvae.

Cedar tends to gradually lose its effectiveness against moths, and needs to be refreshed with cedar oil. You need to use the pure essential oil, not the thinned cedar oils you find in hardware stores. Look for what you need in shops that sell quality essential oils, such as aromatherapy shops. Paint it on the existing cedar boards, balls or cubes. The cedar wood can absorb quite a bit of the oil before it becomes oily to the touch.

There are also pheromone traps for certain types of moths. They just attract the males, but they will indicate that you do have a moth problem.

I know that most people dry-clean their woollens, but that stuff is toxic, and the shampoo & conditioner method has worked for me for about twenty years. I've used it for clothing, woollen underwear, and blankets. As long as you don't overheat the wool when drying, or keep it in the dryer too long, it works beautifully.

Sue

Frostbite, there are probably people who are legitimately allergic to wool, but probably not as many as think they are. I suspect that most people who say that they "can't wear wool" first tried wearing coarse, rough RECYCLED wool, and not virgin wool, esp of a fine type like merino.

There is a VERY great difference between the two.

Buy your wife or girlfriend a fine merino wool scarf in a color YOU like, and wrap it around your bare neck. I'll bet you a doughnut that you'll "forget" to give it to her, and keep it for yourself.

Sue

All woolens, ESPECIALLY SURPLUS should be professionaly drycleaned before storage. The commercial cleaners will apply mothproofing in the cleaning process. After cleaning any number of the storage methods are usefull. The main criteria is a tightly controlled environment non condusive to moths and other harmfull insects. A good housecleaning ( especially in older wooden framed buildings) followed by a general insect fogger before storing in your prefered container or closet is a beginning programme. You can then use a low wattage light in a closet , the nominaly usefull (but aesthetically pleasing) cedar and even a open container of pungeant pipe tobacco to discourage mature moths.

Ok I'll start my programme by vacuuming my apartment carpet. I've been procrastinating on this for weeks, if not months...

Frankie

I just found two tiny brownish larvae embedded in the fibers of an old wool blanket lying dirrectly on my apartment carpet (I removed them with tweezers). They don't look like moth larvae though. I think I will still quarantine the blanket in the freezer or when the temperature drops below freezing, store them ouside for a couple of days. The owner of the building will have the carpet cleaned before winter.

O.K., then try a slim one (i.e. Leatherman PST II, or equivalent )

Actually I understood why multitools are so popular over here. It's that many here are into firearms and even consider EDC one and carrying also a multitool makes more sense in that case. I'm not very knowledgable in firearms as those are illegal where I live, but I'm just guessing that a multitool maybe useful.

Sue

I worked in a fabric store for nearly five years and am a seamstress. Wool in any degree affects me, and burlap is worse. I once came into contact with a plastic bag that had come into brief contact with a small piece of burlap and still had a reaction. Wool is out for me. I avoid getting anywhere near burlap and I know of one woman who was told never to touch it again by her doc.

And just to set the record straight I don't have a wife or girlfriend- just ask my husband!