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I used to think time had gotten faster
(the years seem to move at a quicker
pace, anyway) but
I've decided it's just a retailing gimmick.
They put Halloween candy on the shelves
in August, switch to Holiday merchandise
on November 1, and roll out the spring
garments in the middle of January!
This week,
we're giving some
tips about how to best take advantage
of those end-of-season sales
that are just around the corner, so
you're ready to step out in style next
Fall. In addition, we've
also got some tips for you regardinga
pesky problem you might well encounter
if you've got garments made of wool,
and how to keep them serviceable from
year to year -- no matter how fast they
seem to go by.
See you soon!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company
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Get
it off your chest!
This
e-mail newsletter is supposed to be a
two-way street. We want
to give you tips, make you laugh, share
things we've learned -- but we also want
to hear from you. If you've got a question
about garment care or drycleaning, want
to make a suggestion
about how we can serve you better, or
need to let
us know about something
we should improve then let us know. Our
e-mail address is at the bottom of this
newsletter, and we'd love to hear from
you. |
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Wonderful
Wooly COUPON!
The best
way to keep clothes moths from damaging your
garments
is to wear them frequently, and keep them clean
-- and always
clean before storing. Have
three garments drycleaned, and we'll
clean a wool item of equal or lesser value at
no charge.
(Include first page of this newsletter with
your order.
Offer expires Jan. 29, 2005. Cannot be combined
with other offers.) |
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It's your favorite
wool blazer... or pleated tartan skirt...
or that gorgeous hand-made woven piece
you picked up on your honeymoon and hung
on the wall with pride. And it's got a
hole in it! Actually, the more you look,
it's got more than one. Who did this?
Most likely,
you need look no further than Tineola
bisselliela or its cousin, Tinea
pellionella -- the webbing clothes
moth and the casemaking clothes moth,
respectively. These small moths (the example
at the top of this newsletter is MUCH
bigger than the half-inch wingspanned
critters we're talking about) lay eggs
where food is abundant. Unfortunately,
they are among the few animals that can
digest keratin, a protein in wool. Of
course, that bit of wine that went unnoticed
and that perspiration under the arm are
just gravy to them.
If
you feel they are targeting your clothes,
though, think again. They'll
also go after things with feathers, leather,
upholstery, carpets, animal skins or trophies,
toys, and even the felt inside pianos.
Yum, yum! |
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Just
the Facts
"Know thy enemy," as
the saying goes. Knowing how the clothes moths
operate is a good way to stay a step ahead.
- Adult
clothes moths don't eat --
but the females lay 100-300 eggs each.
- If
you see a moth fluttering around a lamp, it's
NOT a clothes moth. They crave
dark, and hide in the folds and even the seams
of fabric.
- Larva
munch on the fibers, and are attracted to
any spills, perspiration, or other things
left on the fabric when it was stored.
Depending on environmental conditions, they
may stay larval for 55 days to 2.5 years --
eating the whole time.
- The
larva form a tube around themselves out of
what they've eaten, and since
the tube takes on the colors of what they
are digesting it is also camouflaged from
casual examination of the fabric.
- Clothes
moths can be transported into your home many
ways -- on second-hand
clothes, rolled carpets, in furniture, even
in garments from the store.
What
can you do?
How do you defeat something
that is only about half an inch across when
its wings are spread, and lays hundreds of eggs?
Here are some basic tips.
- Frequent
wearing, handling and cleaning of wool items
is the best preventative for damage.
The moths won't settle in something that doesn't
sit still in a nice, dark place.
- Good
housekeeping is also a great help.
Vacuum carpets, furniture, upholstery, drapes,
closets, drawers and storage areas frequently.
(Don't forget the bottom side of shelves and
drawers, where some moths form webs to hid
out in.) Discard contents of vacuum
bag.
- Drycleaning
fluid kills all stages of clothes moths
-- eggs, larvae, cocooned, adult. If
you bring garments you suspect have clothes
moths, let us know. We'll keep them
separate from other garments until they can
be cleaned.
- Cedar
doesn't kill them, but it
makes them unhappy (and that's a good thing.)
Unfortunately, cedar chests aren't air-tight
usually, and they lose their essential oil
over time. You can restore this by re-oiling
every few years, and by lightly sanding the
inside of the chest.
- Never
spray insecticides on garments
-- not only can it cause stains or dye changes,
it can also be hazardous to your health.
- Be
alert for signs of clothes moth infestation
-- small, pepper-like grains on garments or
under them, cocoons, holes, bugs that flutter
out when the item is disturbed. Assume they
are in more than one garment if you find them,
and take immediate action.
- Once
garments are clean and moth-free,
store in some of today's great plastic totes
to keep pests out.
- Look
for garments that indicate on the label they
were pre-treated to make them pest-resistant.
This is a permanent treatment applied during
the manufacturing process, and will help stop
clothes moths from getting their teeth into
your wool garments in the first place.
Further
reading and tips:
Use these links to
find out more.
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the left if your would
like to send this and future newsletters to
a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
The Iris City
Cleaners Connection is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, cleaning, restoration,
and conservation. It is published in Mt
Pleasant, Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and is
an extension of our services described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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