Why buy new furniture if you can improve the old furniture? When you invest in good quality furniture, you don’t have to throw it away as soon as the fabric starts to fade. With reupholstering and refinishing, your old furniture can look as good as new. I revitalize my old furniture all the time. If you want to stop thinking of your expensive furniture as disposable and start thinking of it as something that you can periodically improve, you’re on the right track. I started this blog to provide you with tips and tricks for reupholstering, refinishing, and upgrading your old furniture.
Storing your fabric items, whether it's table linens or winter clothing, is a good way to save space and protect these items when they aren't in use. The problem occurs when insects, like clothing moths or carpet beetles, decide these items are an all-you-can-eat buffet. The damage is often extensive since you don't realize these pests have invaded until you decide to retrieve the items from storage. The following tips can help you protect your fabric items during storage.
Tip #1: Wash First, Store Second
Both moths and beetles spread by laying eggs in fabric fibers, which later hatch. Most of the fabric damage occurs when these pests are in their larval forms. The simplest way to prevent an issue is to wash all clothing and linens before storage. Hot water washing with a hot air drying is the best way to ensure they are destroyed. Consider having more delicate fabrics dry cleaned if you can't wash or dry on hot. Although insects generally only feed on natural fabrics, like linen, cotton and wool, organic-based dirt-like animal hair can also provide a food source. This means even synthetic fabric should be washed to ensure there is no food source within your fabric storage, especially if you have pets.
Tip #2: Package for Protection
Pest-proof storage containers are a must. This means you need to skip on cardboard boxes and instead opt for plastic storage tubs or clothing bags. Choose those that seal tightly so that pests can't make their way in. You can also place chemical moth repellent sachets inside the container. These are toxic to people and pets, so only use them in containers that you know won't be accessed by children or animals. Fabric items will need aired out for a few days once removed from storage, and then washed to remove all vestiges of the repellent fumes.
Tip 3#: Keep Storage Areas Clean
It's a good idea to keep storage areas clean, just in case a container is left open by accident. Storing in a hard surface area, such as an uncarpeted closet, is preferable. If this isn't possible, vacuum the closet before storing the tub and then continue to vacuum regularly. This should remove any beetle or moth eggs that are laid in the area. You should also keep the space dusted. Remove spider webs and dust balls, which can provide food sources to pests.
You can also contact a local pest control company, like Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control, for help managing pests or with coming up with a plan for preventing fabric damage in your home.
Share27 November 2015
