You can start by spraying them to kill the bugs. You need something like house and garden spray or flea spray. They all have the same ingredient. The only other thing I would say would be to go with a time release flea spray after they are cleaned. You can vacuum to get rid of the dead bugs or brush them out. Flea spray works for the wool moths too. Freezing the infested wool will kill the moths too.
Hope this helps, Ann Shepherds' Spring Farm North Gower, On Canada http://www.shepherdsspringfarm.ca/ _____ From: fibernet@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fiber...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of geoxena Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 1:27 PM To: fibernet@yahoogroups.com Subject: [fibernet] How to get buggy critters out of sheepskins? Hi all, I bought three sheepskins a few years ago from a company that also sells So. American cowhides, but I'm not sure if the sheepskins are from the US or SA (I've left a message for the company so they can get back to me -- I've read that, apparently, the tanning process will make a difference in how these can be cleaned). We use them as throws on our leather couch, and have never used them for floor rugs. They're quite big with long, deep pile. Well, this is really gross, but it seems that the skins have gotten some kind of larvae in them - I've noticed a few thin white wormy-looking things about 1/2-inch long, slightly darker at one end (I'm assuming the head). I've had these skins for a couple of years now and only noticed this recently. Coincidentally, in the past few months we also have been battling moths and carpet beetles - all these buggy critters at once! I just spent about two hours vacuuming the skins thoroughly and thought maybe that was enough -- until I noticed that one of those worms/larvae had fallen out of one about 20 minutes after my husband draped it over the back of the couch. We haven't seen anything other than small white moths flying around, and these look like different kind of larvae (the ones I find in clothing are reddish). So, I'm totally grossed out -- but would prefer to have them cleaned over tossing them out. Is there anything that can be done or are they lost and beyond getting rid of these icky things?? Please note that I'm in NYC, in a 395-sq. foot walk-up apartment with a tiny sink, small tub, no kind of hose for washing, no access to clothesline, and no utility room. So, I can't do a major backyard washing and hanging. The most I've ever done with these, besides vacuuming, is to take them downstairs to the sidewalk and beat them over the curb to get the dust out. I'd like to know if I can either wash them at the laundromat, gentle cycle, with mild soap and cold water (I guess), or bring them to a dry-cleaner, although I suspect the cleaner would charge more than what I paid for the skins -- BUT I need to know how to do this and know that there is no more of these critters in the wool (don't want to bring home a clean skin full of dead bugs), and also avoid winding up with a sheepskin that's stiff as a board (in researching this, I've come across messages online from people who say this has happened to theirs). Somewhere I read that "Sheepskin is dry-cleanable (A) (40) with either white spirits or perchlorethylene." I wonder if that pertains to any kind of tanning process, and if that's what I should ask the cleaner to use? Sorry this is so long. Would love some feedback or expert opinions. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
