I think a better way to go is dry ice. We've discussed this before on this list and it's the BEST non-toxic way to get rid of them.
Put the fleece in a garbage can or large bag with a piece of dry ice (which usually comes wrapped in newspaper) and LIGHTLY close. When the dry ice is gone, the critters are dead. Good luck. Katy Blanchard Urban Eagle Design http://www.urbaneagle.com Youngsville, New Mexico On Oct 13, 2009, at 7:29 AM, Shepherds Spring Farm wrote: > 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: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf > Of geoxena > Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 1:27 PM > To: [email protected] > 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] > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
