--------- Sue Babbs <sueba...@comcast.net> wrote: I was wondering if one could get an enzyme based solution to remove the food stains.
NO! Sorry for shouting, but I've seen what enzyme soaks can do to bones and flesh, never mind delicate fabrics. First of all, an enzyme is a molecule that facilitates a chemical reaction in another molecule. After the reaction, the enzyme lets go and grabs another target molecule, facilitates that reaction, and so on--the enzyme never gets used up and can go on, and on, and on........ I saw photos of a fish-skeleton collection that had been cleaned of muscle and tendon with an enzyme soak. The clean bones were thoroughly washed/rinsed afterward, but it's impossible to get every single enzyme molecule out, so it keeps on chewing away. WHen it ran out of muscle & tendon, it continued, breaking down minute bits of protein in the bones, destroying them. The skeletons were piles of bone-dust with a few "sticks" of bone still not digested. Second, most of the enzyme fabric cleaners target protein and break it down. Silk (and wool, for that matter) are protein! The cleaners usually say not to use them on wool or nylon (nylon is not protein, but it has the same linkages, which the enzyme breaks down into hydrochloric acid. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA robinl...@socal.rr.com - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
