David
I have heard of mites that love down comforters and pillows. I would think
the short burst in the microwave would kill anything. Microwaves cook from
the inside out. So it wouldn't be a heat source like walking in the desert.
Some feathers do stink up the microwave but I don't have to worry about a
significant other that would get mad at me. I clean it out with Clorox
wipes afterwards and the feathers aren't in there long enough to do damage.
Denny has a point though about the stems. I haven't noticed mine being
effected but I do wash them in Woolite to restore the softness to the
feathers. If you have any old brittle hackles I would try this also to see
if it brings them back to life. It is also a salmon fly trick I learned. I
wonder if it wouldn't work well for quills that you use on the quill body
flies also.
Sorry about your bike... :( I hope it can be fixed.
Deb
