How do I protect my wools, silks, furs and feathers from moth damage?

To best protect garments and households from moths, it helps to know when they are first susceptible to this type of insect damage. Moth damage occurs mainly during storage or when the articles are not moved or worn on a regular basis. Clothes moths, which are small buff-colored moths, choose dark, quiet, undisturbed places to lay eggs. It's the moth larvae that feed on the fabric, not the adult moths. Knowing that these items are susceptible to moth damage during storage or inactivity, here are several easy steps that will generally prevent damage:

1. Brush the wool clothes in your active wardrobe on a regular basis - a lint brush or bristled clothes brush works well for this.
2. Clean wool articles before placing in storage. Soiled wools (even those which have picked up invisible body oils) are more likely to attract moths. Dry cleaning will remove any moth eggs or larvae.
3. After cleaning, store wools in an airtight bag or container.

Can moth holes be repaired?

Moth holes can sometimes be repaired by reweaving, but before starting the repair process, it would be a good idea to first have the article dry cleaned. Dry cleaning will kill and remove any unseen insect larvae and should flush out any loose fibers revealing the full extent of the insect damage. Reweaving involves weaving yarns by hand into the damaged areas to replace the missing yarns. Yarns used for reweaving are taken from an inconspicuous part of the garment or from an outside source. It's a tedious process and can be expensive. Reweaving is also something of a lost art, but if you want to know more about this service, please ask us.

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is why men's shirts cost less than ladies' to clean.

There are several reasons for the difference in cost. First, let's talk about which shirts can be commercially laundered. The shirt must be made of 100% cotton or cotton and polyester blend. All other fibers should be drycleaned and hand finished (pressed). Most ladies shirts these days are cotton and spandex. These shirts should not be laundered, as the spandex can become distorted and will not withstand the intense heat used in the finishing process, thus possibly causing shrinkage and damage to the shirt. Rayon, polyester and polysonic shirts require low heat when pressed or the fibers could melt and get a shine that cannot be removed. Cotton flannel shirts can be laundered but they can become stiff, so I recommend drycleaning if you want to keep that soft flannel feel. Silk, wool and cashmere must be drycleaned to prevent damage to the fibers and color.

If a shirt is cotton or cotton poly and is a regular button down shirt (men's or ladies) it can be laundered.

The laundry process consists of the shirt being washed and starched (if you request starch) in sophisticated washers with a mixture of special soaps and additives to ensure a thorough washing with maximum stain removal. Some stains will not come out with water like oils inks and old blood. These stains should be pointed out so they can be properly cared for, to ensure that they are removed. While the shirts are still damp, the first step in the finishing process is to press the collars and cuffs on a collar cuff machine, than onto the sleever which presses both sleeves simultaneously, and last on to the buck press where two large plates press the front and back of the shirt simultaneously. When the shirt is finished it is dry and press crisp. The finished shirt proceeds to the quality control inspector who makes needed touch-ups as well as checking and replacing any broken or missing buttons. The inspected shirts are than sorted, bagged and ready for you.

One of the reasons a drycleaned shirt or blouse costs more is because they take 4 to 7 times longer to hand finish, depending on the cut of the garment or the fabric.

Getting a properly finished shirt is a painstaking process that requires special attention by a well-trained staff.