How to look after your furs

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read this blog-post. Any comments or advice you would like to add, please do let me know and I will add to this blog for everyone’s reference.

Following on from my IGTV post earlier this week I felt it was important to give a more detailed written version on how to look after your furs so that you can refer back to it as necessary.

In your wardrobe you may have new and vintage furs that should all last you a lifetime and hopefully become heirlooms. If you want to keep your furs in pristine condition you need to look after the garments as best as possible and to be aware of potential hazards.

All Philippa London fur has an anti-moth finish added to give the best protection to your garments. The anti-moth finish will last for 6 to 12 months; in addition every Philippa London garment purchase is delivered in a breathable clothing bag for you to store your garments in. It is particularly important to store your garments in the clothing bags the summer months, as this is the breeding time for the Linen Moth.

The Linen Moth

This small, pretty cream-coloured moth is a scourge for those of us with fur, silk and woollens. With global warming museums and homes are being invaded by this hardy moth and it is wreaking havoc in collections across the country. The linen moth, like the butterfly, has a life cycle from an egg to a larva, which then pupates before becoming the adult moth seen below. The female adult breeds and then lays up to 100 eggs where the larvae will feast! The larvae feed on the keratin found in the bristles of our brushes, carpets, furs, silks and woollens.

This image is of the feasting Larva

Please make sure your garments are sealed in the clothing bag and we recommend that you pay particular attention to the opening for the hanger. We would recommend using an elastic band or hairband to secure this area. In addition we would recommend that you inspect your garments regularly when not be worn, to check there are not signs of moth. Please make sure you store your garment is a cool place. Alternatively, you could also consider cold storing your furs with specialist storage company; details of recommended companies will be added shortly.

In the event you notice any moth damage please do get in touch as soon as possible to avoid future damage to your fur and the rest of your beautiful garments! We can arrange for your garment to be cleaned and receive an anti-moth treatment by our specialist Furrier Cleaners as soon as possible. We have a pick up and delivery service within the UK so please do get in touch at info@philippalondon.com or order directly on line.

Specialist Furrier Treatment – Cleaning and Anti-moth

Below is a brief outline of the cleaning process used, again if anyone wants to add any additional information please do let me know.

For all our clients we make sure every garment is inspected by our Furrier looking for any signs of wear and tear which will then be repaired before the garment is sent to the specialist cleaning.

The Cleaning process can be seen here in this fun video of the drumming process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEmUdkjFNJg

In short, the process is straight-forward, with all garments placed into a large, cool drum filled with sawdust and an environmentally friendly cleaning solution to remove all moth, dust and dirt from the fur. Following the first cleaning process the garments are put into a second tumble drum to remove all the debris. From here the garment is then vacuumed and steamed to remove any last remaining mites and dust.

The garment then has a natural moth repellent added before going off to the electric roller to lift and separate the fur.

The garment is then returned to the studio for the final inspection and glazing. The glazing process is a specialised process practised by our experienced Furrier that adds lightness and shine back into the fur garment.