THE DEFINITIVE WAY TO CLEAN YOUR KILT by Joshua Brown

**tundramanq** · 9th November 16, 06:13 PM

I have avoided dry cleaning since I was a kid and some good family friends ran a mom and pop dry cleaning business in the 60s.
They were both going deaf in their 40's. The doctor told them why and they added some good exhaust fans for the hanger rack room.
The vapors were de-waxing their ears and scarring their ear drums. I figured I didn't really need this odor in my house.

Local kilt maker Kathy Lare told me her horror story if being put in the hospital from pressing a customers kilt that had been stored with moth balls. She and I go the cedar route for this one.

**The Wizard of BC** · 9th November 16, 06:36 PM

Moth balls work because they are made from crystallized naphthalene that evaporates slowly. When stored in an enclosed space they asphyxiate the moth larvae. If stored in an open container the fumes just escape and do nothing but smell up your house.

Cedar is a really myth filled subject but just know that there are true Cedars and others which are commonly called Cedar but are not Cedars. Of all of these only two, the Eastern Aromatic Cedar, (Juniperus virginiana) (which is actually a Juniper) and Red Cedar AKA Cuban Cedar, or Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata) (which is actually in the Chinaberry family) are effective against clothes moths. I have seen all types of woods for sale including Western Red and White Cedar. These do nothing but give off a nice smell in your closet.

I have even seen California Redwood sold a Aromatic Cedar.

**tundramanq** · 9th November 16, 07:42 PM

The oil I use on my cedar blocks is Texas Cedar wood oil Juniperus mexicana. Seems to work - so far...

**ThistleDown** · 9th November 16, 07:53 PM

I lined my kilt closet in Vancouver with Eastern juniper, but even that's just a deterrent in that it disguises, for a while, what is most appealing to moths for egg-laying and a good start to life for larvae: wool. Moving air is still the best thing as a repellant because even the deterrent quality of aromatic cedar has a life-span. There are small balls of aromatic cedar available for those not interested whole-closet lining, but you need a lot of them. Remember cedar chests, also called 'Hope' chests? Usually lined with Spanish Cedar in the UK. Wonderful smell when they were opened.

**tundramanq** · 9th November 16, 08:26 PM

I use the red cedar rings on my hanger hooks inside the kilt or coat cover bag. Keeps the cedar out of direct contact with the clothes. I sand and re-oil about twice a year.
I have found that the redwood lumber scraps left over from my porch and that I keep on the floor of the closet will take up a lot of this oil and keep the closet absolutely reeking of cedar for a long while.

**ThistleDown** · 10th November 16, 01:02 AM

What oil are you using? I used Giles & Kendall in a previous closet.

**tundramanq** · 10th November 16, 05:16 AM

I am using "Something Cedar" Texas Cedar Wood Essential Oil Juniperus Mexicana. A pure Steam distillation of Texas Red Cedar. For reinvigorating all unfinished cedar wood surfaces. An 8 oz. bottle cost around $20.

For the smaller items that I do, I use rubber gloves and cotton balls to apply. Then I put the balls in a glass I keep in my wool hose drawer.

Not going to throw the balls away until the oil is dead. Thinking about walls, the oil takes a couple days to soak in to the point it will not transfer to clothes that may brush against it. The slow soak means it hasn't been thinned with solvents.

**Mark Stephenson** · 14th November 16, 03:17 PM

[QUOTE=tundramanq;1330492]I have avoided dry cleaning since I was a kid and some good family friends ran a mom and pop dry cleaning business in the 60s.
They were both going deaf in their 40's. The doctor told them why and they added some good exhaust fans for the hanger rack room.
The vapors were de-waxing their ears and scarring their ear drums. I

As a research audiologist with >43 years of experience, I would be remiss if I did not state that for a number of reasons, this could not be so. Were a vapor to be so strong as to actually do this, the poor person would have far, far bigger concerns. I might also add that "de-waxing" would not cause hearing loss. All this said, I have GREATLY appreciated the information you posted as well as the other info in this thread.

**tundramanq** · 15th November 16, 01:45 PM

Got me thinking about my dad who was an artist and sign painter and died from multiple illnesses while I was in the 5th grade. He wouldn't let me go into the shop as he was ill from it and hunting another line of work. Now just about everything in there is on the toxic lists. Lead based paint, carbon tetrachloride, xylene and various other solvents and thinners. This was all pre OSHA and MSDSs.

**Mark Stephenson** · 15th November 16, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

Got me thinking about my dad who was an artist and sign painter and died from multiple illnesses while I was in the 5th grade. He wouldn't let me go into the shop as he was ill from it and hunting another line of work. Now just about everything in there is on the toxic lists. Lead based paint, carbon tetrachloride, xylene and various other solvents and thinners. This was all pre OSHA and MSDSs.

Aye. All of those are ototoxic - they do not harm the ear drum, but CAN harm the inner ear and can cause hearing loss. That's just one more reason to go with something mild like the prior mention of using Ivory soap to clean your kilt.