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How do you preserve/store your items?


huntssurplus
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huntssurplus

Hello everyone.

 

Here is the sister thread to my other one I posted in the displays section asking about display ideas. Here I'm looking for storage/preservation ideas.

 

Currently I have quite a few items stored in a few closets. Hopefully I will eventually be able to move and display all my collection, but in the meantime I have it stored. I store about 40% of items in plastic tubs that I have the lids on. Then I have another 40% in garment bags (although they aren't quite air-tight) on hangers. And then I have some open items, mostly field gear and canvas items sitting out in the open on some shelving in one closet I have. I also ordered some lavender/cedar to stick around where I have items stored to help prevent moths. I do not use mothballs as I have heard they are very toxic, and of course the smell. But because I haven't had an infestation yet, i'm hoping the lavender/cedar will help to ward off the moths a little bit in case any decide they want to try to eat anything. I check periodically to see if anything has gotten into stuff, but nothing has been eaten yet (knock on wood). 

 

every once in a while I get something moth ridden, and apparently the moths can travel on a garment? Guess there really is too much to worry about. 


Anyways just looking to get some more ideas on the best ways to help protect my collection. It seems to be doing good so far (again knock on wood), but I really want to make sure I do all I can to prevent anything from happening. 

Thanks

Hunt

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Doctorofwar

The best advice I’ve gotten to keep moths from traveling in on a newly acquired piece of wool is to put it in a freezer for a couple weeks to kill any hitch hiking moth larvae.  The first thing I do with a new to me hat, or uniform is put it in the freezer and forget about it until at least two weeks goes by- then and only then does it see my war room. So far I have had zero moth issues- but I also have a cedar hanger near my uniforms and use garment bags.

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huntssurplus
3 hours ago, Doctorofwar said:

The best advice I’ve gotten to keep moths from traveling in on a newly acquired piece of wool is to put it in a freezer for a couple weeks to kill any hitch hiking moth larvae.  The first thing I do with a new to me hat, or uniform is put it in the freezer and forget about it until at least two weeks goes by- then and only then does it see my war room. So far I have had zero moth issues- but I also have a cedar hanger near my uniforms and use garment bags.

 

I've heard about the freeze technique. I don't think I have a freezer big enough to fit a uniform in. Does the freezing not do any sort of damage to the item? Wouldn't water particles forum on it?

Hunt

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I use the freezer technique also, especially when I get a very gross uniform. A lot of times I put them in big plastic bags so that water doesn't form on them that badly, but to tell you the truth I have never noticed any damage to anything even without a bag. I personally would not try it on a uniform that has a lot of metal pins, bullion patches, or something delicate like a silk patch. I feel like if enough water formed on it and it froze that could be bad in those cases and I just do not think it is worth the risk for them. This post does remind me that I placed a uniform in my freezer in March before I went on spring break and never got back to it because of the virus, I am sure it is probably still ok sitting in there.

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huntssurplus
52 minutes ago, Ray42 said:

I use the freezer technique also, especially when I get a very gross uniform. A lot of times I put them in big plastic bags so that water doesn't form on them that badly, but to tell you the truth I have never noticed any damage to anything even without a bag. I personally would not try it on a uniform that has a lot of metal pins, bullion patches, or something delicate like a silk patch. I feel like if enough water formed on it and it froze that could be bad in those cases and I just do not think it is worth the risk for them. This post does remind me that I placed a uniform in my freezer in March before I went on spring break and never got back to it because of the virus, I am sure it is probably still ok sitting in there.

 

Interesting! Do you have any experience of it causing any damage, or have you been to precautious? And do you fold your uniforms when you stick them in the freezer? What is it like when they come out? Might have to give this one a try. Do you only do it on badly moth eaten uniforms?


Hunt

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Doctorofwar

Never noticed any damage at all.  To fit the uniforms in I usually have to fold, say an Ike jacket, in half to fit on a shelf in my standard top mount freezer-( I don’t have any over coats).  I put clean butcher Or packing paper down between the uniform and the shelf in case there was any food residue I didn’t notice or other stuff I don’t want to get on the uniform.  I have two refrigerator/freezers in the house, so there is usually room in one for some Militaria.  A chest freezer would make it easier for larger items but I don’t have one.  When I take them out I always let them air out and warm up to room temp for a few days before putting them in a garment bag or closet to ensure that any moisture on them (mostly condensation when taking them out of the cold freezer) doesn’t stay on them.  Zero problems in years of doing this- I don’t remove anything from the uniforms, they don’t see the inside of my house long enough to do so.  Straight to the freezer, and I’ve been moth free.

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Doctorofwar

When a uniform has been in a freezer for weeks it comes out very cold, but since it is dry it’s still flexible.  It would have to be wet to freeze stiff/solid.  

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5 hours ago, huntssurplus said:

 

Do you have any experience of it causing any damage, or have you been to precautious? 

I have never had any damage, I just like to be cautious. On stuff I think might be fragile and feel there is a risk of moths I put them in a garment bag and place one or two mothballs in with it and then store it in a part of my apartment that I do not use so the fumes are not a problem. 

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huntssurplus

Thanks for the replies! I guess freezing may be the way to go? Any ideas on how to prevent condensation. Seems like a good option may be to seal in a plastic bag and then place it in. I wonder if there are any ziplock bags that are large enough, I’ve really only see the gallon sized ones.

Hunt


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huntssurplus

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone! 

Check this out! 22 gallon Ziploc bag!? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ziploc-22-Gal-XXL-Big-Bags-696508/100496222

 

Anyways doing some more research on my own I found this study: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1506691?seq=1


Not sure if I'm interested in spending $48 dollars on it, but if anyone does let me know! From the abstract it seems like as long as there is no liquid water contact to the articles, freezing them should be safe for the most part. Except for linen, which did see damage. This study actually seems pretty interesting, I wish i could read the rest of it as it seems like the study would answer most of my questions. Oh well. 

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/bac.1993.19.1-2.006 this study also states that multiple freeze/thaw cycles on wool textiles caused no significant damage. 

 

Now I guess I'll just have to test things out and get some bigger plastic bags. It seems like there really isn't much more than 48 hours of freezing with an 8 hour thaw followed by another 48 hour freezing period to eradicate pests.


Anyways, now that it seems like freezing is an effective treatment to get rid of pests, I will ask do you do it on all of the uniforms made from animal materials in your collection or just the ones that have been clearly moth eaten? And how do you know what to freeze and what is okay? Also any idea if plastic storage bins--the type you can get at any department store--are moth safe or not? I have quite a few wool uniforms in plastic bins like that that are kept in dark places but I always figured they were probably okay because they were sealed for the most part. They aren't air tight but not sure if a moth could get in there. 

Hunt

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