Increase winter clothes' life span

Understand the chemistry behind what weakens woollens in storage and the best way to pack them away

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As winter ends and we fold away our favourite wool jumpers and silk scarves, some fascinating material science is about to unfold quietly in our wardrobes.

Subtle chemical and biological processes will decide whether our clothes stay as cosy as ever or emerge next winter yellowed, brittle and ridden with holes.

Some of our favourite winter garments, made from natural fibres such as wool and silk, feel soft or luxurious but they are far from inert. At the molecular level these fibres are protein-rich structures that interact constantly with the environment. These complex structures are what makes the fibres comfortable to wear, and also what makes them vulnerable to storage conditions.

Wool is made up of a protein called keratin and silk is composed primarily of one called fibroin. These molecules give the fibres their unique warmth and strength.

But proteins, as we all know, are also very nutritious.

When wool or silk is stored with traces of sweat, body oils, skin cells or food residues, it becomes even more attractive to insects and microbes. In particular, clothes moths.

Contrary to popular belief, adult clothes moths do not eat clothes. They are simply the delivery system for larvae, which will consume and damage your favourite garments. The adult moths are attracted to unwashed, protein-rich materials such as wool, silk, fur and cashmere, and there they quietly lay eggs.

These eggs hatch into larvae with amazingly strong digestive enzymes.

In a closed wardrobe, the larvae feed undisturbed, chewing through the fibres and creating the small holes that we discover months later.