Keratinophilic fungi
The fungi that feed on protein fibres. Wool and silk are less susceptible than cotton — which is not the same as being safe from it.
In detail
Protein fibres such as wool and silk are described by the conservation guidance as less susceptible to microbial attack than cellulosic ones, and the qualifier that follows is the important part: keratinophilic fungi will feed on and damage them as well. The word means keratin-loving, and keratin is the structural protein of wool, hair and horn. That places a real limit on a comfortable assumption. Wool's reputation for resisting damp comes from its ability to hold moisture without feeling wet, and the fibre's own chemistry does slow attack — but a damp wool garment stored in a dark, still cupboard is a host, not an exception. The distinction matters most for storage. The conditions the guidance names apply: growth above 50 per cent relative humidity, rapid spread above 80 per cent, and poor air circulation making it worse. And the cleanliness factor applies with force, because microorganisms often begin growth on soilants and textile auxiliaries rather than on the fibre — so a wool item put away with perspiration or food soil on it is stored with the starter already in place.
Why
- Keratinophilic fungi is explained by Organic load
- Keratinophilic fungi is explained by Protein denaturation
Aftercare and prevention
- Machine washing helps prevent Keratinophilic fungi
Sources for this page
Sources
Conserve O Gram 16/1: Causes, Detection and Prevention of Mold and Mildew on Textiles
National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 1993 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That protein fibres such as wool and silk are less susceptible to attack but that keratinophilic fungi will feed on and damage these fibres as well, and that microorganisms often start growth on soilants and textile auxiliaries rather than on the fibre. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — The sections headed The Microorganisms, Factors Affecting Biological Deterioration (four numbered factors), Detection, Damage, Prevention and Environmental Control. Supports the claim as stated. Supplies the fibre-by-fibre susceptibility, the humidity and temperature thresholds, and — most usefully — the finding that growth starts on the soil rather than on the fibre, which connects the whole laundry section to the mould section.
Wool care: how to wash wool, and caring for wool
The Woolmark Company · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That wool garments require particular storage and care conditions. (background and mechanism only)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — The "How to wash wool" page (machine and hand washing, drying) and the "Caring for wool" page (tumble drying, flat drying, detergent). Supports a narrower statement — our claim was reduced. These pages support the temperature, agitation and drying guidance but NOT the bleach position, which CleaningHQ had attributed here in Sprint 1. That claim was moved to woolmark-detergent-guidance, where the statement actually appears. CleaningHQ's felting explanation is not supported by Woolmark at all and is now carried by the fibre-science record as an interpretation rather than cited here.
Last reviewed by a person on .