Floss licking

Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

Best,
Christine

On 22 Jul 2003 08:42:02 -0700, (Christine O)
wrote:

Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

Best,
Christine
Oh *NOW* you've done it! You've started the floss licking debate!
(Tounge firmly in cheek here!)

I have no idea really. I do it all the time myself.
Maureen in the Finger Lakes, NY

X/USA/H+(Will)/1Y6(Sam)/-/2C,2D/1B/Medicine Wheel/ X/28L/D/:-D~/Q,O/M/B/b/R~/S/K/E/-/G/
Wo/-/-/Derek Jeter, Matthew McC, Liam Neeson/n-a/wintogreen lifesavers, pizza.

Put my dog out to reply

"Bob&Becky" wrote in
:

Good heavens, I hope it's not bad, I do it all the time! The end I
lick is the short end that ends up being left over at the end of the
stitching, so I can't imagine what possible differnce it could make.

Becky


"Christine O" wrote in message
om...
Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

Best,
Christine




Ask Tere for the Billy story. But, even though I know it, I still lick my
floss.

Linda
owner, eStitch.com

Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

I'm a floss licker myself, but IIRC, the reason it's "bad" is that the saliva
left on the floss helps to degrade the fibers over time. I suppose this would
be important if you're stitching something intended to be an heirloom, but when
99% of my stitching is holiday ornaments or fun stuff for friends, I'm not
going to take the time to worry about it. =)

Jenn L.
View My Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/jaliace
Current projects:
Chicago Skyline (The Needlecraftsman)
Lady of the Flag (Mirabilia)

Christine O wrote:
Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

There's nothing wrong with it. Several years ago, a poster who said she
was a needlework conservatrix, stated that, after examining old
needlework, she discovered some teeny specks where threads were begun or
ended and assumed it was damage from saliva. I may not be getting this
perfectly, but that's the gist. The joke became "mouse tracks".

I consulted a laboratory research scientist and he assured me the
likelihood of saliva causing damage was so remote as to be almost
non-existent. There's more to this, but I won't get technical.

Some people are offended by bodily fluids, and therefore it's a personal
angst. Just like some people go "EWWWW!" when they see a bug.

If you are worried about it, but like the practise, you can snip off the
end that was in your mouth. Or use a wet sponge. However, that is more
prone to damaging bacteria unless kept fastidiously clean.

Dianne

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

Christine O wrote:
Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?

There's nothing wrong with it. Several years ago, a poster who said she
was a needlework conservatrix, stated that, after examining old
needlework, she discovered some teeny specks where threads were begun or
ended and assumed it was damage from saliva. I may not be getting this
perfectly, but that's the gist.
IIRC, I think it had something to do with the acidity level in
saliva--the more acid, the more likely there'll be fiber damage. If it
is possible (and I *ain't* sayin' it is or isn't! ;-) ) for people to
have different acidity levels in their skin (e.g. those people whose
fingers turn needles black), wouldn't it follow that their saliva would
also have more acid???
I mentioned this in another post.... Back when Christina was posting
(the above-mentioned conservatrix), I had asked her if it would help to
cut the wet end off after threading the needle. Her analogy was, would
it make sense for a surgeon to lick his thread, put it through a needle
and cut the end off? The germs (or whatever) would still be in the eye
of the needle, which would then go through your skin or, in this case,
the fabric.
I decided I didn't need to be *that* fastidious with my needlework, so
a licker I still am! )) (All together now: "I yam what I yam and
that's all that I yam, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man; TOOT TOOT!!!")

--
Joan

See my first-ever design he
http://www.HeritageShoppe.com/heritage/temp/joan1.jpg

"Stitch when you are young and poor, frame when you are old and rich."
- Elizabeth's (rctn'r) sister's MIL (Barbara Marr)

In article ,
(Christine O) wrote:

Just curious - why is it so bad to lick the tip of floss?



Au contraire - it's very important to lick your floss, just as it is
important to sign and date your work. Floss licking is DNA encoding for
the sake of future generations of needlework researchers.

Lynn

I've never licked my floss. Why does one do this? Is it something you do
out of habit, like how people chew on their hair? I can only imagine it's
bad if the dyes in it aren't very safe to be "consumed."

I've never licked my floss. Why does one do this?

Wetting the ends of the floss often make it easier to thread the needle,
especially if the ends are slightly frayed or if using a more fuzzy fiber like
Wisper or a metallic.

Jenn L.
View My Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/jaliace
Current projects:
Chicago Skyline (The Needlecraftsman)
Lady of the Flag (Mirabilia)

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

Joan Erickson wrote:

IIRC, I think it had something to do with the acidity level in
saliva--the more acid, the more likely there'll be fiber damage. If
it is possible (and I *ain't* sayin' it is or isn't! ;-) ) for people
to have different acidity levels in their skin (e.g. those people
whose fingers turn needles black), wouldn't it follow that their
saliva would also have more acid???


No. Not according to the research scientist I talked to. What Christina
(at the time) retorted [when I posted as much] was that it was the
bacteria that caused the damage. But according to this scientist,
bacteria that live in your mouth can't live outside your mouth. And,
they don't attack fiber.
Ah, yes, *that*'s what it was--the bacteria.

Further, most needlework is washed or steamed, which would kill anything
or remove any other "problems" (such as acid or alkalyne conditions).
And since I do wash all my needlework prior to finishing, I really
wasn't too worried about it.
Thanks, Dianne!
--
Joan

See my first-ever design he
http://www.HeritageShoppe.com/heritage/temp/joan1.jpg

"Stitch when you are young and poor, frame when you are old and rich."
- Elizabeth's (rctn'r) sister's MIL (Barbara Marr)