Ways to Protect Your Clothes from Moths

Written by Charlotte Wood (last updated June 1, 2020)

Moths are a little gross. I hate it in the summer when you open the door and a moth flies in and it starts batting around and then it leaves icky dirty splotches all over your walls and ceilings. That's when you call your dad in to whap it with a rolled up magazine. With moths being naturally revolting, why in the world would you ever want them in your clothes? I doubt anyone really wants moths in their clothes, but you do need to take preventative measures to protect your clothes. Let's state it again: moths are gross so make sure they don't make your clothes gross too.

Much to my textiles' horror, there are several species of clothes moths, the grubs of which eat wool, fur, hair and leather. Alas, it is not in our power to render these insects extinct, but you can keep them at bay by vacuuming carpets and hangings regularly, dry cleaning upholstery and spraying fabrics and the inside of cupboard doors with a mothproofing aerosol. This discourages moths from laying their eggs on the fabric. Try and get food stains out of clothes as quickly as possible so that the food doesn't attract moths either. You can also put mothballs and moth crystals in cupboards and drawers out of the reach of children, but this alternative can be a bit smelly.

Dry clean your moth-friendly clothes often and when it's not the season to wear them, store them in a storage bin instead of leaving them hanging in the closet. Don't give the moths any opportunity to munch on your favorite sweaters! Also, storing clothes in a cedar chest or on cedar hangers can help deter the hungry pests.

Moths don't have to be a problem and you definitely can control it; you just have to take action! Your clothes don't have to fall prey to the dirt-covered moth—you can conquer the moth!

Author Bio

Charlotte Wood

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