So I’m in the middle of a major spring cleaning here at home. I try to refresh the home once a year, but this cleaning has been major. I got rid of about half my clothing, things I’ve been holding on to for years, thinking– “maybe someday I will be a size 2 again.” No, Tori, you won’t be. Frankly, I don’t even want to be a size 2 anymore. I’ve learned to love my curves. I’ve earned them! The good news is our friend’s daughter will fit into the size 2 stuff just fine. She is very happy that I’ve started “The Great Closet Purging of 2014.”
As I was going through all of my sweaters to pack them away for spring and summer, I was shocked to discover a moth infestation. Some of my prettiest sweaters – cashmere pieces that I’ve invested in hoping they’d last me a lifetime – were full of little holes. I began to research it online, and apparently those naughty moths have a taste for the finer fabrics in life. That means your nicest sweaters, scarves and wraps are their number one target. Awesome.
I’ve separated the moth-eaten clothing from the rest of my closet. Now I’m wondering about the best way to deal with it. Have any of you had this problem in the past? I’ve made sure that no sweaters are moved to my friend’s house until they’re completely moth-free. I don’t want to share moths with her closet! There is a lot of conflicting advice online about how to handle this. I’m not sure how effective moth balls would be in this situation, and really, who wants that smell lingering on their clothing? A natural solution would be preferable to me. I’ve read that moths are repelled by the smell of cedar and lavender, which is intriguing.
Have any of you dealt with a moth infestation before? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Not much you can do about the holes but you might consider hiding them with motifs cut from lace (by lace trim). I’ve repaired garments that had small holes or stains with cotton lace for more substantial garments or knits but lighter nylon or poly lace would be better on delicate knits. Voila! A new, customized sweater!
Hi Tori,
I love your new website and really love the header! Pomegranates are my favorite motif.
I am a professional knitwear designer [only one hat that I wear :-)] and this means I have lots of sweaters and accessories that I invested huge amounts of time to craft. I only use high quality yarns that increase the investment. I don’t like moths eating my hard work and I’m not fond of chemicals.
I wrote a blog post about this very subject and how to make moth deterrent sachets. Here is the biggest tip I can give you…clean your clothes before you put them away for the warm weather!
Body oils, left over fragrances, tiny food particles or lingering odors, makeup, etc. are all attractants. If I hand wash or dry clean my precious woolens and fine fiber clothes and then use a natural moth deterrent I don’t have problems.
Thank you for the tip Posey!
I put my clothes in a vacuum sealed plastic bag and store them in the freezer. I used to do moth balls couldnt take the smell and I didnt find cedar blocks effective but the freezer is great except that it diminishes your freezer space
So very sorry for you recent experience, Tori. I have had that experience myself and found that both reweaving and knit repair have been amazingly undetectable done at a nice men’s clothing store in my area, even though I’m not male nor do I shop there. Both silks and woolens.
~ Appreciating all the prevention suggestions. Wondering if putting woolen items in sunlight for a few hours will kill larvae?
~ Love the boiled wool hot water bottle idea. Would love to do that and tea cozies, too.
I’m a knitter and you can imagine they are our worst enemy. We keep our good yarn in plastic ziploc bags. This usually works unless the thing (sweater, skein of yarn) arrives with eggs. But even then it is contained and the filthy things die in there.
Once it’s done, those little moths sneak in lay eggs then the eggs hatch and eat where they were laid, all you can do is sew an applique over the holes Then go to the hardware store and buy interlocking planks of cedar wood to put on your closet floor and walls, they also have green moth proof storage bags, and little Cedar bags to hang on the clothes hangers, and blocks of cedar to put in the dresser drawers. People used to put smelly moth balls in their closets but it really stinks and is bad for your health.
I think that’s why they make moth balls , prefer cotton myself.
Peppermint oil! You can buy it at whole foods, just put a bit in a few little containers around your closet and it will keep the moths out. It also smells a lot better than mothballs! Also, moths usually eat the parts of your sweaters where food has fallen so be sure to wash your sweaters before you put them away!
Moth balls or cedar
What are conkers?
put conkers in with your clothing…it really works.
Watchers? Should be sachet’s.
Moth balls and my Momma used watchers orange with cloves stuck in them hanging in the closet, or store wool sweaters in a cedar lined drawer, closet ,or chest.
Cedar pellets or the moth balls would keep them out
I do this wit yarn, but it would work with sweaters too. Do this to the rest of them ” According to the pest management guidelines provided by the University of California, infested yarns (or completed garments, for that matter) can be heated to a temperature above 120 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes or can be frozen at temperatures under 18 degrees Fahrenheit for several days to kill the pests. I have heard that some people keep all their wool in the freezer, but that seems a little excessive unless you have a very valuable collection of yarn.”
If you are not handy with a needle and thread, there are professional re-weavers. The sweaters mostl likely can be repaired. A long time ago I had this problem, and there was an expensive re-weaver in Beverly Hills on Canon Dr in a courtyard building across from Porta Via Restaurant. I’m not sure if she is still there, but she had a great reputation as a miracle worker.
Cedar chest or cedar balls in plastic containers
Every spring I take all my wool shirts, sweaters and socks and put them in various plastic storage boxes, and keep them there until fall when I need them again. It’s saved a lot of money and my favorite things…my wool underwear was devastated by moths one year, but if they have nothing to feed on, they don’t come by. I’ve seen many less. Good luck and sorry!
Keep all wool and other animal protein garments very clean. Moths like the oils on the fibers.
Wash everything very well and wash out your closet as the eggs settle in there. Some people freeze items as well but it sounds like you have a lot and they might not fit into a freezer.
Good luck!
Noo! They always eat the cashmere and leave the itchy stuff alone. Costco sells cedar planks for BBQ. I put these in old pillowcases next to wools, in a sealed plastic bin. But you might have to kiss these ones goodbye. 🙁
Cedar
Apprently once you have moths you have to steam your wardrobe out. Then buy some moth deterrrents. You don’t need to use smelly moth balls anymore.
Cedar chips…
SAVE YOUR NEARLY FI NISHED SOAP BARS – DRY THEM OUR AND PUT INTO CUPBOARD AND DRAWERS. WORKS
get cedar eggs and put them in the drawers.
Um, how about tank tops?
Omg. I remember going to my great aunts house in Brooklyn and all the closets smelled like moth balls. Back then everything was made of wool. Now for the 21st century idea, space bags
Put them in cedarwood closets or in plastic containers with mothballs
I’m sorry, but I disagree with naphthalene. It’s a dangerous volatile chemical whose noxious fumes take decades to dissipate. Plastic containers has been perfect for me. The moths can’t get in to lay their eggs.
I’m so sorry Tori! Definitely put cedar in the closet. Mothballs can be unpleasant. If you can, put cedar on the walls, lining the closet with it.