How to prevent moth
in your favorite clothing – and what you can do in case of an infestation.
How do I protect my clothing against moths?
Tineola bisselliella is the Latin species name for the clothes moth—a tiny nocturnal moth that lays its eggs on the feathers or hair of animals, as well as in products made from animal hair (all fibers and materials containing the protein keratin). The larvae of this small nocturnal moth can create both small and large holes in fabrics, ultimately destroying garments.
What moths love
The clothes moth is primarily attracted to fibers made of keratin – a protein that forms the basic structure of mammalian hair, including human hair. Moths are drawn to any products made from animal hair, especially when they have been worn, as the scents of sweat, food stains, and skin flakes in the fabric further entice them.
How you prevent moth
The three most important measures are quite simple:
First: It's best if you can naturally prevent moths from entering your home in the first place. Window screens help to block unwanted moth intrusions. And if the females can’t get in, they can’t lay eggs.
Second: If you won’t be using your woolen garments for an extended period (more than two months), store them in a moth-proof manner to prevent infestation. Items that you return to your closet should either be freshly washed or have been aired out in the sun for at least two days.
Third: Your closet should be attractive to you, but not to moths. Numerous natural repellents such as lavender, bay leaves, cloves, cedar wood, or peppermint can turn closets into a repulsive environment for moths. Refresh these scents regularly.
Of course, none of this guarantees complete protection against moths, but prevention is always easier than having to fight an infestation later.
Check regularly
The simplest way to determine whether you have moths is to set up scented sticky traps. These traps lure male moths using pheromones. If several moths become caught in these traps within a short period, it is very likely that an infestation is present.
Make it hard for them to fly in
Small creatures like moths are frequently present in our apartments and houses. It is quite challenging to keep them out. However, window screens offer good protection against flying insects. Combined with the other preventive measures, preventing moth infestations should be relatively simple.
Scent Offensive Against Moths
The best measures for protecting against moths are completely natural and easy to obtain. Moths tend to avoid certain scents such as lavender, bay leaves, cloves, cedar wood, peppermint, patchouli, or thuja (arborvitae essential oil), as well as the slightly less effective lemon peel.
If you place or hang cedar wood pieces, lavender sachets, or dried lemon peels near your wool clothing, moths will most likely steer clear of these fragrances.
Lavender, peppermint, and other plant aromas initially have a strong scent but need to be replaced regularly to remain effective. Cedar wood can simply be refreshed by lightly sanding it with sandpaper. Additionally, you should wash your wool clothing before storing it for longer periods and ideally pack it in a moth-proof manner. More details on this can be found further down.
How to Store Your Clothing Moth-Proof
If you want to store your winter clothing during the summer—or vice versa—you should definitely follow these guidelines to ensure your wool clothing is stored in a moth-proof manner. Before storing your wool clothing for an extended period, wash it thoroughly so that any odors disappear.
Fold the garments loosely and place them in a pillowcase made of sturdy linen or thick cotton fabric. Ideally, add a lavender sachet or a few pieces of cedar wood inside, and then fold the open side several times before wrapping everything into a compact bundle. This way, your clothing can breathe and is well protected against moths.
If you want to be on the safe side, you can also use a vacuum bag for storage. However, that's usually not necessary, and with the natural method, you avoid plastic products.
What if I have moths?
Usually, you find out the hard way that you have moths in your closet: you discover damage on your wool clothing, with small and larger irregular holes in one or several of your wool garments.
In this case, it’s best to react immediately and address the infestation.
Try to Locate the Moth Nests
If you have moths in your closet, you can get rid of them with a few simple steps. To pinpoint where the infestation is, place a few sticky (pheromone) traps in various dark corners where you store your clothing. The traps lure the males with the female sex pheromone. While they won’t eliminate an infestation, they help you determine if you still have moths and where the problem is most severe—since where there’s a mating-ready female, the males are not far behind.
Inspect your closet for garments that already have moth holes or show signs of larval webs (elongated marks made of thin, sticky, white threads). If you find damaged clothing that can still be repaired and used, you’ll learn further below how to moth-proof them. If you find damaged clothing that must be discarded, please seal it tightly in a plastic bag (yes, really, it’s necessary) before throwing it away.
Do not use Pesticides
Let's address one thing right away: pesticides. We strongly urge you to completely avoid both chemical and natural pesticides and toxins. These substances can affect your nervous system and trigger severe allergic reactions. Additionally, some of them could damage your clothing—precisely what you're trying to prevent by getting rid of the moths.
Changing temperatures kill moths
Nature offers many methods to get rid of moths. If you discover damaged garments that have been eaten by moth larvae, take those items along with nearby clothing made from animal fibers and place them in an oven at 50-60°C (120-140°F). Due to the fire hazard, it’s important that the temperature remains even and that you stay nearby. One to two hours in the oven at this temperature range will kill all moth eggs and larvae.
The same principle applies to cold: for extremely delicate clothing, it is better to place them in the freezer at -18°C (0°F) or below. However, they must remain there for at least one week, and depending on the number of wool garments you own, you might need a large freezer.
Vacuum and Clean Everything
But that's not all. You should completely empty your closet, inspect everything for moths, and thoroughly vacuum the closet – especially the corners and crevices; any hidden, dark areas need extra attention. Then, wipe down the cabinets or dressers well with vinegar water (vinegar cleaner) and let them dry completely.
If you want to be extra sure, you can use a hairdryer to dry the corners for a few minutes – this will also destroy any remaining eggs. However, make sure that the surface of your cabinet can withstand the heat from a hairdryer (be cautious with laminated surfaces).
Afterwards, set up some sticky traps again to check if moths are still present. If so, start over with another round of cleaning and either heating or freezing everything.
Let the natural enemies of moths help you
If you're dealing with a severe moth infestation, natural enemies can assist in combating the problem: parasitic wasps (Trichogramma evanescens). These tiny, flightless wasps lay their eggs in the eggs and larvae of the clothes moth, effectively killing them.
The wasps are less than half a millimeter in size and will die or vanish once there are no moth eggs left to infest. They don’t cause any damage to your clothing, and any that remain are easily shaken off during wear, eventually becoming part of household dust. So, don't worry – this won't turn into an insect invasion. These little creatures are your best allies when it comes to tackling a strong moth infestation, and you likely won't even see them.
You can purchase parasitic wasps on small cards online; they hatch three days to a week after shipping and immediately get to work. Simply place them near the affected area, and the wasps will handle the rest on their own.
We are currently revising our care page and expanding our service for our clothing. New and expanded care tips and new services will soon be available here.
Please write to us if you have any further or better tips. We like to learn something new every day.