The telltale holes of clothes moths in our favourite sweater can inspire complete panic. We want to stop everything and fumigate ALL our clothes to get rid of the pests!!
But in just a few quick basic steps we can get rid of clothes moths fast and instantly protect other clothes.
We’re then free to focus on simple cleaning hacks that prevent moths coming back with natural clothes moth repellents and moth traps.
So if you’ve spotted a moth or moth hole follow this step-by-step guide to getting rid of clothes moths fast.
Contents
- Get Rid Of Clothes Moths Fast
- Protect Clothes From Moths
- Natural Clothes Moth Repellents
- Best Moth Traps
- Prevent Moths In Clothes
How To Get Rid Of Clothes Moths Quickly & Easily
A the first sight of a clothes moth or a moth hole we do need to act fast :
- Focus On Fabrics Moths Eat
- Put Clothes In Freezer
- Hot Wash Dirty Laundry
- Dust & Vacuum Bedrooms
1. Focus On Fabrics Moths Eat
Our clothes are actually eaten by moth larvae not moths themselves.
So, initially we need to focus on clothes these tiny babies love to chew which is anything made from natural fibres rich in keratin :
- Wool especially cashmere
- Silk
- Fine cotton mixes with wool or silk
- Synthetic mixes with wool or silk
- Felt
- Feathers
- Leather
Grab from your closets, wardrobes and chests of drawers anything you love – especially if it was pricey – made from these fibres.
Also gather up throws and cushion covers made from the fabrics above.
2. Put Clothes In Freezer
The next step is to put these favourite clothes in the freezer!!
The freezer is a lifesaver because most fabrics moths eat can’t be put in the 60c/140f hot wash needed to kill them. The freezing temperature will kill moth larvae and eggs.
So put all the clothes you grabbed into sealable plastic bags and store in the freezer for at least 72 hours.
If your freezer is big enough, leave all the vulnerable items in for a week. Otherwise give them 72 hour blasts.
Keep vulnerable clothes in moth proof sealable storage with natural moth repellents when removed from freezer to stop re-infestation with eggs and larvae.
3. Hot Wash Dirty Laundry
Moths do not typically eat keratin free fibres. So pure cotton or 100% synthetic clothes should be fine.
BUT moths will lay eggs in protein rich sweat and food stains on dirty clothes in the laundry basket – yuk!!
So next step is to wash dirty laundry on as hot a temperature as possible.
Many of us have switched to cooler washes to save energy but regular hot washes do help control mould, fungal infections like athlete’s foot, parasites like pinworms and and of course pests like moths.
Pure cottons can be washed at 60c/140f which will kill moth larvae and eggs so ideally wash any dirty laundry you can at 60c.
4. Dust & Vacuum Bedrooms
Moths feed in dark dusty spots near places they can lay eggs so typically hang out in our bedrooms.
They actually feed on discarded human skin and hair cells in dust!
So while your hot wash is on, dust and vacuum bedrooms paying attention to dusty spots :
- Inside wardrobes
- Inside drawers
- Beneath beds
- On top of wardrobes
- Behind radiators
- In small gaps underneath furniture
- Heavy curtains.
Swat any moths you see as you go.
If you do have an infestation in other rooms look out for hidden blankets or rugs they may be feeding on.
OK, so now we have taken instant action to get rid of moths, eggs and larvae we are ready to put in place :
How To Protect Clothes From Moths
Going forward it is best to store any of the clothes that went into the freezer in sealed storage.
Moth Proof Sealed Storage
The best sealed storage for protecting at risk clothes and blankets from moths are :
- Zipped cotton bags
- Hanging cotton garment bags.
Cotton storage is more expensive but critically it allows clothes to breathe whilst keeping moths out. Long term storage in plastic can result in damp, mildew and colour damage. I have these cotton bags.
Include plenty of natural clothes moth repellents in and around storage as extra protection.
Keeping Moths Out Of Dirty Laundry Baskets
We also need to protect moth vulnerable items when they go in laundry baskets. Zipped cotton laundry bags are a good idea for this.
Put natural clothes moth repellents e.g. lavender bags in your laundry basket and zipped bags.
The Best Natural Clothes Moth Repellents
You can buy all sorts of clothes moth repellents including classic moth balls but these products very often include naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene which can be toxic for humans and pets.
Luckily there are plenty of natural alternatives. The best natural clothes moth repellents are :
- Cedar Wood
- Lavender
- Cloves
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Mint
You can buy these moth repelling fragrances as essential oils but the real thing is often cheaper and more effective. You can grow most of the repellents easily in a herb garden and use them in natural remedies.
Cedar Wood
The wood of the cedar tree contains an oil which is a very effective natural moth repellent.
You can buy cedar wood in packs of tiny balls and cubes PLUS hanging disks to distribute among drawers and wardrobes but slightly larger blocks can be more effective.
The oil on the surface of the wood will dry out, so the cedar wood needs a quick sand every 6 to 12 months to reinvigorate the moth protecting oil. It’s easy to do this with the slightly larger blocks.
Lavender
Lavender bags have been used as natural clothes moths repellents for centuries.
It is very easy to make your own lavender bags. Draw string bags that can be refilled annually with fresh lavender are the most helpful.
If you have lavender in your garden harvest on a dry day and dry inside for 2 weeks before adding to bags.
Cloves
Cloves are a very effective natural moth repellent. They are also taste wonderful in Christmas gingerbread and can be used as a natural antibiotic for gum infections!!
But cloves are not everyone’s favourite fragrance so do check out the smell before bulk buying!
Simply add a few teaspoons of cloves to little drawstring bags for DIY natural moth protection.
Sage, Rosemary, Thyme & Mint
Dried sage, rosemary, thyme and mint all make good moth protection and smell lovely combined together.
You could make your own moth protection bags by drying any of these herbs in your garden or dried kitchen herbs at the end of their shelf life that need decluttering.
Best Clothes Moth Traps
The simplest clothes moth traps are pheromone traps and they really do work to catch moths.
They are basically just a sticky board infused with the pheromones of female clothes moths. The male is attracted by the fragrance and gets stuck to the board breaking the reproduction cycle.
Simply place a trap in a dark spot where it won’t get disturbed in each bedroom. You will need to replace the sticky board every 6-12 weeks.
Do NOT put the traps in wardrobes or drawers as this will draw moths in.
Best Time To Use Moth Traps
Clothes moths are most active from spring to autumn when the temperature is between 15 and 35c (59-95f) so try to ensure you have them in place from early spring to stop the moths getting established.
Prevent Moths In Clothes
Clothes moths like many household pests are an ongoing challenge. They will like ants, flies and mice keep coming back if we don’t keep on top of some basic housekeeping tasks.
The 7 best ways to prevent clothes moths coming back are :
- Declutter Wardrobes
- Rotate Laundry
- Store Seasonal Clothes
- Declutter Bedrooms
- Dust & Vacuum Thoroughly
- Clean Closets In Spring & Autumn
- Turn Thermostat Down
Declutter Wardrobes
A wardrobe crammed full of clothes we never wear is heaven for clothes moths as it lets them hide out in dark places undisturbed.
The answer is not to go full Marie Kondo and declutter 99% of our clothes down to a capsule wardrobe.
But if you use the Just 10 Things declutter method the whole family can easily get rid of lots of long forgotten clothes they won’t miss.
Rotate Laundry
Rotating our everyday clothes so that they all get worn and washed every fortnight or so helps to break the moth lifecycle by getting rid of eggs before they hatch.
Vulnerable clothes that don’t get worn often need to be decluttered or stored in moth proof protection.
Store Seasonal Clothes
Unworn winter woolies in our wardrobes are seventh heaven for clothes moths in the summer.
So every year – as soon as the weather turns – get them all washed and once dry into the freezer for a week before storing securely away with natural moth protection until autumn comes.
Declutter Bedrooms
Keeping on top of dust in bedrooms is critical for preventing moths.
But it is incredibly hard to do that if we’ve got clutter piled up on shelves, under beds, on top of furniture and in great heaps on the floor!!
Unfortunately the price of all that clutter can be money wasted on moth eaten clothes and even curtains, carpets, covers and rugs.
So little by little declutter more and more stuff so you can clean easily.
Set yourself a declutter target for the year end of nothing stored :
- Under any bed
- On the floor
- On top of wardrobes.
It really is doable and will help.
Dust & Vacuum Thoroughly
It is easy to fall behind on dusting and vacuuming and just whizz around downstairs when it really gets desperate ignoring bedrooms.
But bedroom dust will attract moths. They can literally smell it!!
So do everything you can to stay on top of vacuuming in bedrooms.
Seriously decluttering bedrooms will help as the less stuff there is, the quicker you can vacuum.
Clean Closets In Both Spring And Autumn
Spring cleaning doesn’t – let’s be honest – always happen but if you do nothing else, clean out your closets in spring and autumn:
- Take everything out.
- Declutter unworn items.
- Put anything to go in storage in freezer for at least 48 hours.
- Vacuum thoroughly making sure you get dust out of all corners.
- Wipe down surfaces with a DIY lavender, thyme or rosemary spray.
- Return clothes ensuring high risk fabrics are stored properly.
Turn Thermostat Down
As we saw, moths are most active when temperatures are between 15 and 25 degrees centigrade (59-95f). Traditionally, bedrooms would have been cooler than this over winter breaking the breeding cycle.
With central heating, most of us never let the temperature drop this far. But keeping bedrooms cooler during the day can save energy, help us sleep better AND prevent moths!
I do hope these tips help you get rid of clothes moths quickly and easily and prevent moths coming back so you can protect all your favourite clothes from moth holes.
For more simple tips on getting rid of household pests check out these posts :
- Get Rid Of Flies Naturally
- Get Rid Of Ants Naturally
- Get Rid Of Mice Easily
- Get Rid Of Cockroaches
- Natural Mosquito Repellents
And follow me on Pinterest for quick non-toxic cleaning hacks …
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