The next time you pull on that favourite woollen jumper and your elbows feels some unwanted breeze-age, rather than mouth off an obscenity at the moth that ate holes through them, take steps to mothproof your clothing.

The facts

The moths that nibble on your clothes aren’t the ones flying around your home at night trying to get it on with your light globes. No. These critters are actually moth babies (ie larvae, or caterpillars – bisselliella – to get all scientific on you), hiding away in dark places, feasting on what they shouldn’t.

They probably got in there because you were wearing something and came into contact with mother moth, which happily dropped some of her kids on you. And once they’re in amongst your clothing, they have quite expensive tastes – top of their foodie list are wool, silk, leather, cashmere and other natural fibres.

What to do first

If you think you are infected, do some detective work and try one of the numerous clothes moth traps.

Now that you have found the critters devouring your clothes, you have to remove them immediately and, preferably in direct sunlight outdoors, give your clothes a good shaking out. Then either wash or dry-clean everything. You can even freeze your clothing (sounds weird, but it works) if you don’t want the expense of cleaning. Here’s some more handy tips for looking after your clothes. 

Cleaning

Not much point cleaning your clothes unless you also give the cupboards, shelves or wardrobe they’ve been stored in a good clean too. Vacuuming will be enough but it can’t hurt to wipe down surfaces with hot soap and water too. Giving your entire house a thorough clean also is a good idea, particularly carpets and fabric furniture where you might also find evidence of some moth munching. Steam cleaning works a treat, so it’s potentially worth calling in professional cleaners at this point.

Ongoing prevention

So, you’ve done the hard yards banishing the cloth-eating terrors – now you want them to stay away.

Anyone with a grandparent still alive will no doubt remember the smell of naphthalene mothballs, which are still readily available if you want that old school remedy. For those with a more delicate set of nostrils, or looking for a natural solution, lavender and cedar balls are available.

The cedar oil actually kills off the larvae and the lavender is a repellent, with the only downer being they do need more regular replacement than naphthalene.

Get in pest controllers

If you’re time poor or just like to know that the job is going to be done by someone who is right across every aspect of eliminating your problems, consider a pest control service.

Start your search for a local pest controller here, if you feel this is the way to go.