Everyone knows certain insects chew through wood, but did you know some chew through fabric as well? For example, certain species of moths are known to damage clothing. If you’ve ever pulled an old sweater out of the back of your closet only to find it full of holes, now you know what might have happened. If this happens more often than it should, you can turn to our team at Longhorn Termite & Pest Control for help. We can provide pesticide treatments to prevent this issue, as well as give you tips and tricks to keep your clothing safe in the future.
Keep reading to learn three ways to keep your linens safe from clothes moth damage.
- Clean Your Wardrobe – One thing you can do to protect your linens from clothes moth damage is to clean them, as well as the wardrobe or closet they are stored in. Wash your clothing, sheets, blankets, etc., according to the care instructions. If an item is too delicate for machine washing, we recommend getting it dry-cleaned—both normal washing and dry cleaning will get rid of moth larvae. While your laundry is in the machine, thoroughly clean the area where it was being stored, as moth larvae might be present there too.
- Change Your Storage – To prevent clothes moths from attacking your linens again, you should invest in high-quality, airtight storage solutions for them. We encourage you to get garment bags, boxes, or other sealed containers to house your clothing, sheets, and other linens when not in use.
- Use Cedar – A third strategy you can use to protect your linens from a clothes moth is to take advantage of the naturally insect-repelling properties of cedar wood. People have been using cedar chests to store their good linens for hundreds of years, and this strategy still works today. If you don’t have a cedar chest, you can buy smaller chips of cedar and place them in your drawers to get the same benefits.