Ask LH: How Can I Stop Moths From Eating My Clothes?

I recently pulled my favourite wool T-shirt from the cupboard and found it was full of holes. Something clearly had a good meal out of it! How can I prevent moths and silverfish from eating my clothes, and how can I get rid of them? Thanks, Holy Shirt

Moth picture from Shutterstock

Dear HS,

We recently had a moth infestation in our house, but ours were of the pantry dwelling variety. After weeks of swatting the buggers away, I cleared out the cupboards and went on a kill-crazy rampage with a can of fly-spray in each hand. I was like the Terminator of the Lepidoptera world. Sometimes, a scorched earth policy really is best.

If you’re looking for a less psychotic and time-consuming approach, it definitely helps to store your clothes in a clean, stain-free space. Clothes moths prefer to lay their eggs in dark and musty places and can also be attracted by food spills and other natural scents. Spray your linen closet with disinfectant, add some bags of lavender (moths hate the smell) and regularly air unused clothes out in the sun.

It might also be worth giving your drawers, cupboards and surrounding carpets a good vacuum. This will help to remove the moth eggs and larvae before they have the opportunity to wreak havoc. You should also get into the habit of washing your stored clothing now and then to rid them of unhatched eggs and musty smells.

If you have any items of clothing that are especially important to you, keep them in zip-lock plastic bags or air-tight containers. Also, get some moth balls.

Cheers
Lifehacker

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