A few years ago we experienced the very unfortunate outcome of having a moth infestation in our home. I’m sad to say that we lost many beautiful sweaters to the little critters. Sadly, I was so overwhelmed at the damage they caused that I didn’t even consider the option of mending the damaged pieces. After much cleaning and changing our caring habits, I’m happy to say that we have freed ourselves of the moths. Since sweater season has officially arrived, and in order to prevent this unfortunate event from happening to you, here is my guide to caring for your wool sweaters, coats and accessories.
Tip 1: Buy only what you will wear
The ultimate trick to keeping your woollens free of moths is to wear them regularly. Moths love undisturbed wool and dark corners. So for this reason, it’s better to have less pieces that you will wear on a weekly basis than too many that can collect dust and cocoons.
Tip 2: Clean storage is key
Moths love dust if they don’t have wool to feed on. Make sure that your drawers are clean before storing your woollens. You can add lavender bags or cedar balls as a precautionary measure since they hate both those scents. On a side note, avoid hanging your sweaters otherwise you risk deforming the garments.
Tip 3: Washing your wool
Hand washing is crucial if you want to avoid your sweaters from shrinking. I usually soak them in lukewarm soapy water in my bathtub so I can wash them all at the same time. I then give them a little spin cycle in the washing machine to eliminate the excess water before laying them flat to dry on a clothing rack. Once the weather warms up and it’s time to put them away, make sure to wash them one last time before storing them so that all dust or dirt residue is gone.
Tip 4: Storing your wool in the summer
Although the traditional method is to store your wool in cedar chests, which does keep moths away, I have been rolling my sweaters and storing them in large Ziploc bags. I’m happy to say that I haven’t seen a moth hole in years. Another option can be to use large garbage bags before storing them in plastic containers with a tight closing lid such as Rubbermaid. I would recommend making sure to store them separately from your other clothes as an extra precautionary measure.
What to look for if you think you have moth holes
The tips above will help prevent moths invading your home, however if you do see holes in your woollens, don’t despair, holes could be (hopefully) from a little pull or tear. If you think you have moths, here’s what to look for:
Check for traces of grains a the bottom of your drawer. you will find what looks like grains of sand as the first hint of their presence. These are the eggs. Moth cocoons look like little bits of rolled up paper the size of a grain of rice. They will either be on the garment or at the bottom of the drawer. You will know if they are empty or not by squishing them. If nothing comes out, the moth is already out, if yellow goop comes out, you caught the worm!
If you do find traces of moth activity, it’s time to get the vacuum cleaner out and start vacuuming all the drawers, washing all your stored clothes and getting rid of the debris in an air-tight garbage bag. I’ve been told that Raid is the best way to kill any eggs or cocoons however I have found that freezing woollens is a good way to make sure all eggs are dead.
I hope these tips have been helpful in caring for your wool sweaters, coats and accessories. Do you wish to know other tips on how to care for your clothes? Leave a comment below about the type of blog post you would find useful.
Happy winter!