clothes-eating moth prevention and storage (sorry, long)

[mothfear]

The ILs were here last night. "Ooh look, a moth. Your clothes and carpets will be under attack by Christmas!"

While I don't think they saw a clothes moth - I haven't seen any nibbles - it did make me google them, and now I'm worried. We don't have much wool stuff (3 naice wool/cashmere coats, 3 100% merino wool jumpers, some 80% wool carpets). But we don't have much storage, so when those coats get worn a few times a winter, we put them away (once they are dry) in our main wardrobe. DH wears M&S style washable suits for work about once a month - so they don't get washed every time, usually they go back in wardrobe in a suit bag. Also when we wear jumpers, if they have just been worn once or twice and look clean, we put them back in drawers with clean clothes. (This did all seem very green and sensible, but now I'm panicking it is grubby and that it is a matter of time that moths appear!)

A couple of questions for moth experts (Piglet John?):

• what should I do with the naice coats? Put them back in wardrobe but in garment bags with some of those Rentokil moth cassette things? Or I could possibly organise a 'separate' wardrobe for coats and suits that have been worn, until they get washed/dry cleaned?
• in the meantime, what should I do with wardrobe and drawers? Do I need to have a weekend where I pull everything out, either wash it (or can I just tumble dry/freeze it all, bit by bit?), clean the house (esp wardrobe and drawers and other places like under bed), then seal stuff and put it away?
• how can I keep a wedding dress safe? It was dry cleaned and boxed after the wedding.
• are there any recommended garment bags?
• if I go for the clean-the-whole-house approach, should I do it over Xmas while it is cold? Or do it as part of spring clean?
• how long should you tumble dry stuff for so it kills the eggs?

DH thinks I'm mad (he may be right). But the ILs have an annoying habit of saying something and 2 weeks later they are proven right. My parents do all the same things as me and they've never had moths...but maybe that's just luck!

Thanks and sorry for length.

Get a good stock of Transfluthrin moth killers tomorrow and put them in all your wardrobes and drawers. You might be able to order in bulk at reduced prices on fleabay. I usually get mine from Robert Dyas Almost all the brands contain the same amount for the same price and protet the same space, but sometines you see discounts. The bits of impregnated paper only protect small drawers.

Then you can get on with the longer task of putting everything through the tumbledrier to kill the eggs and larvae, immediately putting those tumbled things into large plastic bags or sealed plastic crates with a moth killer, hoovering inside, under and behind all your furniture, and spraying the edges of your carpets and joints in wardrobes where moths like to climb down.

An upright hoover with beaters is better for getting them out of carpets.

If you have ever had a serious infestation you will take it seriously and you will wean yourself off the habit of putting clothes that have been worn by a woman back in an unprotected wardrobe.

Was the moth you saw crawling across the floor?

You can also get things scented with lavender and cedar. These have no effect on moths but will make your holey clothes smell nice when you throw them in the bin.

I've had a serious moth infestation

What Piglet John said

Also - hoover, hoover, hoover - move furniture and clutter to hoover and clean in those dark dusty recesses beloved of moths. We had lots of larvae under my son's bed

Omg I shouldn't have read this! If you have an infestation would there be loads of moths flying about??

Thank you PigletJohn and hmc! How long do clothes need to go in the tumble drier for, do I have to reach a certain temp? (I've got an A rated drier that doesn't like getting too hot). Can you do loads, or do they need to go through piece by piece?

Any ideas on keeping the wedding dress safe? It was dry cleaned and boxed after the wedding.

The moth was on the ceiling, and I managed to pick it off and flush it - it didn't turn to dust in my fingers so I'm hoping it wasn't a clothes moth.

omg..... what do the eggs look like? Do the clothes you protect stink of chemicals?

What is the difference between clothes worn by a woman or man?!

Surely washing say a cashmere jumper every time you wore it would completely ruin the jumper before the moths had a chance to eat it!

From what I read, women wear more perfumed stuff and have different pheromones that moths are attracted to. I don't even know if I do have them, but I guess better to be safe than sorry?

you put them into the tumbler until they feel hot. Yours may have a timed "freshen up" programme as well as a moisture sensor. You can put plenty in as long as they have room to tumble about and it is not a solid mass that might still be cold in the middle. You are tumbling everything as part of your initial campaign because you don't know which clthes may have eggs or larvae in them.

Moths like the scent of women. It is said that single men don't usually get moths. If you keep the moth hangers in your wardrobe (they do not have a chemical smell) the vapour kills eggs, ansd larvae, and adults. It is calculated to be such a tiny dose of vapour that it is only effective inside a closed container or wardrobe; it breaks down in sunlight, rain or fresh air. The hangers last for several months. If you put your cashmere jumper in a protected drawer or wardrobe the vapour will kill the moth before it hatches.

Thank you. So sorry for last question - any ideas on the naice coats that I can't feasibly wash/dry clean every time? I wondered about putting them in the wardrobe in something like the below with a moth killer in it? www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-transparent-extra-long-garment-covers-pack-of-2/p230554577
Thank you so much!

Following with interest....

you can put your coats through the tumble drier this time. You have not got to wash them first. In future put them in wardrobes or sealed bags which have moth-killers inside.

If they are in a sealed bag without a moth killer inside, the seal will prevent the vapour getting in.