How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths: The Battle for Your Wardrobe

I'll never forget the morning I discovered my favorite cashmere sweater had been transformed into Swiss cheese. Tiny, perfect holes scattered across the chest like some kind of moth constellation. That's when I realized I'd been sharing my closet with uninvited guests, and they'd been having quite the feast.

Clothes moths are sneaky little creatures. Unlike their cousins who bump into your porch light at night, these particular moths prefer darkness and quiet spaces. They're not attracted to light at all – which is probably why they managed to throw a party in my closet for months before I noticed.

Understanding Your Enemy

The moths you see fluttering around aren't actually the ones eating your clothes. I know, plot twist. The adult moths are basically just flying around looking for love and laying eggs. It's their larvae – tiny, creamy-white caterpillars about half an inch long – that are munching through your merino wool and silk scarves.

There are two main culprits in most households: the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. The webbing variety leaves behind silky tubes and patches on fabric, while casemaking moths create portable cases they drag around like tiny sleeping bags. Both have expensive taste, preferring natural fibers like wool, cashmere, silk, fur, and feathers. They're particularly fond of items with food stains, sweat, or other organic residues – basically, they like their meals pre-seasoned.

The Initial Assessment

Before you start panicking and throwing everything into garbage bags, take a breath. You need to figure out the extent of the situation. I spent an entire Saturday pulling everything out of my closets and drawers, inspecting each item like a textile detective.

Look for the obvious signs first: holes in fabric, especially in hidden areas like under collars or in fold creases. But also watch for less obvious clues – silky webbing in corners of closets, tiny tubes on fabric surfaces, or what looks like coarse sand at the bottom of storage boxes (that's moth poop, by the way).

Check everywhere. These moths don't just stick to your bedroom closet. They'll happily set up shop in coat closets, attics, basements, and anywhere else you store natural fibers. I found a colony living it up in a box of vintage wool blankets I'd forgotten about in the guest room closet.

The Nuclear Option: Heat and Cold

Once you've identified infested items, you have some choices to make. For things you absolutely can't part with, extreme temperatures are your best friend. Moths, eggs, and larvae can't survive sustained heat above 120°F or freezing temperatures below 0°F.

For smaller items, I've had great success with the freezer method. Seal items in plastic bags (squeeze out as much air as possible) and freeze them for at least 72 hours. Some experts recommend a week, just to be thorough. This works brilliantly for delicate items that can't handle heat.

For larger items or things that can take it, heat treatment is faster. You can run clothes through a hot dryer cycle for 30 minutes, or if you live somewhere hot, seal items in black plastic bags and leave them in direct sunlight on a hot day. The internal temperature needs to reach at least 120°F for 30 minutes.

The Great Cleaning Campaign

Here's where things get labor-intensive. You can't just treat the infested items and call it a day. Moth eggs are tiny – we're talking smaller than a pinhead – and they can hide in the most ridiculous places.

Start by vacuuming everything. And I mean everything. Carpets, baseboards, inside closets, along floorboard cracks, under furniture. Pay special attention to areas under beds and furniture where pet hair and dust bunnies accumulate – moths love that stuff. After vacuuming, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister outside. Those eggs can hatch inside your vacuum.

Wipe down all surfaces with a solution of water and white vinegar. The acidity helps destroy any eggs or larvae hiding on shelves or in corners. I went through an entire bottle of vinegar cleaning my closets, but it was worth it.

Natural Deterrents That Actually Work

Let me save you some money here: those cedar balls and lavender sachets you see everywhere? They're decent for prevention but won't solve an active infestation. Cedar loses its effectiveness over time unless you sand it regularly to release fresh oils. And while moths don't love lavender, they won't pack up and leave because of it either.

What does work surprisingly well is diatomaceous earth (the food-grade kind). Sprinkle it along baseboards and in corners where moths might hide. It's like microscopic glass that damages their exoskeletons. Just don't inhale it – use a mask when applying.

I've also had success with a combination of essential oils: cedar, lavender, rosemary, and clove. Mix about 10 drops of each in a spray bottle with water and a splash of vodka (helps the oils mix with water). Spray this in closets after cleaning. It won't kill moths, but it makes your closet less appealing for egg-laying.

The Pheromone Trap Strategy

Pheromone traps are brilliant for monitoring and reducing the male moth population. These sticky traps release female moth pheromones that attract males looking for romance. Instead of finding a mate, they get stuck to the trap. No mating means no eggs, which breaks the reproduction cycle.

Place these traps in closets, near stored clothing, and anywhere you've seen moth activity. They won't solve the problem alone, but they're excellent for monitoring. If you're catching lots of moths, you know you still have an issue. When catches drop to zero for several weeks, you're probably in the clear.

I keep a few traps up year-round now, just as an early warning system. They're like moth surveillance cameras.

Storage Solutions

After my moth fiasco, I completely changed how I store off-season clothing. Everything goes into airtight containers or vacuum-sealed bags. Not those flimsy garment bags – moths laugh at those. I'm talking about serious plastic bins with tight-fitting lids or heavy-duty vacuum storage bags.

Before storing, everything gets washed or dry cleaned. Remember, moths are attracted to human scent, food residues, and sweat. Clean clothes are less appealing. I also toss in some cedar blocks or lavender sachets for extra insurance, though the airtight seal is doing the real work.

For items I use regularly, I invested in some canvas garment bags with tight zippers. They're not completely moth-proof, but they're a good barrier and allow clothes to breathe better than plastic.

The Professional Route

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the infestation is just too extensive. I have a friend who discovered moths had invaded not just her closets but had spread throughout her house, including into upholstered furniture and curtains. At that point, she called in professional pest control.

Professionals have access to treatments and equipment that aren't available to consumers. They can also identify entry points and breeding sites you might miss. If you're dealing with valuable items like Persian rugs or vintage clothing collections, professional treatment might be worth the investment.

Long-term Prevention

The truth about moth prevention is that it's an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. I've developed a routine that's kept my closets moth-free for three years now.

Every spring and fall, I do a thorough closet inspection and cleaning. Everything comes out, gets inspected, and closets get vacuumed and wiped down. It's also a great excuse to donate clothes I'm not wearing.

I rotate my cedar blocks and refresh lavender sachets every few months. Pheromone traps get replaced according to package directions. And here's a weird tip that works: I occasionally run a small fan in my closets. Moths hate air movement and prefer still, undisturbed spaces.

Some Hard Truths

Let me be honest about something: if you have moths, you probably need to throw some things away. I know it hurts. That vintage wool coat from your grandmother? If it's more holes than fabric, it's time to let go. Heavily infested items can reinfest your clean clothes, and sometimes the damage is just too extensive to salvage.

Also, natural fiber carpets can harbor moth infestations indefinitely. If you have wall-to-wall wool carpeting and recurring moth problems, you might need to consider replacement. I ended up replacing the wool carpet in my bedroom with hardwood floors. It was expensive, but it solved the problem permanently.

The Unexpected Silver Lining

Dealing with clothes moths forced me to completely reorganize my approach to clothing storage and wardrobe management. I became more mindful about what I keep, how I store it, and how I care for my clothes. In a weird way, those destructive little bugs taught me to be a better steward of my belongings.

I also discovered that many of the clothes I thought I couldn't live without were things I hadn't worn in years. The moth situation became an opportunity for a massive wardrobe edit. Now I have less stuff, but I actually wear and enjoy everything I own.

The key to winning the moth battle is persistence and vigilance. You can't just treat the problem once and forget about it. But with the right approach and some dedication, you can absolutely reclaim your closets and keep them moth-free. Trust me – if I can do it after my cashmere catastrophe, anyone can.

Authoritative Sources:

Cranshaw, Whitney S., and Boris C. Kondratieff. Bagging Big Bugs: How to Identify, Collect, and Display the Largest and Most Colorful Insects of the Rocky Mountain Region. Johnson Books, 2006.

Mallis, Arnold. Handbook of Pest Control: The Behavior, Life History, and Control of Household Pests. 10th ed., Mallis Handbook Company, 2011.

Robinson, William H. Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

"Clothes Moths." Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania State University, extension.psu.edu/clothes-moths.

"Clothes Moths Management Guidelines." UC IPM Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7435.html.

"Controlling Clothes Moths." Entomology Department, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef609.