As winter approaches and days are getting colder it is time to get your winter gear out of your storage. Winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves are needed to protect you from the forces. As you pull out the coat you notice little holes and small tears in the fabric. Did you store it like this? Did someone else wear it over the last few months? No, the simple answer is moths got to it. Moths love natural fabric. So what can you do to protect your clothes from those little monsters? Below are some very helpful tips on how to store your clothes in a way that will keep them protected from moths and other fabric eaters.
What Are Moths
If you think that those large flying creatures you typically see flying around a light at night, are the ones eating your sweaters, than you are wrong. Although they are moths they are not the ones eating fabrics, but instead have a diet of outdoor vegetation.
Clothing moths on the other hand are quite small, not more than one-half inch long, and when disturbed will run or fly to conceal themselves. Also, unlike the larger, non-cloth eating family members, clothing moths prefer the dark and are not attracted by light. They preferred habitats are dark, hidden places like the creases and folds in clothes hanging in rarely disturbed closets.
Those moths live and breed in your closet, but they also do not eat your clothes. In fact grown moths don't even have the mouthparts necessary to chew on clothes. What eats you wool sweater is the larva. An adult moth lays about 100 eggs, and once the larva hatches the damage on your cloths begins. Even thought eh larvae can only digest animal fibers, other fabrics such as cotton and synthetics can still be damaged.
Protection From Moths
The best way to protect your clothes from moths is by prevention. There are a few things you can do that moths will hate, and your clothes will love:
- Cleaning Your Clothes Before Storing You should never store clothes that are dirty or have been worn. Perspiration and stains are an ideal source of food for moths to feed on. Also, moths might already have laid eggs in your clothing that will hatch once in a dark storage area. Dry-cleaning or running your clothes through a heater will kill any larvae and eggs.
- Take Clothes out periodically From time to time take your clothes out of storage and shake them out, and hang them in direct sunlight. The light exposure and the movement of the fabric will kill the fragile larvae and cocoons.
- Clean Your Closet Cleaning and regular vacuuming will prevent dust from piling up. Moths love dust as much as fabrics, and if you let them have it, it will be another breeding ground for them.
- Moths Balls Moth balls or flakes contain Para dichlorobenzene (PDB) or Naphthalene. Neither PDB or Naphthalene will repel clothes moths or prevent them from laying eggs -- the vapors from these materials are lethal to clothes moths, but only when maintained at sufficient concentrations. In order to achieve these levels, the vapors must be tightly confined with the items you wish to protect. Naphthalene is not very soluble in water, so it is difficult to remove by washing. It would probably be wise to dry-clean any articles that have been stored with mothballs before using them.
- Other remedies If you want to create a moth's trap then do the following: Mix one cup of molasses with 2 cups of vinegar. Mix this solution well together and put it into a yellow open container to attract the moths. Moths like the sweetness of the molasses, and are attracted to the color yellow. What they don't know is that vinegar will kill them.
So next time you decide it is time to put your winter cloths back into storage, make sure to follow the advice in this article. Protecting your clothes from moths will avoid unpleasant surprises the following winter, and will help you save money on buying new clothes.
Pohl is an expert author on mens fashion. He enjoys writing articles on formal attire, dress code tips, and other clothing related topics. He himself has had a few instances with moths, and has learned his lessons. His interest in fashion convinced him to open an online necktie store: http://www.cheap-neckties.com/ - It was his goal to bring fashionable neckties, bow ties and cufflinks to you without burning a hole in your pocket. Beside cheap men's ties, you will find cheap bow ties and discount designer cufflink sets.
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