Non-toxic clothing moths control

You should not have to choose between saving your wardrobe and keeping mothballs away from your family. Non-toxic clothing moth control pairs a few natural tools with a little good housekeeping: catch the breeding adults with traps, kill any eggs and larvae with heat or cold, then keep new moths away with cedar rather than chemicals. Here is how the pieces fit together and why they work.

How non-toxic clothing moth control works

Old-school mothballs rely on toxic fumes that linger in your clothes and your air. The non-toxic approach targets the moth's life cycle instead. The damage is done by larvae feeding on keratin, the protein in wool, cashmere, silk and fur; the secretive adults do not eat and exist only to breed. Clothing Moth Traps use a pheromone lure to catch the adult males on a sticky glue board, which disrupts mating and tells you whether moths are still active. For the eggs and larvae already in your fibers, heat and cold do the work: a hot wash at 120°F or above, a hot dryer cycle, dry cleaning or about two weeks sealed in the freezer at 0°F kills them without a single chemical. Cedar then keeps new moths from settling in, using aromatic oils rather than poison. It is a repellent, not a cure, so it works best once the infested items are cleaned.

Building your non-toxic defense

Begin by catching and treating what is already there, then shift to prevention. Hang Clothing Moth Traps in closets and storage to catch the males and monitor for activity. Treat or discard any infested pieces, then clean and properly store your wool and silk, sealing off-season items in bins or garment bags. Line those spaces with Cedar Planks and Cedar Chips. Because cedar loses its punch as the oils dry out, refresh them with Cedar Ward now and then. For closet floors, baseboards and carpet edges where larvae hide, vacuum first, then puff a thin, even layer of Dust to Dust with the Insect Buster. Finally, wipe hard surfaces with Six Feet Under, a plant-powered contact spray meant for surfaces rather than garments.

Your non-toxic moth-control kit

• Catch and monitor: Clothing Moth Traps catch the breeding males and show you when activity stops.
• Kill eggs and larvae without chemicals: hot-wash, hot-dry, dry-clean or freeze infested and stored items.
• Repel naturally: Cedar Planks and Chips, refreshed with Cedar Ward as the scent fades.
• Treat hiding spots: vacuum, then Dust to Dust in cracks and Six Feet Under on hard surfaces, never on clothes.

Related: How to kill clothing moths and How to get rid of clothing moths in the closet.

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