With most suits and work clothes being shut away in a wardrobe for more than 18 months, it seems that clothes moths have been dining on a luxury feat.
As people are now slowly returning to their workplace they are dusting off their work suits and shaking out their jackets only to find they have been attacked by these pesky little critters.
Julian Stone, founder and boss of the American Dry Cleaning Company, said in a comment to the Sun newspaper that the pests have had “carte blanche” while many of us have been working from home.
Julian explained that before the pandemic, customers would bring in items of clothes with one or two moth holes that needed repairing, but now some garments look like Swiss cheese.
Our team at American Dry Cleaning Company offer a specialist re-weaving surface repair to invisibly mend small holes caused by moths, and the demand for this service has risen by 80 per cent as suits and work clothes are being retrieved from the back of the wardrobe.
How moths target your clothes
Because of the speed and urgency of the lockdown in 2020, many people didn’t have the time to get their work suits and clothes professionally dry cleaned and safely stored away before all the branches were forced to close to the public.
This means that suits, jackets and work clothes were put away while still relatively dirty. Moths are attracted to dark, warm places such as wardrobes, and moth larvae target areas of sweat on clothes, so this is why the most likely place to spot a hole is around the armpit and collar area of a garment.
Moths cannot survive in cold weather but love warm summer months and homes that use central heating. This is why moth numbers have been on the increase in recent years. One female clothes moth can lay up to 300 eggs if the conditions are right!
How to prevent moths
Years ago, people used to store their winter clothes away with mothballs to deter the pest. However, this deterrent used a chemical called naphthalene, which has been banned for use since 2008.
The most effective way to prevent moths from damaging your clothes is to wash and store away seasonal clothes that you don’t plan to wear for many weeks. They should be stored in garment bags or vacuum bags to act as a physical barrier against moths.
Don’t sore clothes in cardboard boxes as moths can eat through it. It can also help to keep your wardrobe well ventilated, so leave the door open regularly to allow light and good air circulation.
Should you find that you have damaged clothes in your wardrobe, you should take them out and wash them at a higher temperature to kill the moth larvae, or get them dry cleaned.
If you have moth damaged clothes that you cannot machine wash at a hot temperature, then you can put them in the freezer to kill moth eggs and larvae.
Emptying your wardrobe and wiping it down with a diluted vinegar solution will help to kill any moths hiding in nooks and crannies.
If you find some damaged garments while going through your wardrobe, bring them to your local branch of American Dry Cleaning Company and let our experts take a look. We may be able to repair or invisible mend your garment so you can feel confident about wearing it once again,
