Get rid of clothes moths and protect fabrics

Use this guide when you find small holes in jumpers, bare patches in rugs or tiny moths fluttering in dark corners, especially as you bring winter clothes out of storage. You need bin bags, a vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool, sealable storage bags or boxes and access to a washing machine and freezer.

Step by step

1. Confirm it is clothes moths

   Clothes moths are small, straw-coloured and tend to run or flutter rather than fly towards lights. The damage is done by their larvae, so look for small irregular holes, silky tubes or webbing, and gritty droppings on wool, cashmere, silk, fur or feathers, and under furniture on wool carpets. Moths flying around lights or kitchen cupboards are more likely to be pantry moths or harmless garden moths, which need a different approach.