Moths Have Expensive Taste

Ever pulled your favourite sweater out of the drawer, in anticipation of wrapping yourself in warmth and cosiness, only to find a weird hole somewhere on it?! Well, that would be the work of a clothing moth. Little b#^s@#d&!

You might think “I haven’t seen any moths?....” and you probably haven’t. Like RAF moth bombers in WWII, they do their most effective work at night by stealth.

Those little holes are the result of the adult moths laying eggs on your most gorgeous items. The eggs morph into larvae which then feed on natural fibres, like wool, cashmere and silk. Although I have never had any issues with silk in the closet, just cashmere. Seems it is their favourite delicacy - the better the quality and the more expensive, the better. It’s caviar to them.

Short of being on constant alert to eliminate any that come into your house with spray and a swat, there are some steps you can take to ensure this doesn’t happen.

1. Always store your gorgeous cashmere in its own garment bag with a drawstring top pulled tightly shut. Moth larvae don’t bother munching on anything so lowly as eco cotton, or similar, so this will keep your garment perfectly safe. Luckily for you, every garment brought from Modern Love Cashmere already comes delivered in its own eco cotton garment bag. To be extra careful you could then stow them all in an airtight container.
2. It is best to store your garments in their bag in a draw, as opposed to hanging them, for two reasons. It will keep them safe and prevent those ‘horns’ you get on some clothing if left on hangers for too long.
3. They tend to feed on perspiration, makeup, anything that may have dropped off on your clothing basically, so ensure clean and aired before storing in its own bag.
4. Moths also hate cedar, so you can either purchase little cedar blocks to pop in your drawers or you can make your own spray simply by mixing cedar oil with a dilution of water and spraying in your drawers when empty. Wait for it to dry. Moths hate the smell.
5. If you are going to be storing your cashmere for a while, ensure its clean before doing so as always good practice. Follow washing instructions carefully.
6. Forget mothballs, they simply don’t work and an awful smell. Plus most contain paradichlorobenzene, a pesticide, which can be harmful to people and pets.
7. Purchase some moth traps – they do work and I’m always surprised by how many you find stuck to these, either in the wardrobe or pantry.

There is no need to wash your cashmere after each wear if follow the above steps. In fact, it is best not to, to extend the life of your garment. More on that under “Cashmere care = low cost per wear”.