Lifestyle

How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths (What I Did to Save My Sweaters)

everything i did to get rid of clothes moths in my primary dressing room

March 26, 2026

I’m Allison.
Design obsessed and self-taught DIYer, I'm so excited to share my journey with you, and be a source of inspiration as well as a resource.
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It started with one tiny hole in a sweater I loved and I really tried to convince myself it was nothing. Maybe I snagged it. Maybe it had always been there. I genuinely did not want to deal with it. Then I found another one. That’s when I realized I needed to figure out how to get rid of clothes moths fast before they quietly destroyed the rest of my closet. And if you’ve ever had that moment, you know it goes from “this is probably fine” to full panic in about thirty seconds.

I have a very large closet with a mix of designer pieces, vintage finds, and everyday staples, so the idea of cleaning everything felt completely overwhelming. But once I broke it down, it was actually much more manageable than I expected.

I did end up with a very painful dry-cleaning bill, but I also saved the rest of my wardrobe. If you ever find yourself in this position, you’ll want to read on. Here’s exactly what I did and what actually worked.

How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths Without Panicing

Before you start spiraling and washing everything you own, this is the most important thing to understand. You do not need to treat your entire closet at once.

When you’re figuring out how to get rid of clothes moths, the goal is simple. Stop the life cycle, clean the space, treat the fabrics that matter, and then set things up so it does not happen again. Once I understood that, everything felt a lot more doable.

Step 1: Confirm the Problem and Isolate Damaged Pieces

For me, the first sign was small holes in two sweaters. If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, here’s what to look for:

  • Small irregular holes
  • Tiny larvae or casings
  • Silky webbing in folds
  • Fine dust or debris
I used a flashlight and magnifying glass to check each sweater which was tedious but reassuring in the end.

Once you see damage, assume anything nearby could be affected.

I immediately bagged the damaged pieces and checked the surrounding items. In my case, the damage was limited to two areas, which made it much easier to contain.

Step 2: Deep Clean Your Closet

This is the part that actually makes the biggest difference. Moths don’t just live in your clothes. They live in dust, corners, and shelves where things sit undisturbed.

I removed everything section by section so it didn’t feel overwhelming, then vacuumed all surfaces including baseboards, shelf corners, and the closet rod. I emptied the vacuum right after. If you have a cordless vacuum that has multiple attachments it will be perfect for this job. For me, I used this one and it made the job go so much faster.

I opted to go section by section while deep cleaning the closet to make it feel less overwhelming. A cordless vacuum will be your best friend for this project!

After that, I wiped everything down with warm water and a little dish soap and let it fully dry before putting anything back.

It’s simple, but this step is what removes anything you can’t see.

Step 3: Treat and Check Your Clothes (Focus on What Matters)

This is where I almost made things way harder than they needed to be.

When you’re figuring out how to get rid of clothes moths, you do not need to treat every single item. Moths go after specific fabrics, so that’s where your attention should go.

I focused on wool, cashmere, and silk first. I checked everything in good light, gently stretching the fabric to make small holes more visible, and scanning seams and fold lines where damage usually shows up.

Anything damaged got bagged immediately. Everything else was treated in batches.

I took my more structured and higher end pieces to the dry cleaner, and washed the rest at home using Woolite on a delicate cycle. I did small loads so it didn’t feel overwhelming, then laid everything flat to dry on these hanging mesh drying racks in my laundry room.

For cotton and everyday pieces nearby, I just washed and dried them normally and did not overthink it.

These mesh drying racks fold up when not in use and are large enough to lay large sweaters flat. I used two and did 6 sweaters at a time!

Step 4: Reset Your Closet and Add Prevention Layers

Once everything was clean, I knew I did not want to go through this again, so I focused on setting my closet up in a way that actually prevents moths.

I switched to structured fabric storage bins for my sweaters, which keeps everything contained but still breathable and makes everything feel more organized.

Fabric bins with zippers

Then I added a few simple layers of protection. I placed cedar blocks inside the bins and along the shelves to help repel moths and discourage them from laying eggs, and added lavender sachets to the boxes for an extra layer that keeps everything smelling fresh. Neither works on its own, but together they make a noticeable difference once your closet is clean.

Cedar Block Pack | Moth Away Sachets

I also plugged in a Zevo trap in the room, which catches any lingering insects and gives me peace of mind that I will know right away if anything is still around.

Now I just make sure everything goes back into the closet clean, I avoid packing things too tightly, and I keep things moving so nothing sits undisturbed for too long.

An Alternative Method for How To Get Rid of Clothes Moths

Throughout this process I did a large amount of research and one of the methods for how to get rid of clothes moths is freezing items. You bag your item, freeze it for 72 hours, let it thaw for 24 hours, and then refreeze. I do not have a large freezer, but if you do, this could work for you.

Additionally, if you live somewhere cold, another tip I received was taking everything outside on a cold day and hanging pieces outside for a full day. It makes sense when you think about it!

Final Thoughts on How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths

If you’re dealing with this right now, I know it feels overwhelming. But once you break it down, how to get rid of clothes moths is really about being targeted and intentional, not doing more work than you need to.

Isolate the problem, clean the space, treat the right fabrics, and reset your storage. That will be enough to stop it.

And honestly, the silver lining of this fiasco is that my closet feels more organized now than it did before! I hope if you’re going through something similar this helps the situation feel less overwhelming and more manageable.

Everything I Used To Get Rid of Clothes Moths:

BISSELL PowerClean FurFinder Vacuum

Cedar Blocks for Clothes Storage

Zevo Traps

Moth Away Lavendar Satchets

Large Clothes Storage Bins with Zippers & Windows

Woolite

Hanging Mesh Drying Racks

Related Posts:

Pretty Cleaning Tools

Home Organizing MVPs

How To Refresh Your Home for Spring

How I Converted a Boring Room Into My Dream Dressing Room

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