How do I get rid of clothes moths without mothballs?

You do not need mothballs, and with asthma or small children in the house they are worth taking out. Moths are cleared by finding where the larvae are feeding, killing them in the fabric with heat or cold, and storing clean wool where they cannot get to it. No fogger, no smell, and you can sleep in the room the same night.

It is the larvae that eat holes, not the moths you see flying. That is why the plan is about fabric, not the air.

First, check it is moths

• Clothes moth signs: holes in wool, cashmere, silk or felt, often in hidden spots like underarms, collars and folds. Silky tubes or little cases on the fabric, small cream larvae, and gritty droppings the colour of the fibre.
• Holes in pure cotton? Clothes moths go mainly for animal fibres. Holes in cotton can come from a wool blend nearby, a food stain the larvae went for, carpet beetle larvae, or plain wear from a belt or the washing machine. Look for larvae or webbing before you treat. Our answer on carpet beetle larvae shows the other culprit.

The plan, without mothballs

1. Find the source. A rug, the edge of a wool carpet under a bed or wardrobe, a box of stored jumpers, a wool blanket, felt, a drawer nobody opens. Moths in every room often come from one or two places like this.
2. Vacuum deep. Under beds and furniture, along skirting boards, inside wardrobes and drawers, the gaps between floorboards. Use the crevice tool, and empty the vacuum outside each time.
3. Treat what can be treated. Wash at the hottest temperature the care label allows, or tumble dry on heat if the label allows. For delicate wool, seal it in a bag and freeze it for a week or so, then let it come back to room temperature in the bag. Dry cleaning also works for items that need it.
4. Store clean and sealed. Zip bags, sealed plastic boxes, or garment bags that close fully at both ends. Only store wool that has been washed or treated, because larvae go for sweat and food marks.
5. Monitor with clothes moth pheromone traps. One in each problem room. They catch males only, so they show you whether moths are still about rather than ending it. See how to use them.

If traps are still catching moths after several weeks of this, there are products made for clothes moths, such as sprays for carpet edges and fabrics. Read the label for where it can be used, how long to stay out of the room, and whether it suits a home with asthma. A pest controller can also treat carpets. Ask them which product they use and get the label or safety sheet before they start.

Asthma, kids and pets: if your child’s asthma has been worse since the mothballs went in, talk to their doctor or pharmacist. Mothballs are also dangerous if a child or pet swallows one. Take them out, and if one may have been eaten, call a doctor, your local poison line or a vet straight away, with the pack to hand.

Getting rid of the smell

1. Bag the mothballs with gloves on and dispose of them as the pack or your local council says.
2. Open windows and air the rooms and wardrobes for several days.
3. Wash or air the clothes. Washable items may need more than one wash. Hang wool outside in fresh air.
4. Wipe wardrobe shelves and drawers with warm soapy water and leave the doors open to dry.

Cedar, lavender and foggers

Cedar blocks and lavender bags are the usual swap for mothballs. They smell lovely, but neither kills eggs or larvae, and a scent will not stop larvae already chewing a jumper. Cedar also loses its smell over time. Use them if you like them, but do the cleaning and sealed storage too.

A fogger in the bedroom is not needed either. The mist settles on open surfaces and misses larvae deep in folds, carpet edges and drawers, and it leaves residue where you sleep.

For wool and cashmere you want to keep safe from now on, see how to stop moths eating wool and cashmere. The clothes moth guide covers the life cycle and signs in more depth.