MOTH INVASION ~ New Storage Solutions
My moth invasion saga isn't complete. Moths, like dark and stuffy places. Previously all my sweaters were haphazardly folded and stored in a basket on the floor of my very dark and airless closet.Many of my sweaters were soiled with dribbles of food here and there. Clean enough to human eyes but not to the moth. Moths go first for soiled wool. My bad!
After washing all my woolens, and scouring my closet floor to kill the moth eggs, I had to come up with alternative storage and prevention solutions.
I bought flocked hangers to hang my sweaters in my open studio so that light and air circulate around them.
I still keep my coats in the closet along with plastic containers of stashed fabric, but now I keep my large closet doors open to the air and light of the rest of the studio. I also want watch for any evidence of a new infestation. Now I only close the closets for company.
I used essential oils - cedar wood, lavender, and rosemary - and cotton pads to create repellents. I hung these in my closet. I found multiple moth repellent recipes online.
I read that fresh cedar is also a good repellent but it wears out eventually. I will have to refresh my cotton pads with essential oils every month or so, but it makes my apartment smell lovely so I'll incorporate this task into my regular cleaning routine.
I bought thick plastic storage bags for my finished wool quilts and stored them with the moth repellent sachets wrapped in paper.
Moth balls are a big no-no! The chemicals are toxic and they make your clothes stink. Absolutely not an option in my book.
NOW you may think this saga is complete but you are wrong. Next up a tutorial on mending moth eaten sweaters!!!