Top Tips to Get Rid of Clothes Moths in Your Storage Space

How can you get rid of clothes moths once they have found their way into your storage spaces? Clothes moths are a common but troublesome pest that can cause significant damage to your stored items. Community Park Storage is here to help you identify and eliminate these pests to protect your belongings. Follow our expert advice to keep your storage spaces moth-free!

How You Can Get Rid of Clothes Moths

Find the Problem & Problem Area

Clothes moths primarily target fabrics, including fur, wool, cashmere, and other animal-based materials. Look for webbing between items of clothing or small holes in your fabrics. Although adult moths are typically associated with the problem, it’s the larvae that cause the most damage. Identifying these small culprits can be challenging, but it’s crucial for eliminating them.

What do clothes moths look like? The casemaking and webbing clothes moths as adults are about 1 centimeter in size with yellow or gray coloring.

Clear the Damage

Start by going through your affected boxes. Take all the items that are in those containers and either wash them in warm water if you think they are salvageable or throw them away if they are too far gone. Some pieces might only need a quick stitch or patchwork. Once you have looked through everything, clean your storage space.

Thoroughly vacuum and wash down any additional fabrics, and discard of your vacuum bag immediately. If you are storing in a space with carpeting, a steam clean or shampoo treatment is worth your time to make sure those clothes moths are gone for good.

Take Precautions to Keep Your Storage Clothes Moth-Free

To prevent future infestations, consider the following steps.

1. Clean everything before storage. One of the best ways to prevent moths from infesting your clothes is to thoroughly clean them before putting them into storage. Moths are attracted to dirt, sweat, and food residue, so ensure all clothing is washed or dry cleaned before packing. Don’t forget to vacuum or clean any bags, suitcases, or bins that will hold your clothes.
2. Clothes moths are attracted to humid, dark spaces like storage units or attics. Whenever possible, open your storage space to allow airflow and move items around to create disruption.
3. Choose your storage containers wisely. Air-tight bins provide the best protection against pests. For delicate fabrics like wool, silk, or cashmere, vacuum-sealed bags offer added protection. Not only do they minimize air exposure, but they also help prevent moisture buildup, which can attract moths and other pests. Just ensure that the clothes are clean and fully dry before sealing.

 

Community Park Storage in Cranberry Township, PA

Where can you go for quality self storage in Cranberry Township, PA? Community Park has storage solutions for you on Route 19, right next to Cranberry Township Community Park. We aim to be convenient and accessible to our community with in-person and contactless options for renting storage. Check out our available storage units on our website to compare features and costs.

We offer standard drive-up storage units up to 250 square feet, so you can manage large loads with ease. In addition to our outdoor storage units, we also provide indoor storage units with temperature control. This means that through Pennsylvania summers, winters, and all the temperatures in between, your belongings are secure. Temperature control keeps extremes and fluctuations from causing damage among the sensitive items in your storage. Ward off rust, mold, and more!

See how Community Park Storage can protect your items. Talk through your questions and storage needs with our professionals, and then browse our storage selection online!

Find more helpful self storage tips on our blog and Facebook page!

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