The summer weather is typically a welcome change in Britain from constant wind and rain, but for people who own cashmere clothing, it is also when one of the biggest blights comes out to feast.
Moths tend to come out during warmer days, and a particular family of moths known as the clothes moths love to eat holes in natural fibres, particularly woollen clothes and cashmere garments.
They also can sometimes lay eggs on the fibre causing further holes and damage when they hatch.
There are, thankfully, a lot of ways to stop the problem before it gets too bad. The first step is to see what you are up against by taking all of your clothes out of your wardrobe and cleaning it thoroughly, along with vacuuming carpets and rugs.
Next apply an insecticide, either in the form of a spray or a lacquer to the inside of where you store your clothes. Lavender oil mixed with water in a spray bottle works as a natural repellent as well.
Next, wash your cashmere clothes. Moths are attached to dirt and the smell of sweat so removing that smell is essential. Be careful with how you wash your cashmere to avoid accidentally causing any damage yourself.
Store your cashmere in breathable containers with cedar balls to act as a natural repellent for moths. Lavender and cedar are both scents moths cannot stand and it will keep them away.
Some people even own cedar chests to store cashmere clothes but that can be expensive.
Some places recommend storing your unworn cashmere in airtight containers, but that is not recommended; as a natural fibre, cashmere needs to breathe to be at its best.
Keep a regular habit of vacuuming your carpets, especially around the edges and corners of rooms and pieces of furniture, to reduce the places where moths can lay eggs.
