Flying pests
Clothes & carpet moths
- Stay out
- 3 to 4 hours, and until dry
- Don't wipe
- 7 days
- Steam clean carpets
- After 7 days
- Activity settles over
- 1–3 weeks
No entry until it's dry. Drying takes 3–4 hours or longer, so don't go back into a treated area until it's dry, even if the time on this page has passed.
Get your home ready
Before we arrive
What we do on the day
- We look for the source of the moths. Clothes and carpet moths tend to breed in one spot.
- We treat the whole wardrobe from top to bottom: the cabinets, drawers, bases, cracks and crevices.
- All the carpeted areas get a blanket spray.
- We treat every accessible run of skirting board.
- Solid timber and tiled floors don't need treating. On those we treat the skirting boards only.
- We use a spray on this job, not a dust.
After treatment
- Do not return for 3 to 4 hours, and until dry
- Do not wipe treated surfaces for 7 days
- Steam clean carpets after 7 days
- Ensure all clothing is properly cleaned
Common questions
How long does treatment take?
The visit takes about 45 minutes. Activity usually settles over 1–3 weeks.
Is there a warranty?
We'll go through what's covered before you book.
Will mothballs get rid of clothes moths?
No. Mothballs are used to put moths off, but once you already have an infestation they won't help. We treat the wardrobe, the carpet and the skirting boards instead.
Are sealed tubs enough to protect my clothes?
Only if nothing is already in them. Sealing clothes in tubs or bags can shut larvae in with them, and you may check on your clothes less often. So look over stored clothes now and then.
Signs you've got clothes and carpet moths
- Holes in clothes, fabrics and yarn. The damage is done by the larvae, which are the caterpillars, not by the adult moths.
- Wool, fur and silk are what they go for most.
- Synthetic and blended fibres can be eaten too, especially if they're stained with sweat or food.
- Silk webbing, or small silk cases on the fabric. The larvae spin silk to shelter in, and one kind lives in an open-ended case it carries around while it feeds.
- Small moths, about 4 to 9 mm long, that avoid light and prefer the dark of a wardrobe or drawer.
Where clothes and carpet moths hide, and how they get in
Where they hide
- Dark, enclosed spaces such as wardrobes and drawers.
- Clothes that sit unused, such as summer clothes packed away over winter.
- The carpet. Some larvae can be there as well as in the wardrobe.
- Breeding spots can be a stored wool item, the edge of a rug or under a wardrobe.
How they get in
- Eggs or larvae usually come home on clothing. Second-hand pieces, borrowed clothes and even new ones can carry them.
Keep them away
- Store clothing in sealed containers
- Vacuum carpets regularly
- Avoid storing unwashed or dry-cleaned clothes long-term
What happens next
Booking the treatment
A clothes and carpet moth treatment covers the wardrobes, carpets and stored fabric they're feeding on, wool and silk included.
Still have a question?
Call us and we'll help. If you're still seeing activity after the times on this page, let us know.