How to store textiles for the summer and avoid pests

In summary, we offer five tips for managing summer and winter clothes while avoiding moth infestations, as well as updating, repairing, and cleaning your clothes. Below are five relevant questions and answers:

Last edited on May 8, 2024

Switching between summer and winter clothes and shoes is a good opportunity to update, repair, and clean them while also making space in the hallway and wardrobe.
Important: If you live in a house with open storage areas (separated by, for example, chicken wire), this is especially important. In recent years, pests such as moths have become increasingly widespread in Sweden, and unfortunately moths spread quickly and easily from one household to another. If they can move between storage areas, they will. That is why it is especially important to do what you can to avoid moths.

Tip 1.
Jackets and other thick winter clothes, especially those made from natural materials such as wool, down, and cotton, are particularly vulnerable to moth infestations. Therefore, be sure to wash your clothes; ideally, they should be freshly washed when stored away.

Tip 2.
Some garments are very difficult to wash. In that case, empty the pockets, brush off any hairs and dust, lightly spray the garment with linen water, and hang it outside to air. When the garment is dry and clean, place a couple of mothballs in each pocket and leave the pockets open.
If the garment has no pockets, you can hang a moth ring around the hanger. Both mothballs and moth rings are available in completely non-toxic red cedar. Use natural moth repellent and avoid poisons. Red cedar smells pleasant to people, but pests avoid this scent.

Tip 3.
Hang the garment on a hanger and put a plastic bag/large sack over the hanger. Tie the bottom closed and seal the hole where the hanger comes through the plastic with tape. Label the bag so you know what is inside when autumn arrives. In the same way, store thick sweaters, gloves, hats, and thick socks that you do not need during the summer.

Tip 4
Try not to pack your closets and storage spaces too tightly; this makes it easier to keep an eye on things and spot any pests early.
Put away (washed) winter clothes during the summer and summer clothes during the winter to avoid having too many textiles in the same place.

Tip 5.
If you cannot get rid of the moths, contact a  pest control professional; also check with your insurance company what your home insurance covers.

This is what it looks like, the clothes moth – Tineola bisselliella

P4 Värmland has made a report about the moth's return, which you can listen to here.
Clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) as an adult butterfly. It is the larva that eats holes in, lives on, and damages textiles.