How do you get rid of moths in your home?

First, check it is the right kind of moth

The UK has about 2,500 species of moth, and the BPCA points out that only a few are pests. A big moth that flies in through an open window on a summer evening and circles the lamp is almost certainly a garden moth. It will not eat your clothes, and the kindest fix is to let it back out.

The moths worth worrying about are small. The common clothes moth is about 5 to 8 mm long, a plain pale gold with no markings. The case-bearing clothes moth is greyish brown with a few dark spots. Both are weak fliers that tend to avoid light and scuttle into dark corners rather than heading for the bulb.

If you have small moths in the kitchen near the cereal and flour, they may be food moths instead, which need a different approach. Our post on the signs of clothes moths helps you tell them apart.

Find where they are feeding

Adult clothes moths do not eat. It is the larvae that chew holes, and they feed on keratin, the protein in wool, silk, fur and feathers. So killing the odd moth you see flying achieves very little. You need to find the larvae.

Check the quiet, dark places first:

• Wardrobes and drawers holding wool, cashmere or silk that is rarely worn.
• Under collars and cuffs, and in folds.
• Carpet edges and the patches under beds and sofas.
• Sofa crevices, cushions and anything stuffed with feathers.
• Lofts and chimneys, where old bird nests can be a source, as the BPCA notes.

Signs of an active problem are fresh holes, fine silk webbing, gritty droppings (frass) and small empty cases.

How to kill moths and their eggs at home

This is what the BPCA, English Heritage and local councils recommend. It works best when you do all of it, and do it more than once.

Clean thoroughly

Vacuum carpets, the insides of cupboards and the cracks behind radiators, as the BPCA advises. Move furniture away from walls. Seal the vacuum contents in a bag and put it in the outside bin straight away, as English Heritage suggests.

Wash hot or freeze

Heat and cold are what kill moths at every stage without chemicals. Councils such as Lambeth and Hammersmith and Fulham advise washing or dry cleaning at more than 60°C for 20 to 30 minutes, where the care label allows.

For things that cannot be washed hot, bag and seal them, then freeze at -18°C for at least two weeks. Leave the bag sealed for 24 hours after it comes out. Both English Heritage and the BPCA give this advice.

Store clean and sealed

Wash or clean clothes before you put them away, because larvae are drawn to sweat and stains on the fibres. Then store them in airtight bags or boxes. The BPCA also suggests brushing wool and fur after wearing, and English Heritage suggests shaking out hanging items once a month.

Use traps to monitor

Pheromone traps attract only male moths. English Heritage says they are useful for finding and monitoring a problem but “will not control an infestation”. UC IPM agrees they remove some males but says they should be paired with cleaning. A trap that keeps catching after a month of cleaning is a sign the problem is still there.

What doesn’t work

If you choose a shop-bought insecticide, follow the label exactly. That is the BPCA’s advice, and it is the only safe way to use them.

Professional options

If the damage keeps spreading, a professional will usually offer one of two approaches. Our moth control page covers both in more detail.

Insecticide spray course

A technician sprays the affected rooms, usually over two or more visits spaced a couple of weeks apart to catch eggs that hatch after the first visit. Lambeth and Hammersmith and Fulham councils ask you to leave and return at least three hours later, and to prepare first by vacuuming, bagging clothes and pulling furniture away from the walls.

Heat treatment

Moth heat treatment raises the temperature of the room or items until every stage dies: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Conservation guidance on MuseumPests, citing research by Strang in 1992, says a short exposure at 55°C is enough to kill all life stages of insects. Because heat reaches eggs as well as larvae, it can mean fewer return visits.

Prices vary a lot by home size and region. The moth treatment cost calculator gives you a rough figure, and if you have carpets as well as clothes affected, see how to get rid of carpet moths.

We are a free matching service. We do not treat anything ourselves; we find a local professional who does.

If the damage keeps coming back, ask for a free quote and we will find a specialist who covers your area.