Clothes moth treatment
Clothes moth larvae eat wool, cashmere, silk, fur and feathers, especially items that have been worn and put away unwashed. Washing and freezing can save the clothes; a professional treats the wardrobe, the drawers and the room around them, so the moths do not move back in. A wardrobe or single room typically costs £120 to £240 outside London.
A free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find a moth treatment specialist who covers your area and tell you who they are before anything is shared. How it works
Signs you have clothes moths
- Small, irregular holes in wool or cashmere, often under collars, cuffs and folds.
- Pale, golden moths, about 6 to 8 mm long, that run or flutter weakly rather than fly to the light.
- Fine silky webbing, tiny cases or gritty droppings on clothes or wardrobe floors.
- Damage in a drawer or bag of stored winter clothes, or in a dressing-up box.
- Moths in the bedroom and a wool carpet or rug nearby.
What clothes moth treatment costs
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| One wardrobe or room Usually 1 or 2 visits, outside London | £120 to £240 |
| Two or more rooms A course of 2 or 3 visits, outside London | £200 to £300 |
| London or the South East One wardrobe or room | £140 to £310 |
| Heat treatment One visit with a spray; published London starting prices | From £534 |
| Pheromone monitoring traps Pack of 10, from one London council | £70 to £90 |
Spray figures from the Fantastic Services moth control cost guide (updated 30 September 2026, including VAT); heat from the same firm's London moth control page, the only published domestic heat prices we found. Read 26 October 2026. A guide, not a quote. Trap price from Kensington and Chelsea's council price list. The cost calculator gives a range for your home.
What a good quote includes
Ask for these six points in writing. Two quotes that cover them can be compared line by line.
Moth identified
Common or case-bearing clothes moth, or a house moth from a bird nest, which changes where to look.
Source found
The item or spot where they are breeding, not only where you saw the adults.
Furniture treated
Inside and behind wardrobes, drawers and blanket boxes, and the carpet beneath them.
What to do with clothes
Which items to wash, dry clean, freeze or bag, and at what temperature.
Visits included
How many visits, how far apart, and when you can put clothes back.
Storage advice
How to store wool and silk afterwards so the problem does not return.
Holes in your wool? Tell us about it and we will find a moth specialist who covers your area.
Ask for a free quoteHow a clothes moth treatment works
Find the source
The technician checks wardrobes, drawers, stored bags and the carpet nearby for larvae and cases.
Clear and clean
You empty wardrobes and drawers, wash or freeze clothes as advised, and vacuum inside and around the furniture.
Treat the furniture and room
Wardrobes, drawers, cracks and carpet are sprayed, or the room and its contents are heated.
Put back, then check
Clothes go back once surfaces are dry, ideally in sealed bags or boxes, with traps to show if moths return.
Questions people ask
Does washing kill clothes moths?
A hot wash does. Lambeth Council advises washing or dry cleaning at more than 60°C for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the care label first: wool and silk usually cannot go that hot, which is when freezing helps.
Does freezing kill clothes moths?
Yes. The BPCA and English Heritage advise sealing items in a bag and freezing at -18°C for two weeks. Let the bag warm up before opening it, so condensation does not form on the clothes.
Do clothes moths eat cotton?
Clean cotton is not normally eaten, according to English Heritage, though larvae may chew through it to reach wool, and cotton-wool mixes are at risk. Stains and sweat make any fabric more attractive.
Do I need to throw clothes away?
Rarely. Wash, dry clean or freeze affected items and they can be worn again; holes can often be mended. Only badly damaged pieces need to go, in a sealed bag.
Do lavender and cedar keep moths away?
Not reliably. English Heritage says lavender does not affect the larvae. Sealed storage, regular checks and keeping clothes clean do much more.
Where do clothes moths come from?
Often from second-hand clothes, rugs or furniture, a forgotten bag of stored wool, or old bird nests in the loft or chimney, which the BPCA suggests checking.
Get a clothes moth treatment quote
Three short steps: where, what and who. The more you tell us now, the better the specialist can plan the first visit.
This is a free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find a moth treatment specialist who covers your area and name them to you first. Nobody calls you until you say yes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one working day we will email or call to tell you which moth treatment specialist covers your area.
- Your details reach that firm only if you say yes.
- They survey the problem and give you a fixed price. No marketing from us, ever.