A cleaning fan has shared her simple life hack that will help keep moths away from clothes and stop the insects eating them. Chantel Mila, more commonly known as Mama Mila on TikTok, recently shared some of her favourite natural insect repellent tips, including how to deter moths away from wardrobes full of clothes.
While adult moths won’t be snacking on your clothes, its larvae will be the ones doing the damage instead. However, you want to prevent the insects from laying eggs on the clothes in the first place. Luckily, you’ll only need one herb to do the job.
Moth Prevention explained that moth larvae need food and sustenance to help grow to turn into adults. Moths that snack on clothes are particularly attracted to keratin, the protein found in animal-based fabrics, as well as in human hair and shed skin cells.
Keratin can be found in fabrics such as cashmere, wool, silk, feathers, and fur. To ensure your clothes remained intact, Chantel advised a simple natural method using a store cupboard herb to do the job.
Simply add some bay leaves to a small drawstring bag and hang amongst the clothes in your wardrobe.
Bay leaves are a good natural insect repellent thanks to their essential oils content. Bay contains the likes of eucalyptol, which has insect-repellent properties.
According to Seep, the strong bitter aroma of bay leaves is often effective in deterring various insects, including flies and cockroaches. You should make sure you have the right type of bay leaves, ensuring the herb still has a strong fragrance before putting them in the cupboard.
Seep also recommended crushing the leaves to release more of the essential oils, too. If you want to get one step ahead and avoid your clothes being munched on by moths, Moth Prevention recommended investing in some moth-proof storage bags to conceal the clothes.
Bay leaves can also be placed in ingredient bags of flour and sugar to help prevent weevils climbing into them.