I Can't Believe Moths Ate My Sweater!

--  Home Storage Nickel Knowledge by Trudi Carey; originally published in Santa Barbara News-Press Sunday, August 26, 2018

In our storage business we hear a lot of stories from our clients in Hope Ranch.  Lately we've been hearing more and more about moths or mold ruining clothing and furniture in their homes.  One client had five tuxedos in his closet ruined by moths.  Another client had unknowingly purchased antique furniture that was infected with mold.  We decided to do a little research about how to prevent moths and mold from ruining our things!

We spoke with Sasha Ablitt of Ablitt's Fine Cleaners to get her thoughts and did a bit of online research.  Here is what we learned:

Moths

When liquids are spilled on your clothing, often they are not visible to the eye, moths will find the spill and begin to eat both the food and your sweater.  Food particles (like  a crumb) on your sweater, scarf or jacket are also delicious to a moth!

Sasha recommends dry cleaning wool coats at least once a year and tuxedos and gowns after every wear.  "Customers often wear something to an event and put it away because it looks clean, they forget about the 7-up or white wine that splashed on the sleeve and once the stain is noticeable, it is too late."

Mold

Mold needs a few important ingredients

1. Moisture
2. Oxygen
3. Warmth
4. Food

To prevent mold growth, keep surfaces and materials dry and remove water damaged items from your home.  Mold needs 48-72 hours to develop, which gives you a small window to clean spills or leaks and prevent growth.

Food for mold can be any organic matter.  Paper (books), wool, silk, wood, glue, dirt and dust are food sources for mold.  Per Sasha they see more mold clothing than moth damage which surprised us.

When clothing is stored without thoroughly drying, or if the closet itself is damp, mold is given an opportunity to grow.  If you discover mold on clothing the first recommended step is to put the garments outside in direct sunlight to dry out.  If the garment is bleachable, wash with hot water and bleach to kill the mold.  Per Sasha you cant wash out mold in your washing machine without bleach as a residential washer's water does not get hot enough. The item will need to be professionally laundered (they use really really hot water) or dry cleaned.

Once mold is given the opportunity to grow it will continue to do so until the mold is removed or the climate for growth has changed.  If the temperature drops the mold spores will grow dormant (this is why fur coats are put into cold storage in warm weather).  When the temperature rises again the mold will spring back to life.  Mold is microscopic and spores can float in the air allowing them to travel through your house easily and find new food sources.

It is common for out of season clothing to be stored in plastic but while this practice can help keep some pests out, it can also trap moisture and allow for mold growth.  Sasha suggest putting a piece of tissue in under the  plastic particularly for garments or items stored on humid days.  Ablitt's always put tissue paper in wedding gowns and sweaters before storage for this reason.  If the tissue changes color or develops holes, be sure to get the item professionally cleaned immediately.  You should periodically check the tissue as an indicator of moisture.

Smaller mold affected items like chair cushions can be taken to Ablitt's ozone equipment for cleaning (they are the only cleaners in town that offer ozone cleaning). Larger items will need to be done at a company like Service Master that has a full ozone room.

Black Light

A black light can be used to check for mold and stains not visible to the eye.  Shine the light directly over your clothing, walls, grout, wooden fixtures and fabrics to look for a bright yellow or yellow-green glow. If bright areas appear you most likely have a stain, food particle that will attract moths or could be mold.

My take away, I am going to use the black light on my sweaters and coats and professionally clean the ones that light up regularly.  I also plan to shine the light under my sinks to see if there is any moisture that I cannot see.  The black lights are available online or that I cannot see.  The black lights are available online or at Home Depot.  Purchase a bright one will give you a better result!

Trudi Carey is a licensed Real Estate Broker, Architect and General Contractor. She is a member of the Santa Barbara Realtor Association and serves on their professional standards committee.  She specializes in new home trends, real estate, self storage services and is a frequent speaker on design trends.