Cedar blocks?

elpgal

While putting away my winter clothing, I found my old cedar blocks have lost their odor so it may be time to spring for new ones. What do you all use? Are those cedar oil sprays effective?

1 year ago

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

phoebe

Active Member

I bake everything at 250 for 20 minutes and then seal in heavy duty plastic bags. 100% success rate

1 year ago

elpgal

Veteran

Phoebe, that is some serious dedication! I am so forgetful, I am sure I’ll bake my sweaters into crisps Didn’t folk use to freeze designer denim at one point because they were too fragile to be laundered?!

1 year ago

April

Veteran

Cedar blocks can be sanded to refresh them, but - so sorry to say - they're not particularly effective against moths. Freezing works and baking works.

We experienced a horrid moth infestation in a NYC apartment (moths coming up through the HVAC system from someone's basement storage unit) and learned more than anyone should ever know about moths. That was a dark, dark time.

1 year ago

Anonymous

I store out of season clothes in a cedar chest actually- though of course that's a very large/heavy and costly solution!

For my drawers, I keep little lavendar sachets. When they no longer smell, you can press them between your fingers to refresh.

1 year ago

Roberta

Veteran

April, your story gives me the shivers! I use wrapped bars of strongly scented soap (Bee and Flower, Yardley) and Rubbermaid bins for off-season storage. I don't know if this keeps away moths, but everything smells nice six months later. I keep soap in my closet and dressers too.

1 year ago

elpgal

Veteran

April, this is the stuff of nightmares!
Roberta, soap is a great idea. I should try it.

I launder the clothing as best as I can and store them in rubber maid containers and hang jackets in garment bags.

1 year ago

Joy

Veteran

I use big ziplock bags with a cake of Irish Spring soap inside for years and have had no holes in woolens. I read that any strong smell like a sting soap will work. If you use the blocks be sure they have a strong smell. Maybe sanding them will help.

1 year ago

Nomad

Active Member

April, were you able to find a solution? My moths have returned with the warm weather and I've tried literally everything (up to and including releasing tens of thousands of microscopic parasitic wasps in my house), to the point where my pest control company said that maybe we should see other people. The moths are in my attic, and I cannot find the nests. There's nothing up there but insulation, and I replaced the insulation last fall with a kind that's meant for pest control. They come down through the bathroom fans (the piping for the vent goes through the attic). I'm attempting to figure out how to block the bathroom fans and may just cede the attic (and maybe a bedroom) to them, but if you had success I'm all ears!

1 year ago

April

Veteran

Nomad, I am sorry to say we spent a fortune on a service that used a non-toxic-to-humans powder to dust every surface in the 2-story loft apartment. This meant removing every stitch of cloth from everywhere and storing it elsewhere for several days while the powder did its thing. Then someone (me) vacuuming up all the powder, laundering all the fabrics, and rebuilding the whole living space.

Two days later, more moths. This is when we realized they were coming up through the HVAC.

I also learned something interesting from the guy who did the treatment. He said to ask the neighbors in our building if they too were seeing moths because, he said, "People will lie about roaches and mice, but not about moths."

Also learned that while wool and cashmere are their caviar, there is almost no natural fiber they won't nibble.

1 year ago

Joy

Veteran

I used to "freshen" jeans by putting them in the freezer. My freezer is very small and I ran out of room, but still try to freeze cashmere in zip lock bags to keep safe from moths after washing and drying them.

1 year ago

Greyscale

Veteran

I’ve had decent luck with a few brands of pheromone traps, plus putting all woolens in the freezer for a week if I see any eggs. We had moths living on a wool rug, hidden behind our wool sofa, alas. There are still a few fluttering around so I might need more extreme solutions in the future.

I don’t like storing things in sealed plastic in case there was any moisture (though desiccant sachets help). I was recently wondering why no one sells simple cotton zipper bags that would keep moths out. I’d love to store off season sweaters and scarves in something like that, inside my dresser drawers. But all I can find is the more structured canvas cubes with clear plastic windows.

1 year ago

bj1111

Veteran

@greyscale, why not a zippered pillow cover

1 year ago

Style Fan

Veteran

At the end of the winter, I would put my sweaters in large zip-lock bags with lavender sachets in the freezer for two weeks. I have never had moths. Now our freezer is full of Mr. SF's experiments (don't ask).
I haven't heard of the baking method. I might try that.
I have put jeans in the freezer, and it works.

I would buy a small freezer to store out-of-season clothing if I had a bigger house.

1 year ago

Joy

Veteran

Every year at this time is Miller moth season. It reminds me to put away woolens carefully. I hate having to check dog dishes and water pitchers for moths constantly this time of year.

1 year ago

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