Oriental Rug Storage

The first step in safely storing your rugs is to learn a little about moths. Moths are picky pests that eat animal fibers such as wool, silk, cashmere, angora or fur, or any other materials that contain keratin. If you have pests at home the best way to get rid of them is by disturbing them. What do we mean by that? Take, for example, the portion of a rug under a bed or a couch that rarely sees any disturbances such as foot traffic or vacuuming. Or, a carpet placed in the closet or attic. These rugs would be ideal candidates for moths since they are idle; they are not being disturbed. Moths have a way of knowing which fibers are idle and when they find a suitable location, they lay their eggs.

It is important to realize that moths do not distinguish between clean and dirty wool. They distinguish between disturbed and undisturbed wool. Although a cleaning of a rug will cause its fibers to be disturbed, there will come a point in time when these cleaned fibers are going to become idle cleaned fibers. We estimate that any rug, dirty or clean, left idle for a period of at least six months is at risk of becoming infested with moths. This means that a cleaning alone will not prevent your rugs from moths if left idle.

Can I Prevent Moth Damage Without Chemicals?

Yes. Moth damage can be prevented by regularly disturbing wool. For example, we recommend owners of carpets to vacuum every portion of both sides of their rugs every three to six months. Unless moths have already laid eggs somewhere else in the home, this method of disturbing the wool regularly will fully protect your rugs from moths. Keep in mind that this applies to all keratin containing fibers including things like wool suits and silk dresses in the closet. If, for example, moths have found idle wool in an attic somewhere, they are more likely to spread to more dangerous low to medium traffic areas.

If you are worried that moths may be in your home, the best way to find out would be to check the edges of your carpets as well as areas under furniture. If possible, check the back of the rug too. If you see areas that are missing wool but the cotton foundation remains, it is likely that you either have moths or have had them in the past.