Moths are everywhere, especially during the spring and summer seasons. Are you taking the necessary precautions to protect your wool rugs?
If your rug is in a busy area of your home such as the hallway, kitchen or the other common areas of the home, then chances are moths will not bother the rug. Moths are looking for a quiet, undisturbed environment to lay their eggs. Someplace dark and safe (to the moths) No respectable mother would deliberately place their young in harm’s way, not even moths. Anywhere there may be constant walking, pets rolling around or the kids playing on the floor will likely keep the moths at bay.
So where do you think moths will lay their eggs? Moths chose the less traveled, less bothered areas of the home to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch into ¼” white worms (larvae) they become itsy-bitsy moth eating machines. Yep that’s right, it is the larvae that eat and create the damage – not the moths. Look for larvae in the rug fibers under the beds, or in the closet where you thought storing the rug was safe. Storage sheds or a garage doesn’t see too much daily action so here too is a place moths will lay eggs. A place that few people consider is behind the rug that is hanging on their wall. These are all great places for moth eggs. It’s a gold mine for the larvae! A real WOOL WONDERLAND!
OK, now we know what’s eating the wool and where you can find them, let’s talk about what preventive measures can be taken.
If you want to store your rug then you need to store it properly to prevent moth larvae damage. Here at Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care first we clean the rug. A good cleaning is necessary to remove dirt and the microscopic bacteria organisms (another tasty treat for moths, especially any old urine spots, food spills, or crumbs that have not been professionally cleaned previously). After the cleaning we offer a treatment that helps protect the wool fibers from moth/larvae damage. This protection is invisible and doesn’t change the texture of the fibers. It adds a very distasteful flavor that will send the moths packing. Finally stored rugs should never be stored in plastic because plastic doesn’t breathe. We use a breathable wrap, keeps the moths out while allowing the fibers to breathe.
When you need assistance with your rug either with cleaning, and moth prevention or have discovered moth damage here at Arizona Oriental and Specialty Rug Care we offers FREE ESTIMATES on all of our services and are happy to help you. We are certified WOOLSAFE FIBRE CARE SPECIALISTS service providers assuring you that your rugs are in good hands.
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that can last you a lifetime!
Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training through WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures the area rugs of our client’s receive the utmost in care.
Call Arizona Oriental for additional information and quotes on preventing moth damage to area rugs or restoration of existing moth damage at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available).
