Moth damage. Sell? Wear? Toss?

[ccbaggirl89]

I noticed moth holes in one of my scarves today (4 little holes and 1 big one). I was wondering what *you* do if/when this happens to your Burberry and/or other cashmere items. Do you sell the item as-is? Continue to wear it? Just donate or toss away? It's the first time I've seen moth damage to any of my items so I'm not sure if I want to wear it anymore.

 

[Love Of My Life]

If you like the scarf enough to mend it , might check out the cost from a reputable dry cleaner who likely
can usually mend it satisfactorily. You might change your mind about wearing it down the road.
Selling it? You likely would have to point out the "holes" & go from there
Donating it always a nice thing to do as if you are not going to want to wear it anymore, there
usually is someone who will & who knows that person could turn out be a great mender
For items I no longer like or want, I just donate to a women's shelter in my neck of the woods

 

[lill_canele]

Up to you. If it was repairable I'd want it repaired.
Selling it would be at a terrible loss for damaged items, and its Burberry. They don't hold value well.

But moths do love cashmere. Chances are if you found one item damaged, you may find another. Best to clear out your closet and make sure to get rid of all the moths and moth eggs (if you haven't done so yet.)

 

[lorihmatthews]

Where there is one moth there are more ... clean everything in your closet right away before you have more damage. Speaking from experience.

 

[Ashanti_Rose]

Where there is one moth there are more ... clean everything in your closet right away before you have more damage. Speaking from experience.

If not clean, but inspect EVERYTHING next to where you kept the scarf, as other items could be damaged as well. Everything that has damage, either toss it away or dry clean or wash to prevent moth larvae to get on other items. Make sure you use some strong repellent to prevent future infestation, and sorry - lavender sashes don't work (I have been there. I keep all my cashmere scarves and shawls in plastic ziploc bags (i buy jumbo size in bulk) as they do provide excellent protection. I even double them (a bit OCD I know

As far as your damaged scarf, it depends on how bad the damage is, how large is the scarf, how noticeable the damage is. If it is a thick fabric, it could be easily mended by a knowledgeable tailor, and it won't be that noticeable. I doubt you would be able to get much for it if selling, but you could always donate. Good luck.

 

[jyf]

If the hole is small, I would have it repaired by a reputable clothes alteration service / tailor. I have a cashmere Burberry sweater that I had for over 20 years and aside from the moth holes, it's held up very well (compared to other cashmere sweaters I own) . I love it so much and spent the money to repair it rather than donate it and buy another one.

 

[880]

Agree with all the tips above re cleaning and inspecting, but I have always been told to keep my clothes with fresh air flow as moths like dark, undisturbed areas. I don’t dry clean unnecessarily to prevent excess wear and tear (I keep it to a minimum), but clothing does have. to be inspected regularly

 

[QuelleFromage]

I usually have my cashmere stuff rewoven if it's high quality.

Cashmere ideally shouldn't be dry-cleaned and as @880 mentions should have airflow when stored; I use the mesh bags recommended for knits and have not had moth issues since.

 

[jess236]

I would get it repaired (it's only 4 small holes and 1 large one) and wash or dry clean everything near the scarf. I would also clean out the closet and put cedar chips/hangers.
As someone else mentioned, keep all your cashmere in plastic storage bags.

 

[A bottle of Red]

I usually have my cashmere stuff rewoven if it's high quality.

Cashmere ideally shouldn't be dry-cleaned and as @880 mentions should have airflow when stored; I use the mesh bags recommended for knits and have not had moth issues since.

If not dry cleaned what's best for cashmere?

 

[jess236]

If not dry cleaned what's best for cashmere?

wash by hand

 

[Ashanti_Rose]

If not dry cleaned what's best for cashmere?

Could be washed by hand using any of the special wool soap, but be aware of potential shrinking and piling. IMO, there is a big difference in how the item looks after dry cleaning or hand washing, so if you have anything precious, get it dry cleaned by a good cleaner.

 

[jess236]

Could be washed by hand using any of the special wool soap, but be aware of potential shrinking and piling. IMO, there is a big difference in how the item looks after dry cleaning or hand washing, so if you have anything precious, get it dry cleaned by a good cleaner.

I hand wash all my cashmere. There is no difference in the look after dry cleaning or handwashing. The best thing to avoid shrinking is to avoid big changes in water temperature when rinsing your items.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Thank you !

 

[ColdSteel]

Repair! I have rewoven holes (both by the cleaner and now I learned how) and on thicker garments made felted patches. My oldest Burberry scarf is a gorgeous tissue-weight cashmere that got nibbled on in a couple spots but it's still one of my favorites. I changed up my storage after that to be safe.