Small holes in clothes: how to avoid them and how to fix them

If you discover small holes in your clothes, you must act quickly. Otherwise, more and more holes may appear on other clothes. But do not rush towards the insects, because the moths are not the only ones responsible.

The zippers and the washing machine

The jackets that close with zipper They can cause holes in the garments underneath. Sometimes it gets caught and it seems to us that it has had no consequences, but there may have been a break that in a short time will become a hole, and we will no longer remember what was the cause. Avoid these accidents by separating the jacket from the body when zipping it up.

In the washing machine Accidents of which we are even less aware can also occur. Zippers, buckles and other metal parts of some garments can cause holes during washing and especially when spinning. If we suspect that this may happen, we can put delicate garments inside a laundry network.

When moths are the cause

Closet moths are a very common cause of small holes in clothing. Many times they affect materials of animal origin such as leather, silk and wool. But mixed fabrics are also attacked by clothes moths.

Moths nest in the closet, build a cocoon in the corners, and hatch their young. Clothing fibers serve moths as food and building material.

To combat clothes moths there are pheromone traps that can be found in drugstores and online. However, these they only attract male moths. The female moths continue to lay their eggs and hatch the young. It is too slow a solution. These two methods are more useful:

dried lavender: you can put dried lavender in a breathable bag (such as an organza sachet) and hang it in your closet. The smell will scare away the moths.Essential oils: You can also use essential oils to repel moths. Pine oil and lavender oil are especially recommended.

If you discover an acute infestation of moths in your closet, you should wash clothes at 50 degrees and clean the closet with vinegar.

Repair clothes with small holes

Little holes in clothes are annoying, but clothes are too expensive and polluting to throw away and buy new ones. It is much more sustainable to repair the holes.

There is material that sets when heated and that you can use to repair small holes. This fixing material is called fliseline and it is available transparent and in various colours.

How to use the fliseline:

Iron the fabric with the hole and allow it to cool. Turn the garment inside out and place it on the ironing board or on a cotton cloth on the table. Now cut out a small piece of the fixing material that generously covers the hole. Place the gel over the hole, a damp kitchen towel on top and apply the hot iron on the “wool” function for ten seconds. Turn the garment inside out and you will see that the hole has disappeared.