Moths are one of the most common issues that are faced by almost all households around the world. Moths are fond of living in smooth places such as wool, silk, and related fabrics. As we all know, having moths in your carpets and other fabrics can cause various kinds of issues.

This is the reason that people from almost all regions keep on working to find new ways and methods that can help them get rid of this weird issue. Although there are various cleaning methods, people prefer and ask for steam cleaning. The question here is, can steam cleaning kill carpet moths?

Steam is probably one of the best cleaning methods as it has the ability to remove all kinds of moths, dust, and residues from carpets in an efficient manner. As its name implies, steam is used to clean different areas of a house, such as carpets and floors.

This is an eco-friendly cleaning method that is usually considered best to remove grease material from the fabrics. That’s why steam cleaning is considered one of the best options to kill moths from the carpets.

This article will go through almost all minor to significant aspects of steam cleaning and its power to kill moths from the carpet.

Table of Contents

Does steam cleaning kill carpet moths

Steam cleaning can definitely and effectively kill moths living inside the soft fabrics of your carpet. Not that steam cleaning can kill moths, but it is considered the most efficient method because of its non-toxic and eco-friendly behaviors.

To kill carpet moths using steam cleaners, it is recommended to keep the temperature at 50 degrees celsius and let the steam work for at least half an hour. This step will not only kill moths from your carpet but will entirely wipe them off from almost all parts of your room.

After the steaming process, you can also take help from direct sunlight by hanging your carpets outdoors. This will remove the eggs and larvae of the moths and mitigate the chances of reemergence to almost zero.

What do carpet moths look like

Carpet moths are relatively small compared to other forms of moths, and their wings size ranges from 14mm to 20mm. They usually remain inside the surface and begin to fly from one place to another between April to October.

Carpets, natural fibers, and animal skin are the most common food source for moths, and these are the places they live on. Carpet moths are almost like butterflies, but their wings are shorter. The wings are usually of golden, black, or white colors. Moths can be on your carpet in more than one form, such as eggs, larvae, pupa, and adults.

Moths complete their one cycle within a few days. Removing all forms of moths is essential because only killing adults will be beneficial for just 10 to 14 days. After that, you will have a whole new generation of carpet moths. This is why steam cleaning is considered the most efficient and effective method to kill carpet moths.

Where do carpet moths come from

Moths usually come from outdoor environments such as bird nests. If you have pets, they can quickly enter your room through their hair, skin, or fur. Apart from your pets, carpet moth eggs can also come inside your home by sticking to the shoes or clothes of humans living inside.

Carpet moths can have multiple life cycles in less than a year. This is the reason that they can multiply from hundreds to thousands in just a few days. Keeping your house clean can mitigate the chances of getting carpet moths to a greater extent but may not remove the risk entirely.

Signs of a carpet moth infestation

Carpet moths live, breed, grow and multiply in the areas with dark shades. If you see any threadbare patches on carpets at such places, this could be a clear sign that carpet moths live inside your room. Apart from threadbare patches, carpet moths usually leave white dots on the walls or floor with their feet.

These marks can easily be seen near the bottom edges of your walls. As carpet moths can fly, you may also get a chance to see an actual moth flying around in your room. All these combined signs will give you a surety of carpet moth infestation.

How to use a steam cleaner to kill carpet moths

Below are the 4 easy steps to kill carpet moths using a steam cleaner.

Total Time: 35 hours

Identifying Carpet Moths Infestation

Killing carpet moths using a steam cleaner requires you to go through some steps. The process of killing carpet moths starts by identifying the moth infestation signs. As said earlier, you should look for dark places where moths can find a lot of dust, dirt, and debris.
Attract Carpet Moths

Various things attract moths and food is one of these. You can also set pheromone traps that usually attract male moths. This is one of the best ways of gathering all-male moths at the same place. Do keep this fact in mind that this tarp will not attract females and they can keep on breeding without any issues.
Start Steam Cleaning

Various things attract moths and food is one of these. You can also set pheromone traps that usually attract male moths. This is one of the best ways of gathering all-male moths at the same place. Do keep this fact in mind that this tarp will not attract females and they can keep on breeding without any issues.
Post Processing

To get better results, it is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner over your carpet. This will suck all the remaining eggs and larvae as well. This will reduce the chances of getting new generations of carpet moths to almost zero.

You should also wash your carpet thoroughly and it is highly recommended to always keep your carpet clean. Never let dust or debris gather on your carpet as this will provide carpet moths with a home to live.

Whenever you need help, please call us. Our carpet cleaning professional will help!

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