Storing silk for the winter: moths, folding, and real risks

In short: moths do not go after silk out of greed - their larvae digest keratin, and it is mainly the traces left on a fabric that attract them. Storing your silk for the winter therefore comes down to three steps: wash it before putting it away, fold it flat rather than hanging it, and choose a breathable container protected from light. Everything else - cedar, mothballs, plastic garment bags - should be sorted through.

Every year, at the end of September, the same ritual: we empty a shelf, bring up the sweaters, and take down the summer pieces. This is precisely when silk is most at risk. Not because it is fragile - a properly spun fiber can last for decades - but because we put it away quickly, poorly, and for six months. I've seen more pieces damaged by October storage than by an entire year of wear.

What moths really eat

Let's start with the most widespread concern. Two species are involved in our closets: Tineola bisselliella, the common clothes moth, and Tinea pellionella, the case-bearing clothes moth. London's Natural History Museum reminds us of a point that is often forgotten: their larvae “are adapted to feed on keratin, a protein found in natural fibers.” Keratin means wool, felt, fur, and feathers.

Silk, however, is not made of keratin. It is made of fibroin - another protein, with a smoother, tighter structure that larvae digest much less easily. That does not put it entirely out of reach, though: the entomology departments at the University of Kentucky explicitly list silk among the materials attacked, alongside wool, fur, feathers, and leather.

The real nuance lies elsewhere, and it's decisive: what attracts them is what we leave on the fabric. The same sources note that perspiration and food stains make a garment significantly more attractive, and that cleaning before storage removes “the smells of perspiration that tend to attract pests.” An impeccably clean silk nightdress, stored in the dark, has almost nothing to fear. The same nightdress worn for two evenings and folded as is, much more.

The rule that matters: never put away a worn item

It's the only rule I would have tattooed on closet doors. A silk item can come out of the closet looking visually flawless and still carry sebum, dried sweat, or a trace of night cream. Nothing visible. All nourishing.

Washing before storage does two things at once: it removes these traces and eliminates any eggs or larvae that may already be present. If you remember only one thing from this article, let it be this. For the method - cold water, mild detergent, flat drying, never a tumble dryer - our silk care guide details every step.

A word on drying: storing an item while it is still slightly damp is a recipe for mold. Wait another day if necessary.

Lay flat, do not hang

Six months on a hanger means six months of continuous tension. Silk, especially in heavier weights, has weight: a long dress hanging all winter stretches at the shoulders and retains the hanger's mark. Textile conservation practices are unambiguous on this point - delicate items should be stored flat, on a shelf or in a drawer, never hung for long-term storage.

Three folding precautions:

• Place acid-free tissue paper between the folds. It prevents sharp creases and limits friction between layers.
• Roll rather than fold thin items - scarves, pillowcases, lightweight nightgowns. A roll has no sharp crease.
• Move the fold lines if you store items for more than three months. A fold always in the same place will eventually mark the fiber.

Also avoid stacking ten items on top of one another: the weight of the top of the pile crushes the bottom.

Where to store: the right container

Two constants, whatever the container: darkness and stability. Light yellows pale silk and weakens dyes; storage recommendations place ideal conditions at around 45 to 55% relative humidity and a temperature no higher than 21 °C. In practice: a bedroom wardrobe, yes; an attic or basement, no.

Four misconceptions to sort out

Cedar. Disappointing. The University of Kentucky is explicit: in a cedar closet, “the seal is insufficient to maintain lethal or repellent concentrations of volatile oil.” A cedar block in an ordinary wardrobe does even less. It smells good, that's all.

Lavender. Same principle. At best, a repellent, never an insecticide: it kills neither eggs nor larvae. Keep a sachet if you like the smell - knowing that the oil evaporates and it needs to be replaced each season. And never place it directly on silk: essential oils stain.

Mothballs. Effective, but at a price few people accept today: a persistent odor, fumes that must be handled with caution, and an item that smells like mothballs for months.

The freezer. Underestimated, this one. If you suspect an infestation on a specific item, cold works: entomology recommendations cite about a week at −18 °C to eliminate all life stages. The item must be sealed in a plastic bag before going into the freezer to prevent frost. It's the only truly radical household solution.

And summer bedding?

Same principle, different weight. Lightweight weights - 16.5 or 19 momme - are the ones put away in October in favor of denser sets that retain the dry heat from heating better. If the terminology of momme still eludes you, our weight guide explains what each number actually changes to the touch.

Wash your summer bedding set before storing it, dry it completely, fold it with tissue paper, and store it in the bottom drawer rather than in the box at the top of the wardrobe - where heat accumulates. This is also the right time to take stock: a pillowcase that's been through three summers, a fitted sheet whose elastic is wearing out. The Bedding & Home collection makes it possible to fill the gaps before the cold season sets in.

The off-season calendar

1. Sort. Take everything out. Anything that won't be worn next year doesn't deserve six months in the drawer.
2. Inspect. Look for small irregular holes, silky cocoons in the folds, and fine powder at the bottom of the drawer.
3. Wash. Everything, without exception, even what appears clean.
4. Dry flat, completely, in the shade.
5. Fold or roll with acid-free tissue paper.
6. Store in a breathable container, in the dark, in a temperate room.
7. Air it out mid-season, around January: open, shake, close. Ten minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Do moths really attack silk?

Less than wool. Larvae digest keratin, which silk does not contain - it is made of fibroin. But entomology sources still classify silk among the materials attacked, especially when soiled with perspiration or food traces. Cleanliness matters more than the material.

Should silk be washed before storing it, even if it looks clean?

Yes, and it is the most important step in the entire storage process. Sebum and perspiration are invisible but nourishing, and washing also removes any eggs that may be present.

Can a silk dress be hung up all winter?

It is better to avoid it. Six months of strain on the shoulders will distort the drape, particularly in heavier weights. Lay it flat in a drawer, with tissue paper between the folds.

Is a lavender sachet enough to protect a wardrobe?

No. Lavender is, at best, repellent and kills neither eggs nor larvae. It can accompany clean storage, but it cannot replace it. And it should never be placed directly on silk.

I found a small hole: what should I do with the rest?

Immediately isolate the item in a sealed bag, inspect the entire drawer, wash everything, and thoroughly clean the furniture, including folds and grooves. For the suspect item, a week in the freezer in a sealed bag settles the matter before repair.

Storing is already caring for it

A well-stored silk piece emerges in spring exactly as it went in. That's the whole point of a material made to last: it doesn't ask for much, but it does ask for precision. A wash, a fold, a dark drawer - and a decade becomes plausible.

If this week's inventory reveals a gap, now is the right time: discover Studio's mulberry silk and seasonal bedding sets in the Bedding & Home collection.

— Colette, for the StudioSoie Journal