Pencils obviously aren’t the only use for cedar wood. Here’s an interesting other use: protect clothing from moth damage. Aromatic oils from the red cedar are said to kill moth larvae.
Red cedar is actually not exactly the same wood as the one used for making pencils. The red cedar is actually a juniper, but it is, like the pencil cedar, part of the cypress family.
I bought this pack of two hooks for £3.49 (~ $5.25; €4.95) in my local HomeSense.
Price and exchange rates: March 2015
I’ve also bought blocks of red cedar sold as natural insect repellent (this was many years ago, in Tokyo). I don’t know if they are as effective as the more usual industrial kind though. They certainly smell nicer 🙂
I have little pots of pencil shavings at the bottom of my wardrobe. I have no idea if it works but they smell nice.
I have cedar hangers which serve the same purpose, through I used plastic hangers for 20+ years and never suffered moth damage. I use them primarily because I like the smell they impart on the clothes and the wardrobe itself.
Oh, that reminds me – upscale houses here are supposed to have cedar closets to store your fur in 😉
Thank you for your comments.
I read that the smell doesn’t keep moths away, but the oils in the cedar will the larvae, so it will stop working if the cedar doesn’t smell any more. I think it doesn’t do anything to prevent adult moths from coming in your wardrobe and having a feast.
The idea with pencils shaving at the bottom sounds great 8^)
I’ve seen wooden hangers, but I don’t think I’ve seen any made from cedar. It’s a great idea.
Cedar closets to store fur in, that certainly sounds posh 8^)
Adult moths do not feast, they just multiply. The larvae are the ones who eat wool. I had trouble with moths that eat a wool carpet. The solution to get rid of them was to steam iron the carpet. The intensive heat did the trick, killing the larvae. So If you suspect moths eating the wool products in the closet just iron them away 😀 and keep something with odor, like lavender oil, to keep adult moths laying eggs in the closet.
Rares, thanks for the tip. Funnily enough I haven’t had much problems with wool, but more with cotton, but I guess that’s not caused by moth larvae. I suspect that whatever made little holes in some of my cotton items did that when they were out on the washing line.