Moth treatment & moth damage repair — by the master artisans of the Cohen atelier.
Moth damage is the most preventable, most under-treated risk an antique rug faces. We identify larvae and casings, hand-wash with treatments calibrated to fragile vegetable dyes and antique wool, then reweave the foundation where moths have weakened it. For more than a decade across the Northeast. Pickup from Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, Greenwich, and Stamford. By appointment, by hand.
The signs of moth damage — and what we treat.
Moths leave a clinical signature. Webbing, casings, frass, and structural loss are read by hand before any wash plan is written.
Webbing & Larvae Casings
Silken tubes and shed casings woven into the pile. The unmistakable signature of an active clothes-moth infestation.
Adult Moth Identification
Tineola bisselliella and Tinea pellionella. Pale, small, weak fliers — the females lay the eggs that do the damage.
Moth-Eaten Pile
Bald patches, often along the rug's underside or beneath furniture, where larvae have grazed the wool to the foundation.
Foundation Damage
Warp and weft eaten through. The rug loses structural integrity and must be rewoven by hand to restore the weave.
Selvedge Gnaw
Damage along the side cords. Selvedge loss is common on stored rugs and is rewoven during treatment.
Fringe Loss
Larvae also eat through fringes at the rug's ends. We hand-bind or replace the fringe after treatment.
Larval Frass
Fine, sand-like granules — the residue larvae leave behind. A telltale sign of feeding even when the larvae are no longer visible.
Stored-Rug Infestation
Rolled, undisturbed rugs in attics, basements, or closets are the classic moth target. We treat both the rug and advise on storage.
Recurring Infestation
Treatment without prevention guidance is half a job. Every rug returns with a written rotation and storage protocol.
Active vs Dormant Infestation
Active larvae require immediate isolation. Dormant evidence — old casings, no live larvae — still calls for a calibrated wash.
How a moth-damaged rug moves through our atelier.
Seven to fourteen days for treatment, longer when foundation reweaving is needed.
Inspection & identification.
Master artisan examines the rug for larvae, casings, frass, and structural damage. Active infestation is isolated immediately so the rest of the atelier floor stays clean.
Calibrated treatment.
Hand-wash with treatments calibrated to antique wool and vegetable dyes — never harsh chemicals, never blanket fumigation. Each rug gets a wash plan written for its age, fiber, and dye stability.
Foundation rebuild + return.
Reweave where moths weakened the structure — warp, weft, selvedge, fringe. Storage and rotation guidance is returned with the rug so the next infestation never starts.
Why moth damage is treated by hand — never by fumigation alone.
The clothes moth lifecycle — egg, larva, pupa, adult — runs from 30 to 60 days. The larva is the only stage that eats wool. By the time you see an adult flutter out of a closet, the damage has already been done in the dark. Over-the-counter fumigation kills adults and ignores eggs. It does nothing for the wool already eaten, and it destroys antique vegetable dyes on contact.
We treat moth damage the way it has always been treated on conservation-grade antiques: hand-wash with treatments calibrated to fragile wool and dyes, isolate live larvae, kill eggs in the bath, then rebuild the foundation where moths gnawed through warp and weft. Blanket chemical treatment is the fastest way to ruin an antique. Hand-treatment is the only way to save it.
Stopping the next infestation before it starts.
Every rug we treat returns with a written prevention guide — humidity, rotation, off-season storage, periodic inspection. Moths thrive in undisturbed wool. Care after treatment is half the battle, and the Cohen family stays in touch with every client we work with.
Us versus a standard cleaner.
Where the two paths diverge. Eight choices that separate an atelier from a cleaning service.
Cleaning Method
Horizon
Hand-washed by master artisans
Standard Cleaner
Rotary machine, generic chemicals
Pickup & Delivery
Horizon
Complimentary — by our team, in our truck
Standard Cleaner
Third-party courier (or your problem)
Moth-Damaged Antiques
Horizon
Conservation-grade, by hand
Standard Cleaner
Same process as everything else
Process Time
Horizon
7–14 days, properly done
Standard Cleaner
1–2 day machine ‘express’
Dye Stability Testing
Horizon
Tested before every wash
Standard Cleaner
Not tested — rugs lose color
Where Your Rug Is Cleaned
Horizon
Our family atelier, supervised
Standard Cleaner
Third-party wash plant
Restoration & Reweaving
Horizon
In-house, by hand
Standard Cleaner
Outsourced or refused
Inspection
Horizon
By hand, before any work begins
Standard Cleaner
Visual only, if at all
Ready to have your moth-damaged rug treated by our atelier?
Where we pick up your moth-damaged rug.
Letters from across the Northeast.
A few of the rugs we've cared for — and the families who trusted us with them.
“They returned an heirloom Tabriz — the colors look exactly as my grandmother described them.”
“A 1920s Heriz I thought was beyond saving came back better than the day my parents bought it.”
“Our clients trust us with eight-figure homes. Horizon is the only atelier I send their rugs to.”
Questions, honestly answered.
What clients ask us before they hand over a rug — and how we answer.
How do you treat moth damage on a rug?
Will my rug be re-woven where moths ate through?
How long does moth treatment take?
Will treatment damage my rug's dyes?
I see webbing on my rug — is it moths?
I just unrolled a rug from storage — what do I do?
Active infestation in my home — should I treat the rug or the room first?
Do you pick up moth-damaged rugs across Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, Greenwich, and Stamford?
Do you treat rugs in-home or only at the atelier?
How is moth treatment priced?
How do you treat moth damage on a rug?
Will my rug be re-woven where moths ate through?
How long does moth treatment take?
Will treatment damage my rug's dyes?
Do you pick up moth-damaged rugs across Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, Greenwich, and Stamford?
Do you treat rugs in-home or only at the atelier?
I see webbing on my rug — is it moths?
I just unrolled a rug from storage — what do I do?
Active infestation in my home — should I treat the rug or the room first?
How is moth treatment priced?
More from Horizon.
Other ateliers, every service we offer, and the rest of our story — a few directions to explore.
Send us the rug today.
The longer a moth-damaged rug stays in your home, the more the larvae eat. We pick up today, isolate on arrival, and treat by hand. Complimentary pickup from Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester County, Greenwich, and Stamford.
By hand · By the Cohen family · By appointment