Cedar oil is the concentrated form of the scent that makes cedar closets and chests work against clothes moths. A few drops go a long way, and with a spray bottle and a couple of things from the kitchen cupboard you can make a moth spray in five minutes, refresh tired cedar blocks, and put together sachets and potpourri that keep drawers smelling clean.
Below you'll find the recipes, the ratios, where to use them and where not to, plus an honest look at what homemade moth repellent can and can't do.
How to make cedar oil spray for moths
What you need
- Cedarwood essential oil. For moths, look for oil distilled from Virginian cedar (Juniperus virginiana) or Texas cedar (Juniperus ashei), the same aromatic red cedar used in closet blocks. Check the label says 100% essential oil with the botanical name on it. "Cedar fragrance oil" is a perfume and won't do the job. Grade words like "therapeutic" aren't a real standard, so don't pay extra for them.
- Distilled water. Tap water works, but hard water can leave spots.
- Vodka, rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Oil and water don't mix. A little alcohol helps the oil spread through the water instead of floating on top, and it evaporates fast.
- A glass or PET spray bottle with a fine mist nozzle. Essential oils can soften cheap plastic over time.
Basic cedar oil spray recipe
This is the everyday version for closets, drawers and storage boxes.
- Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vodka or witch hazel into the bottle.
- Add 20 to 40 drops of cedarwood oil and swirl to combine.
- Top up with 1 cup (240 ml) of distilled water.
- Screw the lid on, shake hard, and label the bottle.
Shake before every use, because the oil slowly separates. Kept somewhere cool and dark, the spray stays fresh for about a month.
Stronger spray for closets, carpets and storage areas
For an empty closet you've just cleaned, the corners of a storage room, or the edges of wool rugs where larvae like to hide, make it stronger: ¼ cup (60 ml) of vodka or rubbing alcohol, 60 to 100 drops of cedarwood oil, and ¾ cup (180 ml) of water. Use it on surfaces only, never straight onto clothes, and air the room afterward.
How much cedar oil to mix
If you'd rather work in percentages, 20 drops of essential oil is roughly 1 ml. That makes the math easy:
| Use | Strength | Cedar oil per 100 ml | Cedar oil per cup (240 ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light refresher near fabrics | 0.5% | 10 drops | About 25 drops |
| Closets, drawers and boxes | 1% | 20 drops | About 50 drops |
| Empty closets, shelves, rug edges | 2% | 40 drops | About 100 drops |
Whatever the strength, keep about a quarter of the liquid as alcohol or witch hazel so the oil stays mixed. More oil isn't always better: above 2% you mostly get a stronger smell and a higher chance of marking fabric.
How to use cedar oil for moths
Spraying closets, drawers and storage boxes
Take everything out first. Vacuum, wipe the surfaces, then mist the walls, shelves, rail, drawer bottoms and the inside of lids. Let it dry for an hour with the doors open before the clothes go back. Do it again every two to four weeks in spring and summer, when clothes moths are most active, and whenever the scent fades.
Refreshing cedar blocks, balls and rings
This is where cedar oil earns its keep. Old cedar blocks and rings lose their oils over a few months. Rub them with fine sandpaper to open the surface, then add 2 or 3 drops of cedarwood oil to each block or ball and 1 drop to each ring. Leave them on a saucer for a day so the oil soaks in before they go back near clothes. Our guide to how long cedar balls last explains when it's time to replace them instead.
Cotton balls and diffusers
For a quick boost, put 3 to 5 drops on a cotton ball and tuck it into a drawer, a shoe or the pocket of a garment bag, then top it up once a week. A reed diffuser works well in a small closet: half a cup of fractionated coconut or jojoba oil with 30 to 50 drops of cedarwood oil and a few reeds. An electric diffuser makes a room smell of cedar, but it won't protect clothes in a closet down the hall.
Where not to spray it
- Straight onto silk, pale wool, cashmere or anything white. Essential oils can leave yellowish marks.
- On leather or suede, which soak up the oil and can darken.
- On antique or heirloom textiles.
- On varnished or painted furniture, where the alcohol and oil can dull the finish.
- Anywhere a cat or bird spends time.
If you want to treat clothes, spray the hanger, the garment bag or the closet around them instead.
Does cedar oil repel moths?
Yes, but it's good to know what it's actually doing. Cedar oil repels adult clothes moths, and in a closed space where the scent is strong it can kill young larvae too. It won't kill eggs, and a diluted spray mostly works as a deterrent rather than a treatment. Once the scent has gone, so has the protection.
What it can and can't do
- It can make closets and drawers less inviting places to lay eggs, keep refreshed cedar working for years, and leave a clean woody smell instead of the chemical smell of mothballs.
- It can't clear out an infestation that's already there. If you've found holes, larvae or webbing, freeze or wash the affected clothes and vacuum thoroughly first. Our guide to getting rid of clothes moths naturally covers the full routine.
Cedar oil works best on clean clothes in clean storage. Moth larvae are drawn to sweat and food marks, so washing before you put things away does more than any spray. For the science behind the scent, see how red cedar repels moths.
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Free, and you join The Sunday Ring: one useful email a week. Unsubscribe any time.Homemade moth repellent sachets
Sachets are the easiest homemade moth repellent to keep going. Use cotton muslin bags, a clean sock or a square of fabric tied with string: anything that breathes.
Cedar chip sachet
Fill a small bag with half a cup of cedar shavings or chips and add 5 drops of cedarwood oil. Tie it shut and drop it into a drawer or a storage box. Squeeze it every couple of weeks to release more scent, and add a few drops of oil every two to three months.
Cedar, lavender and clove sachet
For a softer smell in sweater drawers, mix ¼ cup of cedar shavings, ¼ cup of dried lavender buds and 1 tablespoon of whole cloves, then add 3 drops of cedarwood oil and 3 drops of lavender oil. Cloves bring a sharp, spicy note that moths dislike. If you'd rather not make your own, ready-made lavender sachets work alongside cedar too. For scented sachets made more for fragrance than moths, see our guide to DIY herb sachets.
Anti-moth potpourri recipe
A bowl of potpourri on a closet shelf or in a blanket chest looks better than a pile of blocks and does a similar job while the scent is fresh.
- 1 cup cedar shavings
- ½ cup dried lavender
- ¼ cup dried rosemary
- 6 bay leaves, torn
- 2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- A handful of dried orange peel
- 10 drops cedarwood oil and 5 drops lavender oil
- Optional: 1 tablespoon orris root powder, which holds the scent for longer
Mix everything in a large jar, close the lid and shake it once a day for a week or two so the scents blend. Then tip it into small bowls or fabric bags. Stir it now and then, and add a few drops of oil when it starts to fade, usually after a month or two.
DIY cedar blocks and planks
Making cedar blocks from offcuts
Ask a lumber yard for aromatic red cedar offcuts; it's often sold as closet lining. Western red cedar is common at hardware stores but smells far milder, so it's less useful against moths. Cut the wood into 2 to 3 inch blocks, sand every face, and leave them unfinished, because varnish or oil finishes seal the scent in. Drill a hole through a few if you want to hang them from the rail.
Lining drawers and shelves with cedar planks
Thin tongue-and-groove aromatic cedar planks, around a quarter of an inch thick, are sold in packs for lining closets. Cut them to fit drawer bottoms and shelves, and either lay them in loose or fix them with a few dabs of wood glue. Leave them bare. Once a year, rub them over with fine sandpaper to wake the scent back up. It's a weekend job that turns an ordinary dresser into something close to a cedar chest.
Don't have the tools? Ready-cut cedar blocks, balls and rings do the same job.
Homemade herbal moth repellent oil
A blend of oils lets you mix cedar's protection with scents you might like better. Make it in a 10 ml dark glass dropper bottle:
- 40 drops cedarwood oil
- 30 drops lavender oil
- 15 drops rosemary oil
- 10 drops clove oil
- 5 drops peppermint oil
Use 3 to 5 drops on sachets and cotton balls, or swap it for the cedar oil in the spray recipe above, 20 to 40 drops per cup. This blend is undiluted and the clove and peppermint can irritate skin, so keep it off your hands and away from children.
Prefer lavender on its own? Make the basic spray with 30 drops of lavender oil instead of cedar. It smells lovely and puts adult moths off, but the evidence that lavender prevents damage is thinner than for cedar, so treat it as an extra rather than your main defense.
Is homemade moth repellent safe for pets and kids?
Used as described, cedar sprays and sachets are far safer than mothballs, which are pesticides. But essential oils are concentrated, and a few precautions matter:
- Cats are especially sensitive to essential oils, because their livers can't break some of the compounds down. Don't diffuse oils around cats, and keep sprayed closets closed until dry.
- Dogs, birds and small pets shouldn't lick or chew sachets and cotton balls. Birds have sensitive lungs, so skip diffusers near them altogether.
- Children: store oils in their original bottles with child-resistant caps, out of reach. Swallowing essential oil can be dangerous.
- Skin: dilute before oils touch skin and patch test first. Check with a doctor before using essential oils if you're pregnant.
For why traditional mothballs are a much bigger worry, see why mothballs are dangerous for pets.
Questions people ask
How often should you reapply cedar oil spray?
Every two to four weeks on closet surfaces during spring and summer, and every month or two in the colder months. The simple test: if you can't smell cedar when you open the door, it's time.
Can you spray cedar oil directly on clothes?
It's better not to. Oil can mark silk, pale wool and delicate fabrics. Spray the closet, the hangers or the garment bag instead. If you do spray a sturdy item, such as the lining of a wool coat, test an inside seam first and spray from about a foot away.
Does cedar oil kill moth larvae?
Strong cedar oil can kill young larvae on contact or in a closed space where the vapor builds up. A diluted spray mainly repels. To be sure of killing larvae and eggs, freeze clothes at 0°F (-18°C) for at least 72 hours, wash them hot, or have them dry cleaned.
Do homemade repellents work as well as mothballs?
Not as a treatment: mothballs are pesticides and kill moths faster. As everyday prevention in clean storage, cedar is the safer choice for most homes. We compare them in detail in cedar vs mothballs: how moth treatments compare.
