I just don't have the nerve to tell a dear friend that she must stop using grandma's method for storing winter's clothes in the attic. For one thing, her sweaters reek; but, more importantly, those mothball fumes are laced with dangerous pesticides.

What's in mothballs that is so nasty? 99 percent of the noxious formula is napthalene, a chemical monitored closely by the EPA as the agency has recorded some 1700 cases of mothball poisoning - two-thirds of those being children! The other chemical in mothballs is paradichlorbenzene, a possible carcinogen. It even sounds harsh. These fumes kill undesirable critters, but they are also toxic to humans, especially babies and children.

In our house, we use natural alternatives to mothballs, keeping memories of my Grandma Zelda's smelly coats far away from our door.

We store the clothes in the attic in plastic, air tight containers from The Container Store. While the plastic isn't always recycled, we'll use these containers for decades to come. In the closets we use fresh cedar chips and nontoxic garment bags. (Inexpensive at $20.)

One of the simplest and best ways to keep your clothes fresh and intact is to make your own moth repellent sachets with canvas drawstring bags and natural ingredients such as lavender, rosemary and cedar sprigs. (A fun after-school project for kids!)

Image: brendaj