wretched moths in my jumpers - best way to get rid?

[aquavit]

AARGH. They are eating my cashmere. I am beginning to think it was safer strewn around the bedroom than it is packed up for the summer.

Is there anything I can do about the ones already there? (I swatted one of the beasts this morning as it flew out, but I imagine it had already laid its eggs or whatever it is they do.)

And what do you find most effective at repelling them?

Stuff them inm the freezer for a day or so to kill any eggs that might have been laid already (or you could dry clean them, but freezing is cheaper!) and then put them in those zipped clothes storage bags with the full on smelly moths balls (can buy from Robert Dyas, John Lewis etc). ALWAYS store them in the clothes bag.

We are infested with the buggers, have had rentokil in twice (at great £££, they are crap...) and we are still swatting them.

Wish I had more words of wisdom.....

We have had a bit of a moth problem too in the current house which caught me by surprise, never having had problems before.

Now I follow this plan when I've finished with things for the winter

1. Wash
2. Iron
3. Put into plastic bag (without moth balls, or anything)
4. Freeze for at least a day - usually longer as I forget they're there.

I read somewhere that you need a hot wash to kill the eggs but I only wash the woollens (inc cashmere) on 30 degrees (in the machine). I do iron them as hot as I can get away with, with steam.

I've not had any problems in the last couple of years since I started doing that.

Well, the freezer is due a bit of a purge anyway...can't wait to see dh's face when he finds it full of my jumpers

thanks both

freezing sounds a bit easier than hoovering every last nook and cranny (though I should probably do that too)

I think you need to do both aquavit. Also, you can get these pheremone sticky strips that moths are attracted too (apparently they smell like a moth up for a bit of mating action...)... we were horrified by how many moths were caught in the sticky traps. Again, a Robert Dyas job or something. The idea is, the moths get stuck before they can mate/lay eggs/do whatever it is they do.
Lots of hoovering, plus they don't like lavender either (hence the lavender bag thing), so you could drip lavender esesntial oil around after the Big Hoover.... that might help....

(then your flat/house will REALLY smell like an old lady's..... moth balls and lavender bags!)

Right, hoovering AND freezing it is. And sticky death traps.

I also have loads of drying lavender which I've pruned from the garden and have lots of good intentions to make little sachets for the wardrobe from it...how twee domestic I am!

I'm impressed with domestic goddess like activity!

well, you will note that it is all currently at the planning stage rather than actual practice