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Freezing to remove insects
Freezing may also be a useful technique to get rid of pests. It has the advantage of needing no chemicals and is safe for most textiles. (Brittle silk and painted textiles should not be frozen.)
Place the items in a plastic bag, and remove most of the air with a vacuum cleaner or freezer bag pump. Seal the bag with adhesive tape.
Avoid squashing items such as hats or feathers by putting them in boxes before bagging.
Place the bag in a domestic freezer that has reached its lowest temperature. To kill insects at all stages of their life-cycle, the items must be frozen very rapidly down to a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius. This is only possible if the volume of the bag containing the items is less than 1/3 of the freezer's capacity. Leave bagged items in the freezer for at least 48 hours. Open the freezer as little as possible during this time to maintain the lowest possible temperature.
Remove bagged items from the freezer. Do not open the seal on the bag until the package has returned to room temperature. Handle the package as little as possible to prevent damage to the items-they are brittle when frozen.
Once the package has returned to room temperature, the bag may be opened and the items removed. Vacuum them carefully with the cleaner set at the lowest suction. Make sure no residue from insects or dirt is left as this may be attractive to another generation of insect pests. Vacuum carefully as the insect eggs are very small and may be difficult to see.
