Preparing a Room for a Moth Treatment

Do

Four Things That Help

Clear the floor where you can. Small furniture, toys, boxes, pet beds, anything standing on the carpet. We move the heavy items; the small stuff just costs time.

Vacuum thoroughly, and empty the machine outside. Edges, under what you can move, along the skirting, and slowly - a quick pass over the middle of the room does nothing. Then take the bag or the cylinder contents straight outside to a bin. Larvae and eggs survive in a vacuum cleaner perfectly well.

Wash or bag affected textiles. Anything you know is affected - a jumper, a blanket, a rug - can be washed hot, dry-cleaned or sealed in a bag ready to be dealt with. Do not shake it out over another room.

Write down where you have seen things. Which rooms, what you found, and when. It is worth more than you would think for deciding the scope.

Do not

Three Things That Make It Worse

Do not spray it yourself first. A shop product applied beforehand can scatter larvae into adjoining areas and occasionally interferes with what we apply. If you already have, just say - it changes nothing except what we need to know.

Do not shampoo or wet-clean the carpet immediately before. A damp carpet takes a residual product badly. Clean afterwards instead, once we have said the timing is right.

Do not empty the wardrobe onto the bed and leave it. Moving infested clothing round the house is one of the reliable ways to spread a problem into a room that did not have one. Bag it instead.

On the day

What Actually Happens

The survey comes first, with furniture moved, and the scope is agreed with you before anything is applied. Then the treatment: a residual into the perimeter, the pile and the undisturbed areas, plus any wardrobe bases and storage that are involved.

You will be told how long to stay off the treated areas, what to do about pets, and when it is safe to vacuum again - which is usually later than people expect, because vacuuming too soon lifts the product straight back out. Say beforehand if there are children, pets or anyone in the property with a health condition, and the plan will take account of it.

Small textiles that cannot be treated in place get dealt with separately, by heat, freezing or cleaning.

Afterwards

The Part People Get Wrong

Two rules, and they pull in opposite directions, which is why they get muddled.

Do not vacuum the treated areas until you are told - doing it early removes the residual before it has done its work. Then vacuum regularly, including the edges, because from that point on it is the most useful thing you can do.

Expect to see the odd moth for a while. Emergence continues from pupae that were already sealed up, and it is not a sign the treatment failed. What matters is whether it is still happening at the follow-up, which is exactly what the follow-up is for.

Short answers

Carpet Moth Questions

Going further

Carpet Moth Guides