Are bedbugs becoming the new nightmare for you? It’s important you act now and get rid of these bothersome creatures before they take over your entire home! Just throwing away your mattress may not be the answer, especially if bedbugs have infested far and beyond just the mattress. It won’t be long before even your new mattress becomes a victim of the infestation. So, what you need are more lasting solutions. Here are some ideas on How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs.
Here is what should be done when you have a bedbug problem.
1. Evaluate just how extensive the problem is
You should start with a comprehensive inspection to get an assessment of the bedbug problem, to understand how bad and widespread it is. Is the problem limited to one room? If it’s still limited to a single room, then you want to be careful about not letting it spread anywhere else. Also, check if bedbugs are located just in and around your bed area or have bedbugs infested other spaces too?
This is also a great time to remove excess clutter from the room or the house. Having too much clutter will only make it more difficult to find and remove the bedbugs. As you declutter an infested space, be careful that you’re removing or disposing the items from this space properly, to ensure that they don’t spread bedbugs to the other areas around the house.
2. Decide what’s worth salvaging and what isn’t
There might be certain items in the house, for example, old furniture, that might not be worth all the cleaning and saving effort. In that case, a more practical solution may be to throw away what you don’t need anymore. However, for the things that you do want to salvage, you could use plastic cases to securely close them within. The objects will need to be kept this way for a long period of time so that any bedbugs that may have penetrated deep into them eventually die away.
3. Use hot water treatment for washable items
For items like your clothes, sheets, curtains, and any other fabrics that you suspect has bedbugs in them, you can wash them rigorously in high-temperature water. After the hot water wash, you can dry the items in the dryer, again choosing a high-temperature setting. Since bedbugs can’t survive at high temperatures, washing and drying at high heat can prove effective in killing them off.
4. Do steam cleaning on high heat in various areas
Another great heat-based treatment for wiping out the bedbugs is steam cleaning. Putting your steam cleaner on high enough heat, move it around over places like a couch, carpets, mattress, etc. Don’t forget the little cracks, to get the bedbugs that may have found their home in there. You could also apply the steam over on your walls, though steer clear of the electrical sockets. Furniture and floors are some other areas where you can go over with your steam cleaner. Do it slowly and patiently to avoid missing any spots, and you’ll be able to get rid of bedbugs as well as their eggs.
5. Get to work with your vacuum cleaner
Vacuuming can be quite effective when dealing with bedbugs. You can use your vacuum cleaner to target the bedbugs in places like beds, drawers, certain personal belongings, walls, electronics, furniture, wardrobes, etc. Pay attention to the crevices too. With things like mattress, you might want to keep a brush on hand for scrubbing wherever needed. Make sure that you dispose all the garbage gathered up by the vacuum cleaner safely outside the home right after you’re done with vacuuming.
6. Get professional help if it’s required
If the bedbug issue becomes too severe to control on your own, then it’s best that you get professional help for pest control. Their extensive treatment plans would ensure that the bedbugs are eliminated completely from your home, even those that are out of sight in hidden spots. When hiring a professional pest control service, take a look at their approach and method of working. Ask how many total visits it will take to eliminate the bedbugs. To find out about their track record, how successful their treatment plans have been in the past. Once you do hire a good company for the job, the next step would be to follow any preparation related instructions the company gives you before they come over and carry out their treatment plan.
Take Precautions to Avoid Facing Bedbugs Again
Bedbugs can gain entry into your home via distinct ways. If you tend to travel a lot and stay in different motels/hotels/other places, then if any of these places happen to have bedbugs, there’s a chance that you might bring them back with you to your home. They could transmit via your luggage or your clothes, for instance. If you have brought second-hand items infested with bedbugs into your house, like furniture or mattress, then that’s another way of inviting these creatures.
To ensure that you never have to deal again with the annoying issue of bedbugs, taking certain precautions becomes necessary. You should be vigilant about the places you’re staying at outside your home. If you’re buying any second-hand stuff for your home, check it thoroughly for any possible infestation problem and only then place it anywhere inside the home.
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