Well, it’s happened. After a few days of seeing the bed bug bites and bloodstain spots on your pillow, you reluctantly peeled back your sheets to find that dreaded bed bug infestation. Ugh. There really is nothing worse. So what’s next?
First and foremost, it’s important to stay calm. Take a deep breath in and out. Alright. Now that you’re in control and calm, let’s work on making your home bed bug free again!
Do I have to throw away all fabric items in my home? Or simply wash everything?
The short answer to both of these questions is NO.
One of the most common myths about bed bugs is that you have to throw away all your bedding and clothing. Unless you feel like springing for a new wardrobe, put those garbage bags away. Bed bugs can be killed by high temperatures, including the heat of your dryer. As long as you wash your belongings in hot water, and put them in the dryer on high, you’ll be able to kill bed bugs at all stages of life. (For more information on how to wash linens after finding a bed bug infestation, check out our blog on the subject. Depending on how far the bed bugs have spread, you may not even need to wash everything!
To determine what you should wash, you first need to ask yourself: How far have the bed bugs spread in my home?
- If you see signs of bed bugs in not just your bed, but also your closet and dresser, or even other rooms, then yes, you’ll want to vacuum out the infested area, and do a washing of all fabrics. Unfortunately, the bed bug infestation may have spread throughout your entire home. This means you probably have a severe infestation, and should call a professional as soon as possible.
- If you only see signs of bed bugs on your bed, then the bed bug infestation may still be in the early stages. You can choose to only clean your bedding, however, if you feel like playing it safe, opting to do a more thorough cleaning of all your clothing can’t hurt.
Regardless of the stage your bed bug infestation is at, after washing your linens you should always hire a professional to administer a bed bug removal treatment. This will ensure the complete removal of bed bugs from your home. If you see signs of bed bugs in your home, please feel free to call Magical Pest Control’s bed bug removal division at (905) 738-6676 to schedule a bed bug inspection as soon as possible.
Don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any tips on how to kill bed bugs or bed bug removal.