Home - Garden
Foolproof Ways To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
By MELISSA MAYNARD
1. Prevent Spread
Place infected items in a sealed plastic bag. If you're vacuuming the bugs, empty the vacuum into a bag, seal it, and trash it immediately.
If you can't remove the bugs from certain furniture, dispose of those items by having a special agency pick them up. If you're a renter, notify your landlord immediately.
2. Assess
Bed bugs can be about the same size as an apple seed, so thoroughly check your mattresses, pillows, and headboards for their presence.
Clear signs of an infestation could be a musty-smelling room, reddish-looking spots on the body, or waking up to any blood, eggshells, fecal matter, or shedded skin on the sheets.
3. Wash
Spray rubbing alcohol on infected clothes, load them into the washer, and set it on the hottest cycle (over 120 degrees F). Transfer to a dryer set to the hottest temperature.
However, you should only do this for colorfast garments. Other items unsafe to spray with rubbing alcohol can be sealed up in a plastic bag for a few days.
4. Vacuum
Get a vacuum with a strong motor and crevice tool and work it on all areas of your bed. Then, use a steam cleaner at about 130 degrees F to thoroughly kill the bugs.
However, The Environmental Protection Agency warns to use a diffuser, as a steam cleaner with a powerful blast of air can blow the bugs all over, which may escalate the issue.
5. Exterminate
Kill the bed bugs with diatomaceous earth, which dehydrates them by soaking up the oily outer area of their shell. Do this along with washing and drying.