Is there anything grosser than knowing you have bedbugs? Just the thought makes us squirm! However, there are a few habits you can adopt that will help keep the little critters at bay, and you can sleep tight, knowing that the bed bugs won’t bite!
Your Bed
Of course, this is where the trouble starts, so it’s important to develop healthy habits when it comes to your bedding. A bed bug’s hatching cycle is between seven and ten days, and so it is important that you wash your bed linen every week or two to break this cycle. For heavier items such as comforters or quilts, you don’t have to do a full wash every time, but you should put them in the drier on a high heat for around 30 minutes to kill off any nasties that may have found their way onto them.
Public Spaces
As gross as it sounds, public chairs are a haven for bed bugs. It’s not possible or practical to avoid sitting in public places such as doctor’s office, nursing home, or movie theatre, however, if you try to make it a habit to change your clothes as soon as you are home from these places, you will add another layer of prevention. Avoid sitting on furniture, or going into your bedroom before you have gotten out of those clothes and be sure to put them in the wash immediately.
Your Closet
Bed bugs can find their way into your home on your coats, shoes, and bags and so it would be beneficial if you could keep these items away from your bedroom area if possible. Keep these items in a closet elsewhere in the house if your space allows it, to create an extra barrier for the bugs to climb into your bed. If you are a little worried about your bags, you could run them through the drier, again for 30 minutes on a high heat every few weeks as an extra precaution.
Travelling
There is nothing worse than finding bedbugs in your hotel room bed, and if you do suspect that is the case, demand to be moved immediately. Suitcases are the perfect vehicle for bed bugs wanting to catch a ride home with you, so avoid storing your suitcase in your bedroom if the space in your home allows this. As an extra precaution, take an empty but clean trash bag with you when you travel, and when it’s time to come home, put all your clothes inside the bag before zipping it into the suitcase. When you get home, empty this directly into the washer to make sure no bed bugs hitched a ride!
Bed Bugs are sneaky and will do anything they can to infest your house, costing you money and a whole load of stress. If you follow these preventative measures, the chances of you ending up sharing your home with these blood-sucking pests decreases dramatically, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or energy to incorporate these habits into your daily life.
