Tips to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Home

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Few things in life are disgusting enough and creepy enough to make you shudder, and bed bugs happen to be one of those few things. Bed bugs are gross and there is nothing you can do to make them less disgusting. If you have them at a home, you have to get rid of them as soon as possible. They do bite, and they’re not good for your health or home. Here is what you need to do to rid your home of these awful little creatures.

Scrub Hard

Use a stiff brush to scrub your mattresses and furniture and your carpet before you vacuum. You’re going to want to do this to dislodge any of the bed bugs that might be hiding in the fabric. Since it’s not always easy to get rid of bed bugs without this kind of assistance, you won’t want to skip this step in the process of ridding your home of bed bugs.

Vacuum

To start the process of ridding your home of bed bugs, vacuum your home very well. This includes your mattresses, your couches, your chairs, your rugs, your carpets and anything else of that nature. When you finish thoroughly vacuuming, you will need to seal your vacuum bag in an airtight bag and throw it away as far from your home as possible – meaning in your trash can at the end of your street so that the trash pickup people can get it and the bugs can’t get back to your house.

Wash Everything

The next thing to do is to wash everything in your home. Wash your curtains, your bathmats, your sheets, pillows and everything in between. Wash these things in hot water and make sure they’re in the dryer on the highest possible heat setting for at least 20 minutes, but longer is better.

Steam Everything

If you have a steam cleaner or steam iron, use it! The heat can kill bed bugs instantly, and it’s great for things that can’t go into the wash. Use it on your mattresses and cloth furniture for the best results. Anything that’s heavily infested might need to be thrown out and replaced, which is not something homeowners want to hear. However, if you begin to notice them along windowsills, outlets, computer keyboards, or any other area they don’t typically frequent, the population has likely grown substantially and it’s time to call a bed bug extermination company.

Repeat

You might need to repeat this process for a week or two every day to ensure that all bed bugs die. It’s nearly impossible to kill them all in one round, which is unfortunate, but it’s true. Continue this process for at least a week to ensure that bed bugs do not make a comeback into your home.

(Photo by Alexandra Beier/Getty Images)

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