Before You Use Bed Bug Sprays
Bed bug sprays are very effective but there are several things you should do before using one to make your bed bug eradication program as successful as possible.
Most bed bugs will live in areas of your home that give them the quickest access to their food during darkness. So for most people this will be the bedrooms but if you like to spend the evenings in semi-darkness dozing on your sofa while watching the TV this would also be a hot spot.
First you need to strip the beds. Put the bedding straight into a large plastic bag and take it directly to the washing machine and then carefully remove the sheets and covers straight into the machine to avoid any bugs escaping en route. Use a hot wash which will kill any bed bugs that are present. Seal up the bag you carried the bedding in and then dispose of it.
Sort out your clothes and seal them into plastic bags ready to be hot washed when you've finished with the bedding. Soft toys should be also bagged. The problem is that often they can't be hot washed so one way is to freeze them. You'll need to put them in the freezer for 2 weeks at a minimum of 23°F (-5°C).
If you are going to steam clean your mattress, sofa, curtains, etc do it as soon as you've removed the bedding to allow the excess moisture to evaporate before you apply the bed bug spray. Remember that not all items can tolerate steam cleaning so check before you start.
Next turn your attention to your vacuum cleaner as you'll have undoubtedly being sucking up bugs, larva and eggs for the past few weeks. Vacuum your house very thoroughly from the floors right up to the top of the curtains. Don't forget to move your furniture to make sure you can access as many nooks and crannies as you can. If two of you are available so much the better as you will be able to tip furniture over to vacuum more effectively underneath the furniture. Don't forget to remove books off bookshelves and clean behind pictures on the wall.
After you've finished empty out the dust container into a plastic bag and then seal it up before disposing of it in your dustbin. If your vacuum cleaner has a disposable bag put this in a sealed plastic bag. You'll need to do this for a few weeks to avoid the potential of live bed bugs getting back into your house.
Don't forget the areas where your pets sleep. Pet bedding should be stripped and hot washed too.
Bed bugs are tough and difficult to eradicate. They can live for up to 18 months without feeding so you need to do everything you can to maximise their removal from your home.
