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Struggling with bed bugs on mattress? Let's find the best way to get rid of them fast!
This article is your one-stop guide on everything bedbug-related. We’ll cover the ins and outs of ditching these pesky critters from your mattress, with tips ranging from chemical warfare to natural remedies.
Whether it's understanding how to zap them with heat, freeze them out, or pick the right insecticide, we've got all the answers you need.
Let's dive in and send those bedbugs packing!
Get rid of bed bugs in a mattress
There are some methods which you can apply to get rid of bedbugs –
First, thoroughly clean all the beddings, curtains, sheets, and linens in hot water, and then on the highest dryer setting, leave them to dry.
Remember to vacuum your bed and the area around it regularly.
Before vacuuming, scrub your mattress with a stiff brush to remove any bedbugs that might still be hiding on your mattress or sheets.
Plaster and repair the cracks on the wall.
Glue back the peelings of wallpapers on the wall that might have fallen off.
Consider getting a new mattress
Considering a memory foam mattress? They're a great choice for more than just comfort – they're naturally bed bug resistant. This is because their dense structure leaves little room for bed bugs to hide. Plus, if you're looking for the best hypoallergenic mattress, memory foam is a top contender. It's less likely to attract allergens like dust mites, making it ideal for allergy sufferers.
Memory foam's hypoallergenic nature extends beyond just being bed bug resistant. It also reduces the accumulation of dust and other allergens, offering a cleaner, healthier sleeping environment. This makes them a great all-rounder for both cleanliness and comfort.
In short, a foam mattress isn't just about comfort; it's also about promoting a healthier sleep environment with its bed bug resistance and hypoallergenic qualities. Perfect for those looking for a mattress that supports both their sleep health and hygiene.
How to kill bed bugs
It is challenging and time-consuming to get rid of bedbugs in a mattress entirely. It may take weeks or perhaps, even months, depending on how minor or extensive the infestation is. However, some solutions will help to eliminate bed bugs.
The first thing you need to do is inspect and identify areas that may have hidden bedbugs and figure out the type of infestation (minor or major). When you find an infestation in some areas, make sure you remove the infested items by placing them on a sealed plastic bag and keep them away for at least a year so that none of the bugs is alive by then. Here are some ways to do that:
Cold treatment is the process of leaving the infested items in a sealed plastic bag and leaving it in the freezer at 0°F for at least four days. This will ensure that the bugs do not remain alive.
Heat treatment is the opposite of cold treatment. This process includes leaving the infested items packed in a black plastic bag and using either a dryer or any heating device to hit the bag to the maximum to kill the bugs. However, this process is risky and is not very advisable.
Steam treatment can be of two types, wet or dry. In this method, you can rid your mattress or walls of bedbugs by steaming a temperature of at least 130° F and get it under the cracks and places where the bugs are possibly hiding. This will slowly but gradually kill them.
How to treat mattress for bed bugs
In order to treat a bedbug-infested mattress, you can follow these instructions as given –
Bed Bugs die off at around 114° F; therefore, wash your sheets and beddings in the warmest water possible and later dry them in the hottest dryer settings.
Vacuum your bed and mattress thoroughly, ensuring that you don’t miss any spot where the bugs may be hiding. Remember to clean your vacuum container after cleaning to ensure no bed bugs are hiding in the vacuum.
Put away your infested mattress in a bug-proof encasement with a zipper and keep it zipped for at least a year to make sure that each bedbug in the mattress is dead. Keep in mind that bed bugs can survive for months without feeding.
Use insecticides and pesticide sprays to clean the crack areas of your room to ensure that no bed bugs are hiding in any areas of your room.
You should keep your bed away from the walls to avoid bedbugs crawling over to your mattress. In addition to that, try not to use long sheets or linens that reach the ground.
How to kill bed bugs in a mattress
Bedbugs are not easy to get rid of, however, here are some home remedies you can apply, in order to kill bedbugs in your homes:
Applying double-sided tape in the bedbug’s path of travel when you find it, will ensure that the bugs stick to the tap, and eventually, they will die without any blood to drink. Or when you see them stuck on the tape, you can just smash them. Remember to regularly change the tape as it will lose its stickiness.
Sprinkling a good amount of silica gel on the mattress can also help kill bedbugs. According to research, the gel absorbs liquids from the bed bug’s cuticle, causing them to dry out due to dehydration.
Making traps using dry ice is also a good way to kill bedbugs. According to researchers, dry ice releases carbon dioxide that attracts insects and henceforth, can kill bedbugs. Therefore, you can make your own bedbug trap by filling a jug with dry ice and placing it in bedbug infested areas in order to trap and kill them.
A home-made vinegar spray can also help kill bedbugs in a mattress. Vinegar can hurt the bug’s nervous system because it contains an acidic acid which isn’t suitable for bugs. Thus, you can use it to kill bedbugs.
Check this video for another simple and easy method.
What to do with a mattress with bed bugs?
If your mattress is bedbug-infested, the first thing you need to do is remove the sheets and wash them in hot water, as mentioned above.
Later, put away all the sheets and mattresses in a plastic zipper bag and keep it zipped for about a year so that all the bedbugs are dead. A bug-proof bag ensures that not even the tiniest bug can escape the bag.
However, it is advisable to seek professional help or get a new mattress in case of a large infestation.
