If you notice that you have small itchy spots, red rashes or blisters when you wake up, it could be a sign that you have bed bugs. These tiny little pests can infest the seams of your mattress, bed frames, box springs, and headboards. It can be a challenge to get rid of bed bugs because they are hard to detect and they multiply rapidly. Bed bugs should be destroyed as quickly as possible because they can infest other areas of your home and cause a major problem.
Actually, bed bugs are not a sign that you have a dirty home, but they can be brought into your house through luggage, used furniture and beds, clothing and other household items.
Fortunately, there are many ways to naturally get rid of bed bugs. Here are 10 home remedies for getting rid of bed bugs
1. Clothes dryer
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking any infested clothing or bedding and placing it in the clothes dryer on high heat for 30 minutes.
2. Wash and dry
If you’re still feeling a little uncomfortable, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service notes you can wash items in hot water for 30 minutes and then tumble them dry on high heat for 30 minutes. This will kill both the bed bugs and the eggs.
3. Dry clean
Some pieces can’t be thrown in the wash or dried on high. For those, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recommends dry cleaning. Professional exterminators use steam to kill bed bugs, and steam is used to dry clean.
4. Black plastic and sun
Because heat kills bed bugs, taking items and encasing them in black plastic bags and placing them in the sun or in a hot car for an afternoon if it’s really hot will kill the bugs.
5. Freezer
Another option is to place items in a freezer set at 0°F for eight to 10 hours, notes Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
6. Mattress cover.
If the mattress and box springs are infested, Better Homes & Gardens explains you can purchase bed bug mattress and box spring covers designed specifically to trap bed bugs.
7. Bed bug interceptors
Even furniture can transport bed bugs, so Better Homes & Gardens also recommends placing bed bug interceptors under the legs of the bed or other furniture, trapping the bugs and keeping them from spreading.
8. Systematically treat rooms
If your problem has spread to more than one room, treat each room systematically, getting rid of every bug.
9. Repeat
To be sure you’ve gotten rid of bed bugs and eggs, the EPA recommends repeating the treatment every few days until you’re sure they’re gone.
10. Professionals
Sometimes, calling the professional is the best option. Better Homes & Gardens, the EPA, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service all note that if the entire house is infested, calling a professional exterminator is the best way to ensure you get them all.
