Bedbug infestation is no small feat, and even after professional treatment, it requires a lot on one’s part. Being thoroughly cleaned post-treatment ensures the home will be bedbug-free for long. Here is the way to safely clean your home without introducing unwanted pests back into it.
Understanding the Bedbugs’ Life Cycle
Before embarking on cleaning, it might be useful to know something about the life cycle of bed bugs. After all, bed bugs have five developmental stages from egg to adult, and their eggs hatch in as little as 6-10 days. A post-feeding adult will survive for months, and a single female will lay up to 500 eggs. So, it should aim at every nook and cranny that may serve as a hiding place, as well as all the lurked eggs.
Steps to Cleaning After a Bedbug Treatment
Cleansing the House
Begin by cleaning out clutter. Clothing piles, bedding piles, and any random items are perfect hideaways for bedbugs. Even the removal of clutter exposes problem areas and makes the clean-up go by faster.
Vacuum Well
Once the clutter is out of the way, it’s time to vacuum every inch of your home. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter capable of trapping small particles like bedbug eggs. Pay special attention to cracks and crevices, upholstery, and furniture joints where bedbugs often hide. Complete all of these, then immediately empty the vacuum canister or dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag and discard it outside your home to avoid re-infestation.
Wipe and Sanitize
All items that are heavily infested and don’t stand a chance (like old mattresses or ruined furniture) should be disposed of properly, wrapped up in plastic with signs not to transport them into other homes. Bedding, clothing, and fabrics need to be washed in very hot water at at least 120°F and dried completely at the highest heat to kill any live bedbugs or eggs.
Steam Clean
Carpet, curtains, and upholstery are some of the other usable options for steam cleaning. Steam cleaning equipment also is put into use at temperatures high enough to kill bedbugs and their eggs. Placing delicate articles that are not soiled, including stuffed toys, in the dryer on a high heat setting also works.
Monitor for Activity
After cleaning, look for signs of invasion. Place bedbug traps on those common places such as the bed frames and furniture corners. Be regularly checking your home to catch early signs of resurgence. To prevent future invasion, seal all cracks and holes around furniture and walls.
Seek Professional Assistance
If the infestation was very heavy, or you feel your cleaning may not be sufficient, it’s probably best to hire a professional cleaning service that specialises in post-bedbug treatment. They will clean your place very well and ensure you are bedbug-free for good this time.
Cleaning your house after bed bug treatment is an exhausting process, but the peace of mind that follows will be wonderful, and your home will be free of any pests. A neat combination of decluttering, vacuuming, steaming, and monitoring will be assured to ensure that your home remains pest-free. If there’s any doubt, take the services of professional cleaners when specialised treatments are provided for thorough removal of bedbugs.