Despite only being 5 millimetres in size – bedbugs can become a big problem very quickly, and although not inherently dangerous, they can still cause a lot of chaos in your home. They can lead to bed bug bites which are irritating to the skin, they can also leave unwanted debris such as bed bug droppings and reddish stains from crushed bed bugs.
Fundamentally, bed bugs can disrupt your sleeping patterns and make your bed, which is supposed to be a place for relaxation, an unpleasant place to be. In this article, we’ll discuss what causes a bed bug infestation, how to tell if you have bed bugs, and how to clean your mattress from bed bugs.
What causes bed bug infestations?
Travel is one of the most widely recognised causes behind bed bugs infestations. Bed bugs are small, making it easy for them to sneak into your suitcase, purse, and in some cases, they may latch onto humans. All it takes is for one contaminated item to enter your home to start an infestation.
Additionally, because bed bugs are so small, it’s easy for them to go unnoticed. It’s only when common signs of an infestation start to show that we know they’re there.
How to tell if you have bed bugs
Bed bug bites are the most obvious signs of an infestation. They are small red bumps on the skin surrounded by blisters or hives. If you have bed bug bites you have also possibly noticed small blood stains on your bedsheets, covers, and pyjamas.
Other signs of an infestation are bedbug faecal spots, eggshells, and a musty odour that comes from the bugs’ scent glands.
How to clean your mattress from bed bugs?
When you’ve identified a bed bug infestation in your home it's important to clean your mattress and other areas in your home right away as bed bugs can travel quickly. That being said, follow the steps below to clean your mattress from bed bugs.
It’s worth noting that manually removing bed bugs from your home takes time and patience and you will likely have to repeat these steps before you completely get rid of the infestation.
The first reason for this is that bed bugs breed quickly. A female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, and the average lifetime of a bed bug is 6 months to a year. That’s a lot of eggs in a very short space of time.
The second reason is that some bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding. Because bed bugs are so small they are able to hide in the tiniest spaces. This means that it’s easy to miss some on your first attempt and even if they are trapped they can continue to live and continue breeding for up to a year.
There are also precautionary actions you can take to prevent any further infestation.
Product: Ilex Headboard
Clean your bedsheets
The first step to cleaning your mattress from bed bugs is to clean your bedding. When you’ve stripped your bed of all bedding, place them in a plastic bag to stop the bed bugs from escaping and spreading the infestation to other areas of your home.
Then, take the bags straight to the washing machine and wash the bedding using the hot water setting. Make sure to throw the bags out in an outside bin when you are done with them.
Once your bedding has been through a washing cycle dry the bedding on a high heat (only do this if their tags allow it). The heat will kill any bed bugs or eggs on your bedding.
Clean the area
Once you’ve tackled the bedding you need to clean the mattress. To do this, use a stiff brush to scrub mattress seams to remove bedbugs and their eggs.
Then, vacuum the mattress, pillows, box spring, bed frame, headboard, and footboard. The initial hoover will get rid of any bed bugs, shells, faecal droppings, or eggs on the surface.
Then, vacuum the mattress and the surrounding areas with a high-pressure steamer which will take care of any bed bugs and eggs hidden deep within your furniture. Once you’ve finished vacuuming, place the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag before throwing it away in the rubbish bin outside.
Encase your mattress and box springs with a zippered cover
Once you've cleaned your mattress and the area around it thoroughly, encase the mattress and box springs with a mattress protector that has a zipper. This will eventually kill any leftover bugs that you haven't managed to remove from your first cleaning as any remaining bed bugs will be trapped and won't be able to feed on you.
Moreover, having a cover to protect your mattress will stop them from spreading into other parts of your house and make it easier to remove them the next time you clean your mattress. The cover will also protect you from any further bed bug bites.
Buy a new mattress
If your mattress is infested with bugs you may want to buy a new one. If you do this, ensure that you get rid of any other bed bugs living in your home otherwise your new mattress will likely become re-infested.
If you're concerned about future infestations, immediately encase your new mattress with a zippered cover for protection.
Get a comfortable night’s sleep with a mattress that meets your needs
Everyone deserves a good night's sleep. Bed bugs disrupt sleeping patterns and make the bed an unpleasant place to be. Purchasing a high-quality bed with longevity not only means that your bed will serve you longer, but it will be easier to keep clean and free from nuisances like bed bugs.
Endurance Beds have been crafting and supplying high-quality bespoke beds for over 13 years now and are so confident in the strength of our beds, that they are supplied with up to 12 years lifetime guarantee.
Not only do we offer a wide variety of standard designs, but we also offer a bespoke, made-to-measure service across our wrought iron, wooden and upholstered bed collections.
So, if you wish to learn more about how to clean your mattress from bed bugs or tailor one of our beds to your individual design, please contact us and our production team will do all they can to assist you and your requirements.
