How Do I Clean and Remove Bed Bugs From My Mattress?

There’s no two ways about it – bed bugs are nasty. They chomp relentlessly on humans and aren’t too picky about munching their way through your pets if you happen to not be available. It’s vitally important to start treating them as soon as you realize you have a problem – otherwise the problem will only get worse. Much worse.

If you’ve been unlucky enough to be saddled with bed bugs, have no fear – BCS is here! Follow our simple, four-step system to quickly eradicate the little buggers from your cosy sleeping environs.
Step 1

Strip your mattress of all sheets and bedding and launder them in hot soapy water at a temperature of at least 120 degrees. Your washing machine’s hot water setting should be more than enough do the trick. A normal household dryer’s settings are usually hot enough to kill bed bugs, so dry all your bedding using your dryer’s highest heat setting. Bed bugs can’t survive in a hot dryer longer than 20 to 30 minutes. Between your washer and dryer, you’ll exact a double-whammy of a killing spree on the ghastly little creatures. Make sure to check the care instructions for your bedding first, and just keep in mind high heat settings can damage some fabrics. Be sure to transport your bedding to and from the laundry room using dedicated bags in order to prevent cross-contamination to other areas of your home.

Step 2

Next, vacuum the whole mattress surface, bedframe, baseboards, headboard and under the bed using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Vacuum thoroughly…..and then vacuum again – the little devils are masters at hiding. Give special attention to seams and crevices, where dirt, dust, dead skin, and other icky nasties collect; you may want to switch to your vacuum’s crevice attachment to help you suck out the deeply entrenched nasties. If you have a bagless vacuum, immediately dump the resulting detritus in an outdoor trashcan, and wash the vacuum outside with HOT soapy water. If your vacuum has a bag, remove the bag and dispose of it outside.

Step 3

Wrap your mattress (and even your box spring) in specially designed, bed bug-proof encasements. These stop bed bugs from being able to hide and make nests in your mattress. Delightful.

Step 4

Spray and scrub all hard surfaces with a good brush or cloth and a pesticide designed for bed bugs. Follow all the product instructions to have the best chance of eliminating the bed bugs. This is no time to be half-hearted.

If the above seems like a lot of hard work, or if you’ve tried it all without success, give the Utah experts at Stone Surface Specialists a call. We’ve been cleaning everything that stands still long enough in homes for decades, and can add a good boiling steam clean treatment to your efforts to eradicate bed bugs. Give us a call today at 801 856 0164 to schedule your FREE consultation.