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Possible bed bug issue?
I was given some nice blankets and a vacuum cleaner to later be informed the house they came from possibly had bed bugs. Upon getting the blankets I imediately washed them in warm water, soap, and bleach because who knows where they've been (even though they're nice!) The vacuum got fully disassembled and cleaned, because that's my line of work, and not once did I see any bug of any type on the blankets or in/on the vacuum. Seeing that they're already in my home throwing them away I would assume wouldn't solve any problems, if there are some. Am I safe with what I did?
4 Answers
- ?Lv 56 years ago
Its hard to say. The bleach probably killed the bedbugs. For the vacuum cleaner- bedbugs like to hide in cracks and they can be extremely small plus they lay eggs. On the other hand bedbugs are usually found within 10 feet of where someone sleeps and vacuum cleaners generally are not stored near a sleeping place. The vacuum cleaner could have been used to vacuum up bedbugs. A bag less one is probably worse than a bagged one. I think it's a watch and wait game. The best you can do is be vigilant and catch any infestation while it is young and easy to treat. I would say to change the bed sheets and look between the mattress and box spring once a week. There are pictures of bedbugs available on the internet. Have courage and calm, bedbugs spread partly through fear, denial and shame.
Source(s): I worked for a landlord who had occasional problems with bedbugs. - 6 years ago
From what I have researched on the internet these fers are almost next to impossible to get rid of , Man I wish I could help as I am in the same boat get the fers from a so called friend who very well knew he had an infestation yet still agreed to look after my place while I was out touring . ( I am a professional musician ) I posted a similar question , seems in the past 4 years this has turned into a major problem , some good old DDT would do the job but its illegal
- elhighLv 76 years ago
Well, the soap was probably sufficient to kill any bugs. But if you're still concerned, get the blankets hot. If possible you want to get them to 150 degrees, which will absolutely kill any bedbugs AND their eggs. Bedbugs are highly susceptible to heat, if you can get them above 120 they're almost certain to die, if you can get them above 150 for ANY length of time - just a few seconds at 150 is sufficient - then you've got them all.
Really the 150 mark is my own choice since 120 is generally considered sufficient, but I believe in screws AND glue for holding things together. Don't go halfway, in other words. If you get your suspect articles to 150 degrees, that just means they spent that much more time above the minimum 120 degrees, further ensuring utter and irrevocable DEATH DEATH DEATH for any bugs on your stuff. Works on fleas and lice, too, so everyone's a winner!
- ?Lv 66 years ago
The machine will probably be fine - after you cleaned it yourself.
Put the blankets in a freezer for 24 hours - that'll sort the little critters out
