Three effective steps to ‘kill’ bed bugs fast and leave your mattress ‘fresh and clean’
Bed bugs can appear in a few weeks and cause havoc when you're sleeping, here's how to remove them from your mattress.
Bed bugs are small insects that often live on furniture or bedding. The insects bite and result in rashes forming that feel itchy. Express.co.uk spoke exclusively to Ben Slater at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk about the best way to remove bed bugs from a mattress and how to clean your mattress.
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Signs you have bed bugs:
- Itchy areas on your body that weren’t there before you went to bed
- Blood stains on sheets or pillowcases
- Dark spots on mattress or pillowcase - this could be bed bug excrement
- Eggshells or shredded skin
- A musty odour around the bed
- Living or dead bed bugs
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Ben said: “Bed bugs are actually active all year round but they do tend to peak in the summertime as they love the heat and are more active in warmer conditions.”
A healthy female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, so a serious infestation can occur in a matter of weeks.
Since bed bugs multiply quickly, it’s essential to spot them and eradicate them before they reproduce, and because bed bugs “peak in the summertime”, it’s a great idea to deep clean your mattress and bedding now.
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How to remove bed bugs:
1. Clean the sheets, bedding and pyjamas
Ben said: “The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to put everything in a hot wash; this includes bedding, pyjamas and anything else that has been affected by bed bugs.
“The NHS also advises to put any affected bedding or clothing into a bag and pop this in the freezer for around three to four days to kill any remaining bed bugs.”
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2. Clean the bedroom
Ben suggested “reducing clutter around your bed”, as well as “vacuuming the room at least once a week”.
When hoovering, avoid the brush attachment as bugs can hide away in bristles, instead, use the hose.
3. Clean the mattress
It’s a good idea to give the mattress a deep clean too. Online-Bedrooms.co.uk “recommend cleaning your mattress every three months,” but if you’ve got bed bugs, do it immediately.
You can clean a mattress by “vacuuming as well as using some warm water”.
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After hoovering, Ben said: “Gently brush a mixture of soap and warm water on the mattress and let it sit for four hours before brushing off. Don’t outright pour all of the water directly onto the mattress, as it can make the problem worse.”
If you’ve got a steamer, this is an effective tool for removing bed bugs, but it needs to reach a temperature of 120 degrees or higher.
Once the mattress is fully dry, use baking soda. Ben explained: “Sprinkling some baking soda over a freshly clean mattress can soak up any excess moisture within it. Just make sure to vacuum up any remaining particles before putting the bedding back on.”
Before placing your sheets back on the mattress, add an extra layer with a mattress protector.
