Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Prevent Bringing Bed Bugs To Another Person'S Home

Dealing with a bed bug infestation can be difficult enough, but it can be just as hard to prevent spreading the infestation to other people's homes. Bed bugs can travel with the host and his belongings; sitting in a bus seat or riding in a car can potentially pass bed bugs on to someone else. There are things you can do, however, to prevent bringing bed bugs to other people's homes.


Instructions


1. Launder your clothes in hot water, then dry them on the hottest setting for 2 hours. Silk, wool, cashmere and other delicates can be placed in the freezer for 24 hours, or dry-cleaned (however, be sure to tell the dry cleaner that the clothes may harbor bed bugs). Place the clothes in a sealed plastic bag. When transferring the clothes from the washer to the dryer, or from the dryer to the bag, make sure that the items do not make contact with any area of your body other than your hands. Bed bugs and their eggs could be transferred onto the clothes.








2. Take a shower before going out. Place the clothes you were wearing in a sealed bag before washing yourself. Do not dry off with any towels or put on any clothes that have not been washed and dried on the hottest settings.


3. If you are staying overnight, do not bring with you any bedding, pillows or stuffed animals, unless they are new or have been properly cleaned. Do not bring any luggage with you that has not been meticulously inspected for signs of bed bugs. Suitcases should be vacuumed and scrubbed with a hard brush, as eggs can be hard to spot.


4. Do not dispose of any furniture without labeling it as having bed bugs. Some people pick up unwanted furniture off the street, and if that item has bed bugs, the infestation can spread to the new location as well. Some districts may legally require you to mark your discarded furniture as coming from a bed-bug-infested home.

Tags: have been, other people, other people homes, people homes, Place clothes