Top 13 Practical Home Remedies to Get Rid of Bed

Originally posted on June 13, 2020 @ 10:09 am

Bedbug infestation is a plague on your household that can be difficult to eliminate. I have composed the following article on home remedies to get rid of bed bugs because I want to promote ways of dealing with the situation that are not noxious. I currently use these methods and encourage you to do so as well. I will be satisfied if even one household is able to resolve their problem with these natural methods.

Actually, I have enumerated 12 different methods here to help you. Please keep in mind that if your infestation is severe, then you may need to resort to a pest management specialist. You should also alert your friends to the fact that you have an infestation so that you don’t expose them to it.

1. Rubbing Alcohol

Spraying rubbing alcohol on bedbug infestations is an effective way of getting rid of them. If you are going to be using isopropyl alcohol, then you need to use a higher concentration of it than if you are using rubbing alcohol. Since alcohol is highly flammable, you need to alert every resident of a building that you are treating.

How to Use Alcohol on Bedbugs

1. Vacuum your house completely. This means that you must do a very thorough job.

2. Get a hold of bottles of rubbing alcohol.

3. Remove all linens and spray them with the alcohol. Seal them in bags afterwards.

4. Spray all clothing with the alcohol and seal them in bags.

5. Spray the alcohol all over, including on your furniture everywhere.

6. Spray yourself with the alcohol from head to toe.

7. Combine the alcohol treatment with a steam treatment, as mentioned later in the article.

2. Steam Treatments

Steam is a very effective method for dealing with bedbugs. You need to use a high quality commercial steamer. The way that a steamer works is to deliver high temperatures that are deadly to the bedbugs. Steam can be dangerous to use, however. You need to take some precautions:

Precautions

1. Carefully read the manual that comes with the steamer.

2. Always follow these directions.

3. Be careful when refilling the machine, as it is under pressure.

4. The steam is very hot, so don’t let children operate the steamer and point the steam away from yourself.

The steam treatment is particularly helpful for the surfaces of your home. It can also penetrate fabric up to 3/4″. For cracks and crevices, the steam will kill the bugs 2-3/8″ into a gap. You should use an infrared thermometer to check the surface of the area being treated. The surface temperature should be at least 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit after the steam brush has been there.

3. Dry Heat

If you put clothing, footwear, and other items made of fabric in the dryer for a certain period of time, this can kill bedbugs. When you run a dryer for five minutes at any temperature setting, it gets hot enough to kill the bedbugs. It is suggested, however, to run the dryer for 20 minutes or more. The only thing that you need to make sure of is that the items that you put in the dryer will not be damaged by the dryer.

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4. Vacuum Cleaner

The suction wand of a powerful vacuum cleaner can help you remove bedbugs and their eggs from surfaces and furniture. You need to get into the seams of mattresses and box springs with the vacuum and also into the cracks and crevasses of the rooms themselves. It is advisable to do a vacuum treatment more than once because you won’t be able to get all of the bugs the first time around.

Here are some tips that you should keep in mind when vacuuming the bedbugs:

1. Make sure that the suction is strong and use a crevice tool.

2. Try not to press too hard on the surfaces because you might flick the bedbugs off.

3. Make sure that you dispose of the bedbugs when you are done vacuuming them.

4. Seal the vacuum bag with tape so that the bugs cannot get out.

5. Use other techniques in combination with vacuuming.

6. Try to keep your home as uncluttered as possible so that the bedbugs don’t have more places too hide.

5. Baking Soda

Baking soda is useful as a way to get rid of bedbugs. One method is to dip a paintbrush into some baking soda and spread a layer of the substance around the cracks and crevices where the bedbugs are hiding. You should also apply it to all surfaces of your mattresses. After a few days have passed, you need to vacuum up all of the baking soda that you have applied.

A second treatment will probably be needed. The baking soda works by acting as a drying agent to dry out the bedbugs.

6. Freezing Bedbugs

You can also use cold to kill bedbugs. You can do this by placing the infested items in the freezer. When you freeze the bedbugs, it causes ice to form inside of them, causing them to die. What you will need to freeze the bedbugs is:

1. A freezer that is at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Time

3. Plastic bags to put the items in

4. A remote thermometer

Most household items can be frozen. However, there are a few things that should not be frozen:

– Electronics with LCD panels

– Historic artifacts of value

– Items that condensation will damage

– Items that contain liquid inside of them

You need to leave the items that you are going to freeze in the freezer for four days. It is also a wise idea to monitor the temperature inside the freezer with a thermometer. 0 degrees must be reached in the center of the materials being frozen. Big items will require more time to freeze.

It is not a wise idea to open the windows of your home in the wintertime to try and freeze the bedbugs. You will not achieve a consistent temperature in every location in this way.

7. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth also works to kill bed bugs by dehydrating them. This substance is chemical free and is very inexpensive. The drying effect only takes a few hours to work. Diatomaceous earth works as both a tool for prevention and treatment. You should use it in conjunction with some of the other methods listed above. Make sure to get it into all of the cracks and crevices of your home.

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Diatomaceous earth is a substance that is mined from the sediments of oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. The way that it works is that, when it comes into contact with insects, its particles make their way into the cuticle of their exoskeleton. Once it has made contact, it begins to absorb the oils and fats from the insides of the bedbug.

8. Hair Dryer

Bedbugs cannot survive in temperatures greater than 113 degrees Fahrenheit. If you use the highest heat setting on your hair dryer, you can kill the pests. First turn on your dryer and then position it over places that the bedbugs frequent. You can focus the hot air on your mattress and its crevices. You should treat the surfaces for about 60 minutes to make sure that all of the pests have died. After you are done with the hair drier, you should vacuum up all of the bodies of the bedbugs. Make sure to throw away the vacuum bag in case any of the bedbugs have survived. You can also use a hair drier to force the bedbugs out of any tight spaces or crevices in your home.

9. Mattress Covers

Mattress covers are not just good to prevent allergies to dust mites. A good mattress cover can help control your bedbug problem while you sleep.

The main time that you will get bitten by bedbugs is while you are sleeping.There are many mattress covers on the market, and it is difficult to know the differences between them. Some kinds of mattress covers are backed up by research that says that you will be protected by them.

The following four things are what you should look for in a mattress cover.

1. Be sure that the cover is made out of bite-proof fabric. – The inexpensive covers on the market are not necessarily bite-proof. This would mean that the bedbugs could still bite you through the fabric.

2. Make sure that the fabric is waterproof. – Polyurethane-lined and vinyl are the options that are available. Vinyl covers will stop the bugs from entering or exiting your mattress or box spring. They make a lot of noise when you roll around on them and will not absorb your sweat. Since they do not breathe, you will need a mattress pad on top of it that will keep you comfortable.Polyurethane-lined covers allow the skin to breathe and don’t make noise when you roll around on them. Overall, this kind of fabric is more comfortable, but covers made from it are more expensive.

3. Check to see where the zipper stop is located. – The zipper needs to be very tight against the seam of the cover. If there is any space, then the bugs will have the ability to enter through the hole there.

4. Check the zipper teeth. – The zipper teeth should be small. If the teeth are too large, then the bugs will be able to slip through them.

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10. Lavender Oil

Lavender is an excellent treatment for bedbugs because they hate the smell. It’s safe when used in moderation, and most people actually enjoy its scent. You can get some lavender essential oil and dilute it with water. It is a good idea to put it into the washing machine with your clothes and steam it into your clothes with an iron. Exercise caution when using the oil and never allow it to directly contact your skin. You can mix about four drops of lavender essential oil with four ounces of water. Try applying it to the carpet beneath your bed so that it will keep the bugs away from you while you sleep.

11. Mint Leaves

Mint is another herb that bedbugs are turned off by. Early Native Americans used wild mint leaves to rid themselves of bedbugs by crushing the leaves and placing them around the area where they slept. They also applied the leaves directly to their skin. You can use sachets of the dried leaves between your mattresses and in the linen closet. You can also put mint leaves in a pot filled with water and boil them. Strain the solution and put it into a spray bottle. You can then spray your mattress and bed sheets with it. The reason that bedbugs are repelled by mint is because of the smell.

12. Lemon Grass

The powder of lemon grass is one of the most dependable ways to rid your home of bedbugs. The lemon grass powder causes an increase in acidity within the bedbugs, thereby killing them. The powder is also known to kill the eggs of the parasites. You need to use many cups of the powder to get the desired effect.

13. Dried Argy Wormwood

Argy wormwood is a kind of traditional Chinese herbal. You also can use this to get rid of bedbugs. Here is how to do it with dried argy wormwood. First, you need gather some argy wormwood and some hay in a brazier. Then put the bowl in the room you want to kill bedbugs. Light the mixture in the brazier, leave the room quickly and close all the windows and doors of that room. After 2~3 hours, most of the bedbugs should be killed. By using this method, please keep the brazier away from combustible materials.

Conclusion

I hope that you have enjoyed this list of the top 12 practical home remedies to get rid of bed bugs. Bedbug infestations have become more common nowadays, and people need help finding ways to combat the problem that are not noxious to themselves, their pets, and their children. I myself am very concerned about issues of chemical toxins in our environment and the effects that they have upon us and the outside world.

I would appreciate it if you would share your comments on the article in the comments section. Also, please share the article with everyone that you think would be interested in its subject.

References

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