How to Kill Bedbugs With a Home Treatment

Although bedbugs do not transmit disease, the parasites affect your sleep, contribute to negative mental health and may result in allergic reactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bedbugs hide not only in mattresses but also on dressers, behind wallpaper, on headboards and in cluttered areas. Eliminating bedbugs in your home requires patience, but it's possible to accomplish without the use of pesticides.

Things You'll Need

• Rubbing alcohol
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Toilet paper
• Washer
• Vacuum
• Steam cleaner
• Zippered mattress cover
• Plastic sealable bag

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Instructions

• 1

  Locate sources of infestations.

  Inspect your home for bedbugs to verify which areas require treatment. Bedbugs are identified by dark spots on your sleeping areas, which may be crushed bugs or fecal matter. Heavy infestations are marked by a foul, musty odor, Ohio State University notes.

• 2

  Make a mixture to spot-kill the bugs.

  Combine a cup of rubbing alcohol and a cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray visible bedbugs. Remove the dead bugs by wiping them up with toilet paper and flushing them.

• 3

  Strip bedding from your mattress. Place it in your washer and wash it at a temperature of at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic. Dry linens on the hottest setting possible. Also wash and dry your clothes at the hottest setting.

• 4

  Vacuum your mattress and floors.

  Vacuum your carpets and bed mattress. Steam-clean your floors afterward. Avoid steam-cleaning your mattress, as excess moisture is impossible to remove from your bed.

• 5

  Place your mattress in a zippered mattress cover. Keep the cover on your bed for one full year to effectively trap and kill any remaining bedbugs.

• 6

  Excessive heat destroys bedbugs.

  Put nonwashable items in a plastic sealable bag. Put the bag inside a hot car for a day. Alternatively, depending on the weather, just leave the bag outside in the cold. Bedbugs may die at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 7

  Don't risk the frustration of keeping a torn mattress.

  Throw out your mattress when there are holes within the fabric. Bedbugs may have laid eggs in the mattress, making home treatments difficult.