How to Get Rid of Bedbugs Forever

The phrase "sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite," takes on an entirely new meaning meaning if your home actually has a bedbug infestation. Despite the name, bedbugs don't always live in your bed. Furniture recesses, drapes, peeling wallpaper and clothing are all hospitable environments for tenacious bedbugs who can survive for months without food. Bedbugs thrive in places where the human population is transient and densely packed, like shelters, hotels, apartment complexes and military barracks, although the cleanliness of such environments is unimportant. The resilient nature of these pests requires a multilevel extermination approach that addresses all areas of infestation in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Bedbug pesticide
• Garbage bags
• Detergent
• Vacuum

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Instructions

• 1

  Vacuum your home thoroughly. Vacuum all carpets, hardwood, ledges and baseboards. Bedbugs hide in a variety of places and thoroughly vacuuming all surfaces eliminates the most obvious clusters of bedbugs and their eggs. Although bedbugs aren't necessarily drawn to filth, they can hide easily in clutter. Reduce clutter from your home by removing unnecessary storage boxes, trash and clothing before vacuuming for better access to all the nooks and crannies.

• 2

  Wash all cloth items in your home. Include your laundry, drapes, bed skirts, slip covers and table cloths. Use the hottest water possible, temperatures must be at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit before bedbugs die. Dry all the items for 20 minutes in the dryer. The combination of both heated environments will kill the bedbugs and their eggs.

• 3

  Freeze the bedbugs. Freezing is only appropriate if you live someplace with a temperature consistently below 32 degrees Fahrenheit; otherwise your efforts will be ineffective. Haul all movable items outside into your yard. Lay garbage bags on the ground and place couch cushions and throw pillows on top of the flat bags. Keep the furniture frames exposed to the cold. Lean your mattresses up against the side of your house for maximum cold exposure. Leave your items outside for at least four days in temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the bedbugs and their eggs.

• 4

  Use a chemical pesticide, or hire a professional exterminator. The EPA recognizes over 300 different chemicals proven to effectively eliminate bedbugs from the home. The best product depends on the size of your home and the extent of the infestation. As with any chemical pesticide, you will typically need to vacate your home for a few days following the application. Pesticides are available at any major hardware or home improvement store in the pest section. Hiring a professional pest management exterminator is the most effective method for preventing further infestation, according to the EPA. For information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of particular pesticide products, please see the EPA Citizen's Guide to Pesticides (see References).

• 5

  Throw out heavily infested items. Consider dumping your couch or living room set if you find severe infestation clusters in these particular furniture items. Take the furniture to the dump or place it on the curb. Label your items clearly by pinning a sign to the furniture that reads, "Has Bedbugs." Honest and obvious notification will prevent someone else from taking the items and unknowingly infesting another home.