If you think you have bed bugs, you do NOT need to throw out your furniture, mattresses, clothing or bedding. Unfortunately, this family threw out nearly all of their belongings and now are dealing with the idea of trying to replace everything. Of course doing so will be quite expensive, and does NOT solve the problem. Bed bugs are very good at hiding and will still live in the walls, under the carpet, in electrical outlets, etc. Getting rid of them entirely will take a professional heat or chemical treatment.
We, along with much of the pest control industry and university researchers, are big believers in using extreme heat to kill bed bugs. It works. We use specially designed heaters to raise the temperature of the home to 130 degrees and keep it there for about 3 hours. This dehydrates the bed bugs in all stages of development and they die. By heating at such a high temperature, we are able to save the vast majority of furniture and belongings. Unfortunately, it is expensive and many people cannot afford to heat their home, but they also many not be able to afford to buy all new belongings either.
However, these people missed an opportunity to save some of their clothes, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. by using a simple, common tool. A clothes dryer. By putting items in a clothes dryer and running it for 30 minutes on high heat, you can kill the bed bugs on the items. When you put them in the dryer, be sure to not overload it. The hot air must be able to circulate around the items. This simple trick can help you save money and your kids favorite blanket or stuffed animal.
