by Bed Bug Patrol
24 Mar 2017

The Best Strategies For Bed Bug-Proofing Your Life

Here at the Bed Bug Store, we talk a lot about how to find bed bugs, kill bed bugs, and prevent bed bugs from coming back after they’ve been a problem in your home. That’s why we have spent years formulating and perfecting the best natural bed bug killers on the market. Whether it’s our proven bed bug killing spray or long lasting bed bug dust, we have the natural remedies you need to get bed bugs OUT of your home without putting the health of your family or pets at risk.

All that being said, we know that most people would rather avoid encountering bed bugs in their personal life all together. Even though you may keep a sparkling clean home and are sure to only stay in the nicest hotels, there are no guarantees when it comes to bed bugs.

Cleanliness and the five-star rating of a particular building are of no consequence to your friendly neighborhood parasitic insect. All it takes to attract bed bugs to a certain place is the frequent presence of their favorite food: humans.

Yup, the sad truth is that YOU are the reasons bed bugs want to get inside your house. So how can you keep them from infiltrating your sanctuary (or hitching a ride to your home from other places when you travel)? Keep reading to find out.

7 Ways To Live A Bed Bug-Free Life

Keep in mind that none of these strategies can in any way guarantee that you won’t have to deal with bed bugs in your home at some point. However, if you manage to cover most of the tasks on this checklist on a regular basis, you’ll make great strides toward keeping bed bugs out or catching them before they begin to multiple.

Inspect Your Hotel Rooms

Remember that bed bugs can exist anywhere humans frequent. This includes public, shared places like hotel rooms (yes, even the fancy ones). When you travel, it’s essential that you protect your luggage with our bed bug encasements and inspect the room thoroughly before you unpack.

“When you get to a hotel room, check the headboard and box spring for signs of bugs,” explains Caitlin Moscatello for Redbook. “If you see anything, call the front desk and ask for a new room on a different floor. One buggy bed doesn't mean the place is overrun, but get some distance.”

Use Duffle Bags Instead Of Suitcases

Our luggage encasements do a good job of making it hard for bed bugs to hitch a ride home with you, but if you’re open to it, we’d highly recommend ditching the suitcases altogether. Duffle bags made of fabric are easy to toss in the washing machine when you get home, ensuring that any bugs who may have slipped through the cracks are drowned and heading down the sewer long before they have a chance to start laying eggs in your home.

Buy Mattress Covers

If your hotel mattress passes inspection, but you’re still not convinced that the room is bed bug-free, we encourage you to use our disposable, one-size-fits-all mattress covers to hedge your bets. Doing so will prevent any bed bugs that happen to be hiding in the mattress or box springs from making their way onto your body during the night.

At home, we recommend utilizing a mattress cover at the very first sighting of bed bugs or the first appearance of a bed bug bite on your body. Yes, even if you plan on trashing your mattress. The last thing you want is to sprinkle bed bugs or their eggs throughout your home while moving the mattress and box spring out.

Wash Everything After Traveling

Even if your hotel or Airbnb was pristine, you saw no evidence of bed bugs, and slept like a sweet baby angel every night, it’s imperative that you wash EVERYTHING after traveling. Those who have fought bed bugs in the past claim that the only way to be sure is to unpack suitcase in the garage, vacuum them out, and immediately deposit all clothing into the washing machine immediately. You may feel this is too extreme, but then, battling a bed bug infestation is pretty much the worst.

Double-Check Second Hand Goods

“While it's unlikely that orders from major retailers will be infested, items from home-based businesses (think eBay) or secondhand buys could be, White says. If you've bought clothes or linens, open boxes outside and launder the contents immediately,” continues Moscatello. The money you saved buying second hand isn’t worth the price you’ll pay when you have to replace everything because of a bed bug infestation. Trust us.

Be Careful With Your Coats

Jackets are the bed bug’s preferred way to hitch a ride to a new home. Their scraggly little legs are perfect for hooking into the fibers of a coat or jacket, and the pockets and lining are a great place for them to travel undetected. The best way to protect your outerwear is to avoid coat checks or closets in strange public places. Also, if you’re attending an event at someone’s home, avoid laying your coat on the host’s bed or couch. Instead, keep it with you or hang it on the back of a chair.

If You Can’t Wash It, Freeze It

We realize that not everything in your life can be tossed in the washing machine, so when in doubt, we recommend the freezing technique. Old books, second hand purses, electronics, and other goods can be placed plastic bags and then in the home freezer for a night or two to ensure that any creepy crawlies are DOA.

Of course, bed bugs could still end up in you home despite your best efforts to thwart them. That’s why we created this top of the line selection of natural bed bug killer products.

If you’ve got a problem, you’ll want it taken care of fast, and that’s where we can help. Using our natural bed bug killing sprays, dusts, traps, and mattress covers, you’ll be able to prevent your bed bug problem from getting out of control.

Shop our full selection online today!