Bed Bugs—Reduce Risk While Thrift Shopping - Oklahoma State University (2024)

FAQs

How do you prevent bed bugs when thrifting? ›

No one wants bed bugs! Here are some simple ways to prevent the spread of bed bugs when you donate, receive or purchase used items. Donate only clean items in good condition that are free of bed bugs, other pests and contaminants. Wash or dry-clean clothing, and sort and bag it appropriately.

Bed Bugs and Thrift Shops

Bed bugs are great hitchhikers. They can be brought into thrift stores on clothing, furniture and other used items from bed bug-infested homes. Bed bugs are very good at hiding and sometimes very difficult to find. Tiny holes, cracks and upholstery seams are often bed bug hiding places.

You can get bed bugs from any thrift store that doesn't take anti-pest measures. Goodwill doesn't launder clothes to kill bed bugs, or use bed bug spray. You're most likely to get bed bugs from bedroom furniture. Clothes are also a potential bed bug transmission vector.

Product Details. Hygea Natural Bed Bug Laundry additive is a necessary step when dealing with bed bugs. Bed bugs are known to hide in mattresses, covers, clothing, furniture, outlets and anywhere away from your eye. Use to treat bed bugs from clothing, linens, drapes and other washable, machine-safe items.

Washing and drying your clothes and linens in hot water is an effective way to prevent and kill bed bugs and their eggs. It's also important to wash and dry any other washable fabrics in your home, including items like couch covers.

Technically, bed bugs are unlikely to live on the clothes you're wearing, but they can quickly take up residence on items in a suitcase, and even what's in your drawers or on your floor.

Most secondhand stores don't wash the clothes before selling them. Donations are typically washed before they're donated, but we still recommend giving them a good cleaning when you get home. Even if the clothes are washed before they hit the thrift store floor, people will have since touched them.

In its annual list of the worst bedbug cities in the U.S., pest control company Orkin ranked Chicago as No. 1 for the third year in a row, followed by New York and Philadelphia, which traded spots compared to last year.

Bed bugs can live and survive on clothes stored or packed away, not only for a few days but for months. Even without food, the parasites can live for up to three months. There's also a possibility that one single insect can breed, spreading the infestation.

Can bed bugs spread person to person? Bed bugs, unlike lice, don't travel directly on people and spread from person to person. But they can travel on people's clothes. In this way, people can spread bed bugs to others, without even knowing it.

Can bed bugs live on towels? ›

As for towels, there aren't likely to be any bed bugs in them anyway. The only way that bed bugs would get into towels is if you had a big pile of them that you hardly ever used. If so, consider keeping them boxed up just like your clothes. This will stop infestations before they start.

If you suspect you have a bed bug infestation, you might be unhappy to find that bed bugs can thrive just about anywhere. They have a soft spot for fluffy fabrics with lots of folds and cushy places to hide. But they also party in cracks in grout, under your box spring, and in your dresser drawers.

Clean up the bed bugs or eggs using a solution of dish washing liquid and water. Spray the bugs you see with the soapy water to slow them down. Pick them up and place them in a bowl of soapy water where they will drown.

Bed bugs are pretty nimble to escape through the vacuum hose and still survive inside the vacuum for months even without food!

Washing linens and other items in hot water has proven to be effective in killing bed bugs. Although this may not get rid of your infestation entirely, it can lessen the severity of your problem.

You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.

Bed bugs can hitchhike from home to home through laundromats.

Even if you choose an item from an undisturbed pile, bed bugs could still find their way onto clothing. Pay particular attention to the inside seams, looking for any signs of sticky white eggs, shed skins and the bugs themselves.

Bedbugs aren't adapted to live in your hair, but it's possible a bedbug could end up in your hair after biting your scalp. Finding bugs in your hair is much more likely a sign of head lice. An over-the-counter or prescription medication can usually treat head lice.

How do you disinfect thrifted clothes? ›

If in doubt about a piece, stick with hand-washing or put it on the gentlest cycle with cold or warm water instead of hot. To disinfect thrift store clothes entirely, you can also add some vinegar to your washing process with a natural and safe laundry detergent. After taking your washed clothes out, avoid the dryer.

Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is specially designed to sanitize your laundry and to kill 99.9% of bacteria*. It can be used on most washable fabrics including: Baby Clothes, Gym Clothes, Undergarments, Towels, Bedding, and Delicates.

Bed bugs are most active between midnight and 3 am. They are rarely active during daylight hours, and only come out when attracted by the warmth and carbon dioxide released from a body at rest.

Bed bugs live throughout the year, but there is a particular time during each year when bed bug infestations become more common. In normal years, bed bug “season” peaks in the months of August and September when most families have returned from their travels, and bugs have a chance to gain a foothold.

Terminix based its rankings on the number of requests received from each city in 2021*. The top 50 cities for bed bug infestations in the United States are: 1. Los Angeles, Calif.

Bed bugs are drawn to the CO2 released from humans breathing, so typically bite exposed areas on the arms, face and neck. And yet, they can burrow through clothing, so bites can also appear on the rest of the body. Some people report they get bitten under the elastic waistband of their PJ bottoms or underwear.

Bed bugs can live for as long as 4.5 months or more in an empty house before completely dying off. The two primary factors that determine how quickly or slowly the bed bugs could die off are the existence of a blood meal host, and the temperature of the house.

Do bed bugs live in carpet? They certainly can. Bed bugs are tricky to spot, but if you find them living in your carpeting, you're likely facing a severe pest problem.

They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.

Can bed bugs live in your car? ›

It's possible that bed bugs can get into your car on your clothes, luggage, furniture, or other items where they live. But it's unlikely that bed bugs will find their way to your car by themselves, which means car infestations are rare. If you do find bed bugs in your car, a thorough cleaning should get rid of them.

While bedbugs tend to be nocturnal, they may come out during the day if they are looking for a blood meal. Bed bugs are so small and light that it is almost impossible for you to notice them crawling on you when you are asleep. If you are awake, the sensation may be similar to an ant crawling on your skin.

Bar soap under mattress for bed bugs

A bar of soap under your mattress could help deter bed bugs from infiltrating your abode. But, not just any old bar soap will do! Bed bugs aren't huge fans of cedar or peppermint scents. A bar of Grove Co.'s Hydrating Bar Soap in cedar + sage or peppermint will do the trick.

Placing a plastic bag of items in a freezer will also work to exterminate the bed bugs. By leaving a bag in the freezer at 0 degrees for 2-3 days, you can feel confident that the bed bug adults, eggs, and nymphs have died.

Bug bugs live in plastic, and considering adults can survive approximately five months without feeding, this removal method is not effective. Not to mention that by simply placing bed bugs in plastic bags haphazardly, you risk spreading the infestation from one location to another.

Though they aren't actually contagious, these pesky parasites are easily carried on personal and household items. Waiting until the time is right and hiding where they can, bed bugs travel on clothes and belongings to get as close as possible to people where and when they rest.

If you've already gone inside your home, use a steamer to clean the carpets, drapes, linens, and mattress. Wrap your mattress in a bed bug proof cover. Place bedbug interceptors on the feet of your bed for a few nights just to be sure you killed everything.

Bleach contains hypochlorite, an ingredient that kills bed bugs. Bleach is a sodium hypochlorite solution, according to Terminix. It has a pH of 11 and breaks down proteins to render them defective. If the bleach makes direct contact with the bed bugs and their eggs, their bodies will absorb the acid, killing them.

Toothpaste: menthol contained in toothpaste is said to be a good anti-itch remedy. Apply a generous amount to the bite to soothe the burning sensation and relieve the itching. Witch Hazel: provides a mild anesthetic effect that helps to calm the itching caused by bites.

Sprinkle talcum powder around the bed bug hotspots such as underneath bedroom furniture. Similar to baking soda, it is believed that talcum powder will get rid of bed bugs by causing them to dehydrate. Create a trap by putting some talcum powder in a bowl and placing it underneath your bed.

Why do you spray alcohol on a bed? ›

Isopropyl alcohol can kill bedbugs. It can kill the bugs themselves, and it can kill their eggs. But before you start spraying, you should be aware that using rubbing alcohol on a bedbug infestation is inefficient and can even be dangerous.

The main reason for not using alcohol on your mattress is that it is highly flammable. Isopropyl alcohol is extremely volatile. Although it dries out in minutes, it leaves traces on your furniture, box springs mattress, and clothes.

Many of these ingredients are disinfectants and sanitizing agents. While they are effective against bacteria and germs, they are not good at attracting and killing insects like bed bugs. They are toxic when ingested, but bed bugs would never be enticed enough to try and eat it therefore it would be ineffective.

Bugs that do survive the suction and stay alive in the vacuum bag can crawl out. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister when done vacuuming so that they don't have the chance to get out. Discard in regular trash bags, and then spray bug killer into the bag or cover/seal it to make sure the bugs die.

MYTH: Bed bugs only come out in the dark, sleeping with the light on will prevent me from getting bitten. FACT: Bed bugs activity level has nothing to do with the amount of light in a room. Instead, bed bugs adapt their activity level to the schedule of the host to amplify their feeding time.

Bed bugs hiding in books might sound like a ridiculous problem, but it's definitely possible. Bed bugs are very small (a fully grown bed bug is about the size of an apple seed), so it's entirely possible for one to sneak into a book.

Looking for Signs of Bed Bugs

Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.

Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells. This is so that they can easily attack and feed off of you! Even just the threat of these scents will keep them away from your house for good.

Dryer sheets are believed to act as a repellent due to their strong scent. This guide will walk you through the process of using dryer sheets to help deter bed bugs. However, it's important to note that using dryer sheets alone will not completely eliminate a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs live throughout the year, but there is a particular time during each year when bed bug infestations become more common. In normal years, bed bug “season” peaks in the months of August and September when most families have returned from their travels, and bugs have a chance to gain a foothold.

What is the number one cause of bed bugs? ›

Traveling. Traveling both domestically and internationally is the number one cause of bed bug infestations. Places with high turnover rates, such as hotels, motels, and Airbnb's are prime spots for picking up bed bugs.

Despite the statistics, the chance of encountering bedbugs in any given hotel room is “pretty darn unlikely,” said Michael Potter, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky. Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure you don't run into bedbugs on your trip.

As a matter of fact, they can stay alive on your clothes for as long as 10 days. During this time, they may lay hundreds of eggs. And after the eggs have been laid, you will discover that the bugs have already started growing again. They will continue to feed until the new ones have grown old enough to be killed.

Can bed bugs spread person to person? Bed bugs, unlike lice, don't travel directly on people and spread from person to person. But they can travel on people's clothes. In this way, people can spread bed bugs to others, without even knowing it.

You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.

Procter & Gamble, who makes Bounce dryer sheets, issued a statement saying this same thing. And in terms of killing bed bugs, most academic resources, including Rutgers University, state that dryer sheets are not effective.

Dryer sheets are designed to provide a pleasant scent to laundry, not to repel insects, so any insect-repellent properties may wear off quickly. In summary, while some people claim that dryer sheets can repel mosquitoes, there is little scientific evidence to support this claim.

At least weekly, maybe more depending on your situation. Wash your bed linen weekly. Avoid shagpile carpet or rugs and if your allergies are bad, avoid carpet in the bedroom altogether.