Step 4: Eliminating the Bedbugs
Once you’ve prepped your home, it’s time to tackle the bedbugs head-on. Here’s how you can go about it:
Wash Bedding and Clothes
Begin with laundering your bedding, linens, and clothes in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Follow this with a cycle in the dryer on the highest heat setting for another 30 minutes. The extreme temperatures are lethal to bedbugs, killing them effectively. This method is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to deal with items frequently in contact with bedbugs. [2]
Use a Steamer
Steam can penetrate fabrics and cracks where bedbugs hide, delivering heat treatment that kills these pests on contact. Mattresses, sofas, and other furniture can be treated with a high-heat steam cleaner. This method is handy for large items that cannot be easily washed or for areas where chemical treatments are undesirable.
