If you have bed bugs that gnaw at you at night, then dark spots left by these parasites can be seen on the mattress, bedding and pillows. Cold wash will help remove small, fresh stains. More serious contamination will need to be pretreated with an enzymatic bleaching agent and / or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. Whatever you do, do not expose items to heat until you have tried all the possible ways to remove stains.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Urgent Bed Bug Control
Step 1. Locate bedbug nests
If you do not destroy the nests of bedbugs, insect bites and stains on the bedding will pester you. Look for insects and insects in and around the bed, in drawers of bedside tables, in cabinets, behind and under furniture, and in curtains.
- The flashlight will help you get a better view of the insects and their eggs. Bed bugs are small enough brown insects. Their clutches are often clusters of eggs.
- Bedbugs love to hide in crevices, corners and other recesses. Carpets, clothing and other textiles can be infected with bed bugs.
Step 2. Kill bed bugs with heat and cold
Textile items need to be washed at 50 ° C to kill bed bugs, but you will need to wash several times before all insects are completely eradicated. If you hold textiles for two weeks at temperatures below freezing, it will also destroy bedbugs.
- Small and large items can also be packed in special anti-parasitic covers. They can be sold in large supermarkets and online stores.
- Serious bed bug infestations may require the use of chemicals or a sanitary inspection to remove the insects.
Step 3. Soak the stains with cold water immediately upon detection
Stains from blood, crushed bugs and their excrement have an important common characteristic - they are all organic. Cold water allows you to loosen the adhesion of organics to the material so that stains do not stick. Conversely, hot water will only fix these stains.
Step 4. Closely monitor the condition of problem areas where bugs have been identified to prevent re-infestation of the house with parasites
Eggs and insects that go unnoticed can cause repeated infestations of bedbugs. Bed bugs tend to colonize in certain areas, so keep an eye on those areas that have been most infested so that you can take timely action if the problem recurs.
Method 2 of 3: Washing and staining bed linen
Step 1. Pre-treat stains with Enzyme Fabric Bleach
Apply the bleach directly to the stains. Check the information on the bleach label for how long it should last on stains.
- In most cases, it is advisable to wait 30 minutes after treating the stains before starting to wash.
- Enzyme bleach is available at most hardware stores and supermarkets.
Step 2. Wash your laundry as usual by setting the washing machine for a cold cycle
Add a regular dose of detergent and bleach to the washing machine, then load it with laundry and run a full cycle in cold water. This cycle will prevent organic proteins from adhering to the fabric, increasing the chances that stains will come off.
Step 3. Spot the remaining stains with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
Before applying peroxide, be aware that it can sometimes lighten the color of the fabric. If stains remain on the laundry after washing, apply an equal amount of peroxide and ammonia and blot with a clean cloth until they come off.
To prevent premature wear of the fabric, blot stains for only about 10-15 minutes. Longer exposure times will damage the tissue
Step 4. Air dry the fabric, then repeat the stain removal process if necessary
Dry textiles away from the sun and heating appliances. When the garments are dry, if necessary, treat the remaining stains in the same way as before: dampen them in cold water, treat them with enzyme bleach, wash them on a cold wash cycle and spot with peroxide and ammonia. After all these procedures, the stains will most likely disappear.
Particularly stubborn or stubborn stains may never come off completely. You may be able to wipe them off after the third round of all procedures, but this may not be the best way to affect the condition of the fabric
Step 5. Alternatively dry the laundry in a tumble dryer on a low temperature
Set the tumble dryer to the lowest heat setting if you cannot leave the laundry to dry on its own. Once it is dry, it can be removed. Treat bed bug stains with this method as soon as possible after they appear to prevent them from sticking to the fabric.
Method 3 of 3: Removing stains from the mattress
Step 1. Use a dry washcloth to wipe fresh stains off the mattress
If the stains are fresh and damp, a dry terry cloth (or better, a microfiber cloth) will draw out the moisture. Together with the moisture, you will collect some of the blood and excrement, which will simplify the further process of removing stains.
Step 2. Spray light spots with cold water and hand soap
You may be able to remove light stains by simply blotting with a clean cloth dampened with water and a drop of hand soap. As the stains recede, switch to using clean areas of the cloth to keep the dirt from spreading throughout the mattress.
Step 3. Treat serious stains with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
Mix equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia in a spray bottle and thoroughly moisten the stains with it, then blot them with a cotton towel. Limit exposure to peroxide and ammonia to 10-15 minutes to prevent damage to the mattress.
Spread dry borax powder in a thin layer over any stains that won't come off after the previous step. Lightly rub the borax into the stains with a clean terry cloth
Step 4. Repeat the cleaning process if necessary
Allow the mattress to dry completely in a shaded area with good ventilation. If stains persist after the mattress is dry, spot again with cold water and hand soap and then with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to remove any dirt.
- If the fabric is exposed to more than two cleaning cycles, it may not have the best effect on its condition, lead to deformation and fading.
- Adequate air ventilation will help prevent musty odors and shorten the drying time of the mattress.
- If you are in a hurry to dry your mattress, direct a fan or hairdryer set to work with cold air at it. Avoid applying heat when dealing with bed bug stains.
Advice
- Always keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide on hand. Peroxide is an excellent natural stain remover.
- After removing all bed bugs, clean the entire house thoroughly.
- If you are not sure that you can remove bedbugs on your own, contact the sanitary and epidemiological station.
- If you find bed bug stains on wooden bed parts, simply wipe them off with a cloth dampened with cold water and a liquid soap such as dishwashing detergent.
- Do not expose the fabric to heat until you've done your best to remove stains from it.