One of the many questions you may ask when you have a bed bug infestation is whether you should throw away your mattress or not.
In short, no, you should not throw away your mattress just because you are suffering from a bed bug infestation. In this article I’ll explain why and what you need to do instead.
Why you may think of throwing away your mattress
Here are some misconceptions about bed bug infestations that may make you consider throwing away your mattress. These misconceptions need to die so you don’t even think about throwing away the very thing you sleep on.
Misconception #1: Bed bugs only live in mattresses
Bed bugs live in beds, so the best way to get rid of them is to get rid of the beds, right? No, not really. This is a common misconception that has risen because of the name of the pests – bed bugs.
Bed bugs do live in beds, but those are not just the places where they can thrive. They can live in closets, floorboards, furniture, walls, and many other places. It’s ridiculous to even think that throwing away your mattress will get rid of your bed bug problem.
Misconception #2: Bed bug-infested mattresses are a lost cause
You can’t fully get rid of bed bugs in beds, so it’s best to just throw away the beds, right? No, not really. Beds can be cleared of bed bugs using proper elimination techniques.
You can use vacuuming to get rid of the bed bugs. Just make sure to throw away the vacuum bag in a trash bin that is not inside your home to avoid re-infestation. You can also use steam cleaning. Bed bugs easily die in high heat.
But these techniques are only for the bed bugs themselves and not their eggs. To get rid of the eggs, you can try encasing. This is where you isolate the bed by putting it inside an encasement. Once the eggs hatch, the new bed bugs will starve to death because of the bed’s isolation.
Misconception #3: Throwing away your mattress will prevent the spread of the bed bugs in your home
As said earlier, bed bugs can thrive not just in your bed, but also in other parts of your home. Getting rid of your bed doesn’t necessarily stop the spreading of the bed bug infestation.
In fact, throwing away your mattress can actually contribute to the spread of the little pests. When you throw away your mattress, you will have to move it to other parts of your home until you can finally put it out. This can expose other parts of your home to the bed bugs and these parts can be new settlements for these pests.
Why throwing away your mattress is not a good idea
Here are some reasons why throwing away your mattress is not a good idea, even if you are suffering from a bed bug infestation.
Reason #1: It doesn’t solve your bed bug problem
As explained earlier, bed bugs don’t just live in beds, so throwing away your mattress will not solve your problem. The process of throwing away your mattress will also include dragging it to different parts of your home. This can introduce the bed bugs to more parts of your home where they can thrive.
So, if you throw away your mattress, you just don’t solve the problem, as you also make it worse.
Reason #2: Replacing a bed can be expensive
Look at your current bed and ask yourself how much you have spent on it. Don’t consider just the mattress. Also consider the bed frame, box spring, and the headboard and footboard. Bed sets can go up to $1,000, especially for those that involve queen size beds.
Are you sure you want to just throw away that worth of furniture? The replacement will cost you the same amount of money or even more.
Reason #3: Your bed replacement can still be infested by bed bugs
You are not just shelling out money for a new bed set. You are also risking the new bed set into getting bed bugs. That’s a lose-lose situation.
Throwing away your mattress doesn’t solve your problem. The bed bugs in your home may still be thriving in other spots. These bed bugs can then find new refuge to your new bed set.
Things you can do instead of throwing away your mattress
If you are suffering from a bed bug infestation, here are some things you can do instead of throwing away your mattress.
Action #1: Get rid of the bed bugs in your mattress
A bed bug-infested mattress is not a lost cause. You can actually get rid of the bed bugs and their eggs. You can try vacuuming and steam cleaning to get rid of the bed bugs. You can try encasing the mattress to let the eggs hatch and the new bed bugs starve to death.
These techniques will save you some money you could have spent on buying a replacement.
Action #2: Get rid of the bed bugs all over your home
Having a bed bug-free mattress is useless if other parts of your home are infested with bed bugs. Your mattress will just be re-infested.
It’s best practice to get rid of bed bugs in your entire home altogether. Aside from vacuuming, steam cleaning, and encasing, you can try using pesticides.
Please make sure you are using pesticides that are specifically designed for such pests. Also make sure you are using them as directed or labelled. You don’t want too much pesticide exposure, especially on places where you frequent, like your bed or furniture.
It’s also not a bad idea to employ the services of a pest exterminator, just to be safe and sure.
Action #3: Prevent a bed bug re-infestation
A bed bug infestation can be one of the most annoying experiences you can have at home. You don’t want to experience it again, so it’s best to prevent re-infestation.
You can apply residual powder on carpets, walls, and cracks where lone bed bugs can still hide. You can also wash and heat all your clothes and other belongings, as they could be unsuspecting carriers of hitchhiking bed bugs.