Bed Bugs Got You Worried About Your Child's Next Sleepover? 3 Tips To Prevent An Infestation
Posted on: 31 October 2016
Now that school is back in session, it's time to start thinking about those weekend sleepovers that your kids will be invited to. Before you send your kids off to spend the night at a friend's house, take the time to make sure they're protected against bed bugs. If you hadn't thought about bed bugs, you should. If the home your child will be staying at has an infestation, you could end up with an infestation of your own, especially if you're not careful. Luckily, you don't have to quarantine your child. Here are three precautionary steps you can take to prevent bed bugs from following your child home from their next sleepover.
Have Them Take Take Their Own Bedding
You want your child to participate in social activities. You also want to protect them from bed bugs. If your child is going to a sleepover, make sure they have their own bedding. Providing your own will ensure that your child isn't using bedding that's infested with the bugs.
Send Them with a Plastic Bag
Your child will be taking pajamas and a change of clothing with them to the sleepover. Make sure their clothing is protected against bed bugs by sending them with a plastic clothes bag. As soon as your child changes clothes, have them place the discarded clothing in the plastic bag. This will ensure that their clothing doesn't linger on the floor where they're sleeping.The plastic bag can also be used to carry their bedding home in, as well. When your child returns home, have them take their plastic bag to the garage. It's also a good idea to have your child change out of the clothes that they're wearing.
Wash Their belongings as Soon as They Return
As soon as your child gets home from the sleepover, take all of their bedding and clothing to the washing machine. Carefully remove the items from their bags and place them in the washing machine. Once the wash cycle is complete, toss everything in the dryer and run them through the hot cycle to dry. Make sure you toss the plastic bags in the trash. This will ensure that any loose bed bugs get tossed out too.
Bed bugs are a real problem, but that shouldn't stop your child from going to the occasional sleepover. Use the tips provided here to keep bed bugs out of your house. If you do see signs of bed bugs – small spots of blood on your sheets or dark bugs the size of apple seeds on your mattresses – be sure to contact a pest control company as soon as possible.
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