Home »Bed Bug Tips » Buying used furniture? Here’s how to check used furniture for bed bugs. In today’s economy, everyone wants to save money. Buying used furniture or getting used furniture for free from a friend or relative can really save you serious bucks. But, there’s a catch: bed bugs. One of the single most common ways to get bed bugs in your home is through buying used furniture and bringing it into your home. Given the average cost of a bed bug treatments by a professional often exceeds a thousand dollars, it’s definitely best to insure the furniture you’re buying does not have bed bugs. To avoid having your home infested with bed bugs, it’s preferable to avoid buying used furniture or bringing used furniture in your home all together. However, we understand that this isn’t always practical or realistic. Therefore, inspecting any used furniture for signs of bed bugs before you bring the furniture into your home is critically important.
Even bringing used furniture with bed bugs into your home for just a few minutes can be the beginning of a bed bug infestation that will cost you time, sleep, sanity, and money! Inspect used furniture for bed bugs Whenever you find or are offered used furniture, the very first you should do is thoroughly inspect it for bed bugs. Be prepared, this could offend some people, but that is just the reality we live in today. Here’s how to inspect used furniture for bed bugs: Bring some white latex gloves, a magnifying glass, flashlight, and an inexpensive white sheet with you to inspect the furniture. Spread the white sheet on a flat surface, and place the furniture on the bed sheet. The white sheet will help you see bed bugs or signs of bed-bugs if they fall on the ground. Use your fingers, or preferably a credit card, run the edge of the card over the furniture’s surface. Then use your fingers or the edge of the card through any creases, cracks or grooves in the furniture.
Remember, bed bugs like to hid in small tight spaces, so running the card through these areas is critical to performing a thorough inspection. Watch for signs of bed bugs on your gloves or on the white sheet. Signs can include feces (which will be dark red stains), old skin, or bed bugs themselves. Use the magnifying glass to inspect anything remotely questionable. Use the flashlight to highlight and inspect any hidden or dark areas of the furniture. Again, these are the locations where bed bugs like to hide. They are generally not out in the open where they are easily seen. If you see any bed bugs or even signs of bed bugs, do not bring the furniture home. Treating used furniture for bed bugs Assuming you’ve done a thorough inspection, and haven’t found any signs of bed bugs, we still highly recommend treating the used furniture for bedbugs. Bring the furniture home, but do not bring it inside your home yet. Go ahead and place the plastic bag in your dryer and rip it open.
Leave the covers in the dryer and dispose of the bag in an outside trashcan. Run the covers in your dryer on high heat for at least 30-60 minutes. We recommend doing this twice. Thoroughly vacuum the furniture, including all crevices, seams, folds and hidden areas. Immediately remove the vacuum bag and place it in a tied plastic trash bag in an outside trashcan. Using a bed bug spray, spray down the furniture, insuring all areas are covered. Be sure to follow the detailed instructions that come with the spray. Allow the furniture to completely dry. If you prefer not to use a spray, you can cover the couch with Diatomaceous earth, steam treat or heat treat the furniture too. If you use Diatomaceous earth, allow the furniture to sit outside for a few days. Used furniture bed bug tips Avoid taking used furniture from dumps or furniture left on the road side. Furniture like this is generally thrown away for good reason, and bed bugs are often why. Avoid bringing used furniture into your home from high risk bed bug areas of the country, such as New York city.
Avoid used mattresses and box springs all together. They just aren’t worth the risk! Interested in learning more about how to keep bed bugs out of your home? Check out our Bed Bug Prevention page. Get FREE Local Bed Bug Exterminator Quotes Fill out our simple and easy form, and get FREE and LOCAL bed bug exterminator quotes sent straight to your inbox. Where do Bed Bugs Hide? Bed Bugs Rash and Bite Symptoms How To Find Bed Bugs In Your Home Bed bug heat treatment – The EssentialsLet friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterestPosted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Log InSubscribed, but don't have a login?Register your digital access.Buying a used mattress might not be such a good dealI love a good deal. I love thrift stores and garage sales, and I will openly brag about my amazing finds.It feels good to save money! But sometimes you must ask yourself — at what cost?It's an important question when considering certain goods that may have been used before.
Sometimes, it can be tough know the history of what you're looking at, especially if it's being marketed as new. It's a big challenge when it comes to mattresses.A used mattress may save you money, but it also could cost you big time in the end, because of issues you may not be able to see with the naked eye.""Pet dander, bodily fluids, dust mites and other allergens can cause respiratory problems and also allergic reactions. And then, of course, bed bugs."It makes you itch just to read this, doesn't it?These little buggers can take a huge bite out of your wallet if you don't know that they've hitched a ride into your home through that used mattress. They can hide in the seams or in your box spring. You may not even know they're there until they announce themselves with red, itchy bites all over your body."You sort of have to weigh the difference," Smith said. "The cost savings in getting the used mattress vs. what you could be bringing into your home and what you may have to pay to get rid of that."
But what if you think you're buying a new mattress? It happens more than you think. The Federal Trade Commission continues to warn about used mattresses being passed off as new in stores across the country. And you can't let the heavy plastic around the mattress fool you. It could still be used.So, how do you know for sure? The FTC says you should look at the tag. In most cases, a new mattress has a white tag that says "All new materials." If you see a red or yellow tag, then it's probably used. You may also see certain words indicating it's used: sanitized, rebuilt or reconditioned.Federal law requires mattresses with used materials to be labeled as such.If there's no tag, the FTC says you should shop elsewhere. If you're not sure, federal officials suggest you ask the retailer to write the word "new" on your sales receipt. If it turns out that mattress is used, you'll have a stronger case on down the line.But, as Smith said, it's all about being an educated consumer."With all purchases, I think you have to do your research," she said.