While performing a bed bug treatment in your room, anyone needs to remove their clothing items from that room. But possibly you may not know exactly after what time you are allowed to enter the room to keep your clothes back.
So obviously you will think of a certain question that when can you put back your clothes after bed bug treatment. Therefore, let us read further to know the rationales.
When Can I Put Clothes Back After Bed Bug Treatment?
All the clothes should be put back in place inside the room two days or at least one day later after the bed bug treatment in any room in the home. And before putting back the clothes, all the clothing items should be washed and dried at the hottest temperature if the fabrics can safely tolerate it.
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After removing all the clothing items from suitcases, drawers, or cupboards, the clothes can be placed back in all storage in a room two days after performing the bed bug treatment.
If it’s not two days later then one should wait for at least one day to put back clothes in their respective place in a room.
It’s because after performing a bed bug treatment, the treatment needs time to function in a room properly to affect the bed bugs and their eggs so that it can terminate them.
However, before putting each clothing item back, everything should be washed and dried at the highest and hottest temperature to make sure there are no alive bugs or eggs latched on the clothes.
But put the clothes for washing and drying at the hottest temperature only if the fabric can safely endure it.
Tips To Manage Your Clothing and Stuff Before And During Bed Bug Treatment :
Some really effective tips on how you can manage your clothing and stuff before and during the bed bug treatment have been broken down for your further convenience.
Tips To Manage Your Clothing And Stuff Before Bed Bug Treatment
Remove All Clothing Items And Stuff:
The first and foremost thing you got to do is removing your all clothing items and other stuff. So take out your all clothes and others such as beddings, extra bedding items, curtains, blankets, shoes from your closet, dresser’s drawer, and closet shelves.
Sort Clothing Items And Others:
Pre-sort all the clothes and other items like blankets, sheets, curtains, pillowcases, rugs, throws, etc. that you have removed from the infested area.
Sort according to the washing instructions and keep them separately in separate plastic bags. And seal the bag to prevent any bed bugs to infest the clothing piece or other item.
Separate All Shoes:
Take out your shoes separately and clean them all thoroughly. But shoes that can’t tolerate laundering, leave them in the to the professionals for treatment.
Inspect Unwashable Items:
Stuff such as books, electronics, toys, etc. are unwashable. So inspect very thoroughly and vacuum to remove anything. Then remove these items separately using sealed plastic bags.
Vacuum Thoroughly:
Before you leave your house/room to the hand of pest controllers to perform bed bug treatment, you must vacuum thoroughly your mattress, spring box, chairs, couches, back and beneath of furniture, and upholsteries
Discard Vacuum Bag:
Lastly, discard the used vacuum bags in a trashcan outdoors. And keep your vacuum in a sealed plastic bag.
Tips To Manage Your Clothing And Stuff During Bed Bug Treatment
Wash All Clothes And Other Stuff:
During the bed bug treatment, wash all your clothes, pillowcases, bed sheets, curtains, and other beddings and washable stuff in hot water so that if there are any bugs, they will lose their life.
Dry In Hottest Temperature:
After washing all clothing and bedding items dry them at the highest and hottest temperature allowed for the clothing piece or bedding items or any other stuff.
Put stuffed pillows, stuffed toys, curtains, towels, etc. in the dryer setting the temperature at high for 39 minutes at least.
One Bag At One Time:
Just like you have separately packed all clothes, beddings, and stuff before the beginning of treatment, during the bed bug treatment you go to wash these items separately as one bag at one time too.
Check The Suitable Temperature:
Not all clothes can withstand hot water washing or drying at the highest temperature. So before you wash or dry any single piece of clothes, beddings, or others, check their suitable temperature and then put them for a wash or dry cleaning.
Double Bag The Items:
After washing, dry cleaning, and drying use double sealed bags to store each of your clothes, bedsheets, blanket, curtains, pillowcases, rugs, throws, and others.
Dispose of The Used Bags:
While cleaning and drying process, dispose of the plastic bags you have used to transfer the clothes and stuff.
What To Do After Bed Bug Heat Treatment?
Aftercare after a bed bug heat treatment is equally necessary to make the heat treatment successful and more beneficial. Well, here are the steps you should do take after the bed bug heat treatment.
Cool Down The Room:
The first step is cooling down the room where bed bug heat treatment has taken place. After the treatment, open all the windows and doors for air to re-entering your room for airing hot air out.
Wait For A Cool Temperature:
Either bring or wait for the area’s temperature to cool down and reach a tolerable temperature of 75° Fahrenheit. Wait for at least 10 hours for the place to cool off properly.
Start Cleaning:
Now that the temperature has cooled down, you can start cleaning to get rid of bugs and eggs from that area and your belongings.
First, start off with soft surfaces. Vacuum all the soft surfaces very meticulously and while vacuuming pay attention to outside crevasses because in such spots bed bugs hide.
Use any regular cleaning product to clean hard surfaces. But don’t just wipe out debris and outside but all wipe inside of the furniture.
Vacuum Every Crevice And Rifts:
Even though heat treatment has been performed, you must vacuum thoroughly all the crevices, rifts, and holes on the walls and furniture. Because bed bugs can hide those places or there you can find bed bugs and eggs.
Thoroughly Clean All Other Rooms:
Bed bugs can travel from one room to another so you must thoroughly clean all other rooms, wash all washable items, and clean the bathroom and kitchen area too. And keep vacuuming at least for four days.
Return Belongings:
After two days or at least one day, permanently move in that space again and keep back all the things too in their places but use sealed plastic bags to store them.
How Long After The Bed Bug Treatment Can I Put My Stuff Back?
You can put back your stuff after 2 days after the bed bug treatment. Or else, you must wait for at least one day to put back your stuff because the treatment takes quite a few hours/days to activate successfully and terminate the bed bugs.
Do You Have To Leave The House For Bed Bug Treatment?
During the bed bug treatment, you should leave the house. Especially if it’s a bed bug heat treatment or someone from your family has a weak immune system, you must leave the house.
When Can I Go Back Home After Bed Bug Treatment?
After a bed bug treatment, you can go back home 4-5 hours later. However, if you have a sick family member or someone with a weak immune system, you must talk to a doctor first then you should return home.
Should You Vacuum After Bed Bug Treatment?
You absolutely should vacuum after bed bug treatment because vacuuming will help you greeting rid of all the bed bugs that is not alive and their eggs. Also, you should vacuum other rooms and spaces thoroughly to prevent future infestation.
How Long After Bed Bug Treatment Can I Vacuum Or Mop?
Generally, you can start vacuuming after days but it would be safe if you start vacuuming or mopping after 3-5 days.
However, if your home/space has gone through a bed bug heat treatment then wait for at least 10 hours to start mopping/vacuuming. Or as long as the temperature hasn’t cooled down and reached 75° F.
Can Bed Bug Treatment Make You Sick?
Bed bug treatment can make you sick as in you will feel like throwing up, dizziness, or nausea. But it will happen to you only there was an excess insecticide application or the pesticide wasn’t cleaned properly after the treatment
Final Thoughts:
The bed bug treatment takes a good time to work properly on eliminating all the bed bugs and their eggs from any room/space. So it’s a must to wait for 2 days or a minimum of one day to put back clothes in their place. But each clothes and clothing item should be washed before putting back.