You have exterminated and eliminated your bed bug problem with a heat treatment. Now what? Clean up. The experts at PrevSol Bed Bug Heat Doctor are here to help make sure your hotel, vacation rental, or home is perfectly cleaned and no trace of bed bugs are left behind after you heat treat. Just follow our simple steps.
When to Start Cleaning After Having Bed Bugs
You can start cleaning as soon as the treatment is done. We recommend opening up the room to cool it down once the treatment is complete, which should be 6-10 hours after starting. Open windows, doors, and any closed vents to lower the temperature of the room until it is tolerable and safe for people to be in. Make sure to keep sprinkler covers on until the room cools to prevent them from going off. Once the room has reached about 75 degrees it is safe to start cleaning and sprinkler covers can be removed.
Since PrevSol Bed Bug Heat Doctor’s bed bug heaters do not use any chemicals, you can use any cleaning products and won’t need to worry, as these will not affect the treatment that has already occurred. We recommend using your normal cleaning products since you already know these are safe on the surfaces within the affected area.
What Products You Can Use
Unlike chemical extermination, heat treating does not leave behind residual chemicals as all bed bugs and their larvae are killed during the heating process.
Safe to use cleaning products after heat treating for bed bugs:
• Steam cleaning
• Shampooing carpets
• Sun exposure
• Glass cleaner
• Furniture cleaner
• Soapy water
• Clorox wipes
• Dust remover
Soft Surfaces
All bedding, pillows, blankets, bed spreads, and bed skirts should have been removed from the bed prior to heat treating the room, so all there should be left to clean is the mattress and box spring. Take your vacuum and thoroughly clean each side of the mattress and box spring using the upholstery attachment to remove any bed bug remnants. Make sure to pay special attention to the outside crevasses, as bed bugs like to burrow down there. Reddish-brown spots may be visible on the mattress. To clean those, use an upholstery cleaner found at any store, a mixture of dish detergent and warm water, or peroxide.
Hard Surfaces
Wipe down all hard surfaces, like furniture, with its normal cleaning product. Push all excess debris onto the floor. Don’t forget to clean the inside – this is a common spot where bed bugs were probably once hiding. It may be easier to take the vacuum hose and suck out anything that was left behind inside drawers and furniture cubbies. When cleaning, keep in mind that bed bugs can fit anywhere a credit card can.
After cleaning the furniture, move on to the baseboards. Slowly vacuum the top by the wall, then go around the room and vacuum the bottom. Using your preferred cleaner, wipe down all the baseboards and trim in the affected area. The final step is vacuuming the floor to remove all remaining bed bug debris.
Have Further Questions?
If you have any questions about heat treating or cleaning the affected area, contact us! We have years of bed bug knowledge and know the best tips and tricks to ensure your extermination and cleaning method works the first time!