Aftercare

Now that the treatment is complete, let’s focus on keeping those bugs from coming back. These little hitchhikers probably got into your space via friends, family, work, school, or even a medical visit. To stop them from returning, be sure to stick closely to our post-care instructions.

Personal Care

Upon returning home after the treatment, immediately strip down to your undergarments in a garage, porch, or bathtub before showering. Place the clothes you wore that day into a bag and take them straight to the washer. Shoes & purses should be placed in the freezer long enough for a water bottle to freeze. This prevents you from bringing bed bugs back and risking cross-contamination of the treated area. Follow this routine for the next couple of weeks, as locations you regularly visit could be places where you previously carried bugs or might pick them up again.

Untreated Items

You have three options for reintroducing untreated items into your home. You can wash and dry them, freeze them for a duration long enough to freeze a water bottle, or spray them with rubbing alcohol of 80% or higher concentration. This ensures the items are treated and prevents reintroducing bed bugs into your home.

Vacuum, Carpet Cleaning, & Mopping

Wait at least two weeks before doing any heavy mopping or carpet cleaning to preserve the residual effect of our treatment as long as possible. This barrier can help catch any new bed bugs you might bring in, preventing another outbreak. Vacuum as soon as possible after the treatment to remove old evidence and make it easier to spot any new signs of bed bugs. While we typically vacuum post-treatment, doing it again yourself ensures a more thorough cleanup.

Bed Bug Certified Mattress & Box spring Encasements

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Steer clear of plastic mattress protectors, which can be uncomfortable and prone to tearing. Opt for bed bug-certified mattress encasements made of fabric, featuring a zipper that fully encloses the bed. These are ideal for monitoring signs like pepper-like speckling, blood stains, or visible bugs, while also preventing bed bugs from hiding in hard-to-see or hard-to-reach spots. They offer a fresh start, making it easier to differentiate old evidence from new and acting as an early warning system for bed bug activity

Family & Friends

For the next couple of weeks, please restrict visits from family and friends until we’re certain the issue is resolved. While it may be tough to avoid seeing loved ones, this precaution ensures they don’t inadvertently bring bed bugs to your home or pick them up from you. This is particularly important if they visited you or you went to their place before our treatment

Bedding & Clothing

Now is the time to gather and wash any bedding or clothing we may have disturbed or moved during the treatment process. Depending on the volume of items, it might not be practical to wash and dry everything beforehand. Any items that were outside the treatment area should be brought inside in bags and loaded directly into the washer.

How do I know the bugs are gone?

After treatment, keep a close watch over the next couple of weeks. Look out for signs such as pepper-like speckling, blood stains, and shell casings. Don’t be alarmed if you notice bites post-treatment—studies show bed bug bites can appear up to two weeks later. However, bites aren’t a sure sign of an ongoing infestation, as up to 30% of people don’t react to them. For peace of mind, I recommend contacting a bed bug-sniffing canine service to verify our work, especially before your warranty expires. I’m so confident in our treatment that I always encourage a second opinion. While human inspections are only 30-40% accurate—since bed bugs have six life stages, with the first three being tiny and sometimes transparent if unfed, making them tough to spot for even a trained professional—a canine offers 95% accuracy. They can detect even a single live bed bug, making them the ideal way to double-check our efforts.