5 simple steps to getting rid of bed bugs in your Sofa bed

Although they are called BED bugs, these pesky bugs are not confined only to beds. They can be found anywhere in your house including your sofa bed, sofa, in your luggage and even in your clothes. This is because they are bugs that can easily migrate from place to place. As horrible as this sounds there are a few ways that you can firstly identify whether you have them and how to get rid of them too. As soon as you identify these things it's important to act fast to get rid of them so your sofa bed and every other space in your home can be bed bug-free. Read on for some simple steps to do this!

There are a few signs that will tell you whether you have bed bugs in your home. Normally you will know if you are being affected by them if you have hives on your skin, especially on your back or on the back of your legs. These hives can be itchy and are visibly noticeable. You may also notice small pecks of blood on your clothes or on fabrics in your home.

Here are some signs of a bed bug infestation:

• Actual bedbugs - Adult Bedbugs are reddish brown , oval shaped and flat. Look out for whether they are rounded as this means they have recently bitten a person. Make sure to check for bed bugs that have recently hatched from the egg, these are very small and hard to see as they are translucent.
• Bed bug eggs  - these are a milky white colour and a similar size to a grain of rice. They can normally be found in dark spaces so they can stay there until hatching
• Dried Blood - Specks of dried or fresh blood on fabrics means that they have been feeding.
• Insect skins - Translucent shed skins that will look similar to the actual bed bug but not moving.
• Excrement - black pots or think black lines 

If alarm bells are ringing because you have noticed these things already, then it is time to do a full inspection of your home for these tiny insects. This will help you to know for sure whether there is an infestation of them. 

How to inspect for bed bugs

To make the process easier make sure to have ready, a flashlight, Double-sided tape, a few heavy plastic bags, a magnifying glass, an old credit card or some plastic that is as thin and some rubber gloves. 

Now using these tools follow the following steps as you begin your search  

Step 1:

Wrap the old credit card with double sided tape. The stickiness of the tape with pick up evidence in spaces that are tight and narrow such as the seams of your sofa bed or futon. 

Step 2:

Put on your rubber gloves. This is to protect your skin from anything you might find. 

Step 3:

Remove all slip covers or additional items that are on the sofa bed.

Step 4:

Inspect all parts of your Sofa bed. These steps can apply for your upholstered ottoman bed, futon your hybrid mattress or any other furniture in your bedroom or living room. Use your magnifying glass and flashlight to inspect every part for any signs of bugs. Look at the seams, the edges of the pillows and any zippers. Check the hidden parts of the Sofa bed as these bugs like to hide in dark places and come out to feed when a person is present. 

Step 5:

If you notice there is activity on any of the additional pieces such as the pillows after inspecting place the items in the heavy plastic bag. This is to stop them spreading to other pieces of furniture . Set the bag aside as you inspect the rest of your sofa bed .

 

How to get rid of the bed bugs

Now you have established whether there is an infestation it's time to sort the problem. Here are some more steps on what to do 

Step 1:

Place anything that can be washed in your washing machine. Wash the items with a high temperature and tumble dry on high heat . This will kill the development of any existing or future bed bugs.  

Step 2:

Vacuum the remainder of your sofa bed in every surface or crevice. You should use a vacuum with the highest possible suction to catch as much residue as you can. A vacuum with a HEPA filter (A highly efficient absorbing filter) is a good choice for this activity.

Step 3:

Empty the contents of the vacuum cleaner after you have finished into a heavy plastic bag. Seal it and dispose of it outside your home to prevent it spreading. 

Step 4:

For further capturing of these bedbugs, you can put your cushion in a large sealable bag and place it in direct sunlight. You should do this until the temperature reaches around 48 Degrees celsius so that the heat can kill the bugs. 

Step 5:

Taking into consideration the bed size, it is possible to use a steamer to take care of your sofa bed frame. Connect the nozzle to your steamer and use it to go over every crack present and every flat surface. A good tip to make this more effective would be to cover the tip of your nozzle with a microfiber cloth, secured with a few rubber bands. This will increase the temperature at the tip of the nozzle. Remember bedbugs cannot survive in high heat! After this allow your sofa bed to air dry as it will be damp. You should wait up to 24 hours before you use your sofa bed again.

For some people after all these steps have been followed they still do not feel comfortable sleeping in the same bed. If that is you and you are not completely satisfied that you are bed bug free then it might be a good idea to replace your bed completely. Our upholstered grey ottoman beds are a good replacement for any bed, whether that be in your main room or your guest room. You can check out this bed and more information here!