Nobody wants to think about bed bugs. But the reality is that they can be an issue that any of us could have to deal with at some point in our lifetimes. No matter what you think, bed bugs are not always reflective of your personal hygiene. France, for example, has seen its bed bug issue rise from 180,000 cases to 400,000 cases between 2018 and 2020. Bed bugs are often prolific simply because people don’t realize that they’re a problem in the first place and don’t take the steps to prevent or eliminate them. With that being said, let’s look into what you can do to prevent and destroy bed bugs.

1. Use plastic bins

It’s not uncommon for people to store items under their beds. If you live in a smaller space, it may be difficult for you to store items without keeping them under your bed. However, this can create an opportunity for bed bugs to infest your items, and it’s an easy jump from something under the bed to your mattress. Therefore, you should store your items in plastic bins. Bed bugs have a hard time moving across plastic surfaces.

2. Use the right bed sheets

You’ll set yourself up for success if you have the right bed sheets. Not only will you be able to sleep better, but high-quality sheets are often less likely to be affected by bed bugs. If you have skin allergies, use hypoallergenic bedsheets. If you do have hypoallergenic bedsheets, make sure that they’re washed on the highest heat setting, and take steps to ensure that the sheets never touch the ground, where they could be affected by bed bugs.

3. Wash after travel

Of course, you should in general wash your clothes after you’ve traveled. But it’s especially important to do this to ensure that if you did pick up any bed bugs, they’re taken care of quickly. Just as we recommended with your hypoallergenic bedsheets, make sure that you wash your clothes on the highest heat setting. For good measure, wash all of your luggage as well.

If you do find yourself dealing with bed bugs, talk to an exterminator immediately. While you may not always need an exterminator for a bed bug infestation, you should at least follow their instructions. Follow the tips above and consider purchasing your very own mattress protector against bed bugs or hypoallergenic bedsheets from B-Sensible today.