Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed Bug Treatment
Bagging post-washed and dried clothes. Why?
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Grindstone99
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 56
Posted 6 months ago
Sat May 2 2009 12:48:29
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My PCO said the bug problem seems to be only in my bedroom. I have unknowingly been living with them for months so of course things have been moved (including dirty laundry) from the bedroom to the rest of the house, although I have not seen any in the rest of teh place. Only the bedroom has been sprayed.
So, as I am constantly going through laundry, I am folding and piling the clean laundry on my kitchen table. After reading some posts on here, I am starting to panic, as people are saying to bag up teh laundry even after it's been cleaned. My questions is WHY, FOR HOW LONG, and did I just screw myself over by doing what I did? -
bedbugsmakemesad
newbite
Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 28
Posted 6 months ago
Sat May 2 2009 13:04:28
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You re-bag your clothes after they've been washed/cleaned in order to ensure that your nice bug-free clothes stay that way. And also to avoid clutter in your bedroom during your treatment period. Clutter is the enemy. Plus, if and when you need another treatment you won't have to go through all the hassle of "prepping" again if everything is already still in bags.
I've been treating for nearly 2 months and haven't seen any sign of a bb in a month and I'm still living out of bags for another few weeks just to be on the safe side.
Trust me, you get used to it after a few weeks, it's not that bad. Having your clothes in plastic bags for a couple of months is a small price to pay to ensure you are bedbug free.
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bunnybedbug
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 60
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 23:48:24
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Grindstone99 -
I was just asking myself this question tonight. After 4 hrs at the laundromat today, I came home with everything in bags (my house was treated today) and wondered why I couldn't just hang things up & take clothes out of bags. But I remembered something else. Yes, we want to keep clean things bagged for all the reasons mentioned above. And also, I need to keep everything that hasn't been treated yet (whatever that is at your house... books? dishes? papers? CD's? etc) still in bags *to keep bugs from getting out* of the bags. That's where the 18 month rule gets hard to wrap my brain around... but I have to remember that we use the bags for both reasons. Some stay in, some stay out. Hope that helps.
bbb -
LiveBait
newbite
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 1
Posted 5 months ago
Fri Jun 5 2009 17:27:02
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Has anyone put their clean and dried clothes in a big plastic storage container? My husband and I did this, but I don't know if its the safest way to keep our clothes free of infestation. Any thoughts?
Also, I've bought a bunch of space saver bags and put in the items that we don't need to use on a regular basis.
Do I really have to wait 18 months to open the bags back up? -
bunnybedbug - 6 days ago »
I need to keep everything that hasn't been treated yet (whatever that is at your house... books? dishes? papers? CD's? etc) still in bags *to keep bugs from getting out* of the bags. That's where the 18 month rule gets hard to wrap my brain around...
Well, actually, bagging "dirty" stuff is way more controversial.
Most PCOs seem to agree on washing/drying/bagging clothing.
Many do not agree with bagging everything else you own, which may have been exposed to bed bugs.
Absolutely do not do this unless a PCO tells you to AND you ask that PCO when the bag will be undone. Some PCOs tell people to unpack bags after treatment is done. Of course, that's a bad idea, since it may reinfest the home.
On the other hand, it's not necessary in most cases to store items for 18 months. Once upon a time, people did do this. Many of us don't think it's a good idea. There are other ways.
I would personally try and choose a PCO who does not require you to bag everything you own.
Again, I stress I am fine with washing/drying/bagging clothing, but other items can be decontaminated in other ways if necessary. In many cases, simply exposing items so bed bugs can cross poison and die seems to be recommended.
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Traumabugged
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 103
Posted 5 months ago
Fri Jun 5 2009 22:57:15
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Just a silly question about bagging after drying: Does one have to bag them immediately after the drier stops? Sometimes I get busy and have to wait a few hours to get my closes out of the drier...
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Aris
junior member
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 61
Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 1 2009 15:33:46
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What I don't understand is:
If you did wash your clothes and dry them at a very high temperature for, say, 90 minutes, how would the bed bugs have survived? And if they didn't survive, isn't the bagging just extra work? -
Aris, bedbugsmakemesad explains here:
bedbugsmakemesad - 2 months ago »
You re-bag your clothes after they've been washed/cleaned in order to ensure that your nice bug-free clothes stay that way.If bedbugs can get into clothing once, they can get into them again - even after a proper wash and dry.
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Aris
junior member
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 61
Posted 4 months ago
Thu Jul 2 2009 18:23:08
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persona-non-bugga - 4 minutes ago »
If bedbugs can get into clothing once, they can get into them again - even after a proper wash and dry.
OK, I understand that.
So this must mean the reason so many PCOs recommend the post-drying bagging in addition to the treatment they are using is that they are unsure that their treatment alone will be sufficient. -
Traditional pesticide treatments almost never work in one go. One common practice is to treat every 10-14 days until the bugs are eradicated. The 10-14 day period is synched with the period of bedbug eggs hatching and new nymphs emerging.
Have you seen the FAQs on the blog? Check 'em out when you have a chance. There's a lot of bedbug 101 info on there that could keep you on the right track for getting rid of these things.
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