Number One Location for Bedbugs: Your Local Laundromat, due to Homelessness...

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Number One Location for Bedbugs: Your Local Laundromat, due to Homelessness...

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bedbug nation

newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 3

Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 8 2009 13:47:41
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Bedbugs Seen: my local laundromats. Several times. Response by laundromat? Wipe machine. Response by Health Authorities? Unfortunately, is impossible to monitor. The dryer will kill them.

Your number one protection against bedbugs? Your own washer/dryer.

The problem I've seen is the homeless in my laundromat, using the various facilities and not having anything "cleaned" afterward. These poor people sleep on the street, and I have seen more times than I can count them coming in to use the dryers for their wet bedding, while they also put possessions from their shopping carts into the laundromat wheely carts that are used for clean laundry, carts that are NOT cleaned after they do so. I have never seen the laundromat wipe out a dryer or clean a cart after a homeless person has used it. And right afterward, I have witnessed people putting their clean laundry into these same carts, including the laundromat itself, for its drop-off service. (The laundromat also sorts any dirty laundry they receive in these carts).

This laundromat accepts drop-off service for multi-millionaires. This is a laundromat where houses sell for between 1 million and 13 million. There is no better one. I've looked, and there are bedbugs in other ones, too (I saw 5 machines at one laundromat with the bugs on top). I've used this laundromat for 15 years and this only started in the last few years - with the homelessness.

When I first moved to this neighborhood, there were NO homeless. Unfortunately, the rising cost of housing, as well as the closing of Mental Health institutions has meant many living on the streets. Then, the city enacted some bylaws that meant that these homeless people got ticketed for begging. Once they got several tickets, they were no longer allowed to be in the downtown core, or use the shelters there. This meant they moved into the suburbs where they currently sleep in doorways - and also, at the local youth hostels. (Note: be concerned about staying in a hostel for this reason).

This is what people should be worried about when doing laundry at a laundromat. With what I have witnessed I would ABSOLUTELY recommend NEVER dropping your laundry off!! IF you want to lessen your chance of bugs: DO NOT PUT YOUR CLEAN LAUNDRY INTO THE WHEELY BASKETS. DO NOT FOLD YOUR LAUNDRY ON TOP OF WASHERS (that's where I've seen bugs). DO NOT FOLD ON THE COMMON AREAS, where people store their dirty bags. Don't let people sort their dirty laundry on top of the washing machines you have your clean clothes in. (Tell them you have bugs - it's the ONLY way to stop people from doing this. Unfortunately, people get very offended when you ask - but you have to protect yourself.).

I've developed a good method of doing laundry to not bring bugs home:

You need: several rubbermaid containers & pillow cases. What you want to do is pre-sort your laundry before you get there, into the pillowcases. Put the laundry in the pillowcase directly into the washers, including the pillowcases. Don't sort there. Make sure you wipe down the containers as well as your washing machines, as the bugs hide at the top. When the washer is done, put wet clothing DIRECTLY into the container to take to the dryer. DO NOT USE THE BASKETS!!! Then, fold directly from the dryer into a pillowcase inside your container. Once you arrive home, leave the containers in the hall, pull out the pillowcases. Remove your outdoor pants and shirts before taking the clothing into your bedroom, put these in a plastic bag. Once you have put away the laundry, either vacuum the containers or put them in your shower and hose down. Vaccuum your front entrance way. Shower. Vacuum your car regularly, shake off your coat/shoes after driving your car, leave them at your entrance, do not put them in your bedroom.

This may seem a tad obsessive. But historically, people have been battling the bedbug for centuries, with or without pest control. In Victorian times, households would not allow their live-in staff to come into the house with any of their own bedding or clothing, as they knew it would infest the entire house. Likewise, sailing ships would not allow sailors to bring bedding and used hammocks as an alternative to dissuade bugs.

I've been looking for a new apartment, and I've noticed that the only buildings that don't have bedbugs are the ones that have insuite laundry. Even if the building is next to a building on the Bedbug Registry, the building has insuite laundry - and doesn't have them. I truly believe this is the number one way to not get bugs, other than using the method I've described above.

Note: you could also be risking your clothing if you are dropping off drycleaning at a laundromat. The same people handling the laundry also handle your drycleaning. I think it's important to look at the living conditions of the people doing so, and you will know if there is any risk....
ihavequestions

newbite
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 4

Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 8 2009 16:17:41
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So basically you think that poor people are more likely to have bedbugs? That makes no sense. People in homes, with furniture and belongings where bedbugs can live, are far more likely to have them. Have you really thought about the logic of what you've posted here?
bedbug nation

newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 3

Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 8 2009 20:40:32
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Hmm. That's not what I've found in two years of searching for a place to buy. The condos for sale, even in the strata minutes, that have contained insuite laundry, don't record bedbugs (Yes, I know they could be lying, but not every single one for years and years of looking). On either side of these buildings are apartment rentals with bedbug infestations, in almost every block of the city. I'm just pointing out that it appears to me - in my opinion - that having your own laundry lessens your risk, it doesn't matter what your income is, because you aren't coming into contact with bugs on other people's laundry, which I think is one of the easiest ways to carry them home.

We have currently almost 3,000 homeless on the street in my city, and astronomical rents. I do think that homeless people are a source of bedbugs, because where I live there are tons of news articles on how this is so, and it's a strange coincidence that the bugs spread through the city at the same time that homelessness did; that they did not exist in the city 10 years ago (even when apparently they made the huge appearance at Sydney, and I know that lots of people travelled here from there). It makes me wonder if the bedbugs in Sydney actually were there prior to the Olympics, when people were displaced and rentals were high there too?

In today's world, you have the potential to get bedbugs from anything, whether you are rich or poor: a valet driver who has driven another vehicle that has bedbugs; mechanic; housekeeper's vacuum (used in other homes); blankets in a moving van; airplane; taxi; 5 star hotel, etc. Any kind of living condition that enables bugs to sustain themselves, means bugs can spread, and means that anyone come into contact with bugs. It's not just travel anymore.

Maybe it's idealistic, but when people are not marginalized, there is a lesser chance of spreading bugs since they have a lesser opportunity to actually live in decent living conditions.
pleasebugsgoaway

newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 11

Posted 1 month ago
Sat Oct 17 2009 7:58:18
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I wondered about this. When decluttering in preparation for my first treatment, I sent some laundry out to the local laundromat/drycleaner, even though we have our own (small) washer/dryer. I just felt overwhelmed by the amount of laundry to do. Now I'm regretting this, as we seem to have bedbugs in the bed covered by a comforter just returned from that laundromat. This is a bed that previously did NOT have bedbugs. When I dropped off the laundry, I was tempted to say that this was bedbug-motivated cleaning, but I was of course a little embarrassed, and also thought it was obvious from all the bedding that we were having cleaned, plus I figured the laundromat should have a policy in place to deal with dirty/contaminated laundry, since this is their job. Now I'm realizing that I was overoptimistic. Probably, as the original poster suggested, it is a good general strategy to tell everyone you have bedbugs, since this will motivate others to keep their stuff away from yours, which will prevent re-contamination without offending anyone.
myny2009

newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 4

Posted 1 month ago
Tue Oct 20 2009 15:39:38
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I went to the laundromat in our neighborhood today and my jaw dropped when I saw the owner dumping dirty laundry on the floor (!) in order to separate the colors from the whites. I approached him to said that it was a) really unsanitary and b) that it can also spread bed bugs to his workplace and to all the people he is servicing and that the most responsible thing to do is to purchase a large canvas bin (the ones that are used in hotels) along with a removable/washable liner. I often think that its too easy and simple to dismiss and blame homeless people for bedbugs spreading in laundromats. Everyone (including owners) are responsible as well. Awareness is key... :)