Bedbugs: 5 Steps to Help Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home With You From Vacation by MattressNextDay

With nearly a billion searches on TikTok and 7.4 million Google searches across America, bedbugs have become a buzzworthy topic on everyone’s minds following the mass outbreak in Paris in October 2023. The experts at MattressNextDay have revealed the U.S. states most likely to suffer from bedbugs in 2024 through analyzing Google search volumes over the last year.

Oklahoma comes out on top with the highest number of bedbug searches. Oklahoma ranks top, with a staggering 4,114 searches per 10,000 residents, nearly 400 searches ahead of West Virginia in second place. Ohio ranked third in the U.S. with 3,657 searches per 10,000 residents.

Leading sleep expert of over 30 years, Martin Seeley, has compiled a range of helpful tips for American travelers this summer. "Bedbugs can travel between homes and hotels and can sit on clothes, furniture, bedding and luggage," he says. "They can be hugely difficult to get rid of once you’ve gotten them; and the problem is, they’re so small, you often don’t notice you have them until you start to see the telltale bite marks. As with many things, prevention is easier than cure; so if you’re concerned about bringing bedbugs into your home, have a read of these tips."

1. Be Careful When Traveling

One of the main culprits of bedbugs is hotel rooms. So before you bed down for the night, inspect the mattress, bedding and other areas of the room for any dark spots. Bed bugs may transfer onto your clothing and luggage, so try and keep your suitcase off the floor if possible, and as soon as you get home, wash your clothes on a high heat to kill any potential bugs that may have crawled onto them.

2. Be Wary In Public

It’s not just hotel rooms that can have them – anywhere public could too, as people who have bedbugs will likely have them on their clothes. Whether you’re about to sit down on public transport, a doctor’s waiting room or even a seat at the cinema, do a quick scan to check for those telltale reddish brown marks to check it’s safe to do so.

3. Use Protective Covers

Consider packing and using zippered luggage liners or plastic bags during your hotel stay to encase your suitcase and prevent bedbugs from hitching a ride home.

4. Store Clothes Safely

Keep your clothes in sealed plastic bags within your luggage rather than using hotel drawers and closets. If you must hang clothes, use hangers and keep them away from walls and upholstered furniture.

5. Heat-Treat Your Belongings

After returning home from vacation, it's good practice to immediately wash and dry all clothing on high heat, including those not worn in hot water and dry them on a high heat for at least 30 minutes. Also, you should thoroughly vacuum your suitcase thoroughly including the seams, folds and pockets to kill any potential bedbugs and dispose of the vacuum bag outside your home immediately.

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