Have you ever been exposed to bedbugs? There’s a good chance you have whether you know it or not, because these tiny critters are everywhere. Not only do they hide out in mattresses, but you can also find them in bed frames, clothing, furniture, behind pictures and even under loose wallpaper.
If you’ve been unlucky enough to be bitten by a bedbug, then you know the pain and discomfort of what feels like a million itchy bites across your back. And beyond the physical reaction, there’s the worry of whether you’ve also brought these unwanted critters into your home.
Most travelers don’t think or worry too much about bedbugs until it’s too late. But with the recent hysteria around the alleged outbreak in Paris, these pests are back on the radar.
I recently visited Paris and I wasn’t about to take any chances when it came to the elusive French bedbug. So, I did my research and took every precaution possible to protect myself from these munching menaces.
Here’s all the travel gear I bring with me to avoid bringing bedbugs home.
Use these 10 products to avoid bedbugs when you travel
There are a handful of essential oils that are good at repelling all types of bugs, including lavender, which is toxic to bedbugs. That’s why the first thing that I do when packing my bags is line them with these potent little lavender sachets.
I stuff them in the four corners of the bag, on the top of my packed clothes and in all of the pockets. They are lightweight and small, so they won’t add unnecessary weight. Plus, it makes your clothes smell lovely and you can also reuse them around your home to avoid other pests and musty smells.
Another scent that repels bedbugs and other insects is mint. They hate it, I love it — it’s a win-win. I scatter these throughout my luggage just as I do with the lavender sachet bags. Afterall, you can never be too careful.
Bedbugs love to hide in fabric, making your clothes the perfect place to hide away. That’s where Ziploc bags come in handy. While it may sound a bit extreme, I now pack my clothes in large resealable plastic bags before they go into my luggage, whether they’re clean or dirty. Yes, it’s a lot of extra work, but the few extra minutes it takes to do this is worth it for the peace of mind.
Lavender oil is great to have on hand when you’re on the move. After all, bedbugs have also been found on public transit, planes, trains and automobiles. For these situations, I put a few drops of lavender oil directly on my body before I head out to explore.
Do I smell a little bit like my grandma? Sure. But if it’s going to protect me on the subway, it’s completely worth it.
When I arrive at a hotel, I carefully examine the mattress for any signs of unwanted life. If you see little specks of black that look like mold or little blood marks, chances are you’ve got visitors and it’s time to ask for another room.
Even if there are no physical signs, there’s no guarantee it’s a bedbug-free zone, as bedbugs are masters at hiding. If you want to get super serious about bedbugs, you could pack this black light. But be warned, in addition to exposing bedbugs, it will also reveal the cleanliness — or lack of —?of a room, including pet urine, bodily fluids, leaks and more. So, be prepared for more than a bug.
You’ve lined your luggage and dabbed your body with lavender, now for your bed. Enter the Goodnight Pillow Mist.
Not only do I use this to spray down my bed, but I also spray it on the outside of my luggage, on all the furniture in the room and anywhere else my body makes contact. I might not be able to keep bedbugs totally at bay, but if they are there, I like to think they will stay on their side of the bed. Plus, the spray is great at relaxing my mind so that I can forget my buggy phobias and get a good night’s rest.
Hopefully, the above items have helped you avoid bedbugs altogether. But what happens when you wake up the next morning with itchy red bumps on your body?
It could be bedbugs, but it could also be a spider or mosquitos. Don’t panic. First, examine the bites closely and look for a trail of bites in a line. Typically, bites are in hard-to-reach places like your back, or whatever part of your body that made contact with the mattress. So, if it looks like someone’s drawn a map of the Starlink satellites across that part of your back that you can’t reach, that’s probably bedbugs.
Once you’ve identified your bite, it’s time to treat it with some After Bite. I never leave for any trip without bringing this specific product. It’s the only thing that gives me instant and lasting relief from that extreme itching. I love it and really can’t recommend it enough. You never know where and when you might get stung or bitten by an unwanted insect, so you should always be prepared.
Here’s another tip that's my own personal secret remedy. Once you’ve applied the After Bite and the itching has stopped, I loosely cover up bites with Band-Aids so that they don’t continue to get irritated by my clothes. It also helps remind me where the bites are so that I can scratch around them, not directly on them (thus reactivating the venom).
Not only does this help prevent more itching as I move around (especially in my sleep), but it also helps the bites heal faster. I like to use these fabric Band-Aids. They're flexible and comfortable and feel more natural on my skin. This tip works the same for mosquitoes, spiders and other itchy animal bites.
Just because you've returned home does not mean the fight is over. Bedbugs can hide in stealth mode for up to a year before they jump out and yell “Surprise!”
That’s why you’ll want to avoid bringing your bags directly into your home when you first arrive back. Whether you leave the luggage out on the balcony or in your backyard, it’s a good idea to keep it far away from the inside of your home — especially carpeted interiors — until you can spray it down with some bedbug spray. I use a product like Hot Shot Bed Bug Spray to lightly coat the outside of my bags.?
If there are any bugs in there, this will smoke them out and finish them off. That said, the chemicals in these items are not good for humans, so it’s best to keep these activities outside. Just make sure you’re not standing downwind when you start.
Once you’ve sprayed your luggage with bug spray, you’ll want to cover it to protect it from the outdoor elements, moisture and other animals. I like to wrap my luggage in super-strong plastic bags, like these from Amazon Basics.
I put one on the bottom and one on the top for the larger suitcases to make sure both sides are covered. The smaller carry-on pieces usually fit in one Hefty bag, so I can tie it up at the bottom. It’s up to you how long you want to leave your items outside, but I usually give it a day or two until I’m unpacked, settled back in and can use the following product to check if there’s any sign of unwanted life.
Now it’s time to move indoors and prepare your home for the return of the luggage and items. If your prevention efforts didn’t work, you missed a spot with your spray or one of the bedbugs has Mission Impossible skills, you can create another line of defense at the base of your bed with these bedbug interceptors.?
Slip these blockers under the four legs of your bed. From there, they work to trap and kill the bedbugs before they get anywhere near your mattress. I often buy sticky traps like these and stick them next to the luggage outside, too. If I don’t see any sign of bedbugs there after a couple of days, then I feel more confident the coast is clear and that I can bring my items inside. But I’ll still put some traps by the bed, just in case.
Another thing I strongly recommend you do immediately when you return home is to wash all of your clothes in 140 degrees Fahrenheit water (or hotter) to make sure you kill any bugs or eggs that might be lurking in your clothes.?
This higher heat will kill off whatever is hiding in those threads. You can use any detergent for this, but I like Soak. While it’s mostly made for delicate clothes, I use it on my normal clothes, too.?
I like it because Soak detergent isn’t made with harsh chemicals that can damage your skin or fabrics. Their bottles are also eco-friendly and made with recycled materials, so you don’t need to feel guilty about harming the environment. Not to mention, I love the smell of this product.
Mattress protectors are always a good idea. Not only do they help prevent bedbugs, but they also keep your mattress fresh as a daisy. Plus, nothing attracts bedbugs more than a stinky mattress.
Mattress protectors keep your bed in pristine condition by trapping all of those unwanted elements in a pad that can be regularly washed and cleaned. This will help kill off germs, eliminate odors and avoid unwanted stragglers. With such a clean bed, bedbugs won’t know where to go!
Finally, what happens if all else fails and you discover you have brought bedbugs back with you into your home? This is most likely going to be a very difficult, stressful and costly problem. But before you call a professional, you might want to try these bedbug foggers.
If you’ve caught the problem early enough, there is a chance that these foggers will do the job and save you some cash. But if all else fails, it might be time to call the exterminator and refer to this article before your next trip.
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