Bed bugs in NYC are a common occurrence. Nearly everyone has an encounter with bed bugs in their home, or knows someone who has. If you have this issue, then ridding your couch of bed bugs is essential to fully remove them from your home. If you do not fully remove them from your couch, they may continue to live in your apartment and infect other areas like your mattress and carpets. In this article, we discuss how to get rid of bed bugs in your couch.
Are Bed Bugs in Your Couch?
It’s important to try to see if bed bugs are truly in your couch. Bed bugs are small, oval-sized, and brownish insects that feed on the blood of animals and humans. They can be hard to observe because they are active at night only. Look for these signs to see if they are on your couch:
Blood Stains
Look for little blood stains on your sheets and pillowcases. Sometime they even look like dots of paint but they are in fact blood
Dark Spots
Dark or rusty spots on sheets or couch indicate that bed bugs are living there. Look on nearby furniture items as bed bugs will crawl from one place to another to feed. These dark spots are bed bug excrement
Eggshells
Eggshells and shed skin cells can be found in crevices where bed bugs hide. If you find them, then that is their home. Often there are babies living there too. Pull back the edges of cushions or crevices of your couch. This is how to check for bed bugs living in your couch.
Actual Bed Bugs
You may actually find bed bugs. If you wake up in the night, turn on the lights and look around quickly. You may be able to see them crawl away to their hiding spots. They are about half the size of a sesame seed.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs from Your Couch
There are several ways you can get rid of bed bugs from your couch, some are more effective than others. Some are DIY and some require professionals.
Kill with Steam
Very hot steam vapor will kill bed bugs. If you choose to DIY get rid of bed bugs, purchase a handheld steamer and try to find all the places that they live on your couch. Steam those areas thoroughly for at least 10 seconds on each spot. Remember to find ALL the spots as if you cannot find all of them, they will eventually come back
Wrap Your Couch
Another way to get rid of bed bugs is to wrap your couch and not use it for 6 months. It may not be pleasant but if the bed bugs are trapped and cannot feed, they will eventually die. This obviously takes a long time and may be uncomfortable for you as you will not be able to use your couch during this time
Hire a Carpet Cleaner
Professional carpet cleaners versed in bed bug removal can deeply clean all the parts of your couch using industrial equipment and chemicals. This will ensure that the bed bugs are completely removed. When the cleaning is done, it's important to wrap the couch temporarily and hire an exterminator to spray the rest of the apartment. This will ensure that the bed bugs from other areas will not climb up the legs of the couch and live there again.
Prevent Bed Bug Infestations in Your Couch
There are several precautions and steps you can take to prevent a bed bug infestation on your couch and in your home. Bed bugs enter homes through infested luggage, clothing, used furniture, and other items.
Don’t a Couch from the Street
If you found a great couch on the street, just understand that it needs to be professionally cleaned immediately when it enters your apartment. Who knows, the person before you may have thrown it out because there were bugs in the apartment. Wrap the couch immediately once it enters your home and call a professional couch cleaner
Inspect Lodging when Traveling
Bed bugs can enter your luggage when you are traveling and infect your apartment and couch when you get home. Be sure to stay in hygienic places and inspect the bed and upholstered furniture when traveling. Keep suitcases away from the bed and floor.
Bed Bugs on Your Couch? Call Us
We are professional couch cleaners in NYC and can deep clean your couch to ensure the removal of bed bugs. Our industrial equipment and special chemicals will leave your couch bed bug free! Get a free quote today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Look for blood stains, dark spots of excrement, eggshells, or shed skin in crevices, and actual bed bugs, especially at night.
Bed bugs are small, oval, brownish insects, about half the size of a sesame seed, that feed on the blood of animals and humans.
Yes, very hot steam vapor can kill bed bugs. Use a handheld steamer to thoroughly steam infested areas for at least 10 seconds each.
Wrapping your couch and not using it for 6 months can starve and eventually kill trapped bed bugs, though it's inconvenient.
Professional cleaners use industrial equipment and chemicals to ensure complete removal of bed bugs from all parts of your couch.
After professional cleaning, wrap the couch temporarily and hire an exterminator to spray the rest of the apartment to prevent reinfestation.
Be cautious with street furniture; it should be professionally cleaned immediately upon entering your home to prevent bed bug infestation.
