There is no worse feeling than waking up one day and realizing that you have become victim to a bed bug infestation.
Your mind starts rushing to find a potential solution.
You may be wondering whether Lysol kills bed bugs.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about curing your bed bug problem.
Does Lysol Kill Bed Bugs?
Yes, Lysol can kill bed bugs.
However, Lysol is not going to get rid of your bed bug problem.
It cannot kill bed bug eggs.
So, while Lysol can kill bed bugs on contact, it will not stop the cycle of bed bugs in your house.
Lysol also isn’t appropriate for all surfaces.
In addition to not killing bed bug eggs, Lysol contains an ingredient called denatured ethanol.
Denatured ethanol is poisonous to humans.
While the company that owns Lysol argues that it is safe to use, many question the safety of the product based on its ingredients.
This is another reason you might want to avoid using it in the face of a bed bug infestation.
How Do You Identify Bed Bugs?
Before you start treating bed bugs, it’s important to know for sure that this is what you are dealing with.
If you suspect you might be dealing with a case of bed bugs, here are some of the signs!
- You wake up itchy.
- You have recently acquired a piece of used furniture or a used mattress.
- There are blood stains on your pillows or sheets.
- You notice dark spots on your mattress, walls, or sheets. (This could be bedbug excrement.)
- You see bedbug egg shells or skin sheddings.
- You smell an offensive odor. (This can come from the bed bug’s scent glands.)
What Should I Do If I Think I Might Have Bed Bugs?
If you have noticed signs of bed bugs, the first thing you are going to want to do is check under your bedding for signs of the bugs.
Don’t just check under your sheets.
Remove all coverings from the mattress and also the box spring.
If there is fabric attached to the wood frame of your bed, pull that back as well.
Investigate for bugs, bed bug droppings, bed bug egg shells, or bed bug skin shedding.
You don’t want to just limit your search to the bed.
Despite the name, bed bugs can also attach to other places.
Check the area around the bed, the carpet (especially the edges), and even inside electrical outlets.
You also should check your clothing because bed bugs can attach there as well.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
You have a few different options when it comes to tackling the problem of bed bugs.
You could do the simple thing and call an exterminator for help, or you might decide to go the DIY route.
If you decide to get rid of the bed bugs yourself, here are some steps you should take.
1. General Cleaning
You are going to want to clean all of your bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water.
When you dry them, you are going to want to use the dryer.
Dry them on the highest setting possible for 30 minutes.
If you have any fabric-based objects that can’t be washed such as stuffed animals or shoes, put them in the dryer for at least 30 minutes.
2. Scrub The Mattress
If you have bed bugs, you are going to need to clear them from the mattress.
The first thing you are going to want to do is to use a stiff brush to scrub the mattress to remove the bedbug and eggs.
Focus especially on the seams as this is where bed bugs frequently hide.
3. Vacuum The Mattress
It is important to do this step immediately after scrubbing the mattress with a stiff brush.
The stiff brush helps to loosen any eggs or bugs, but they will likely still be on the mattress.
Vacuum your entire bed to remove the eggs and bus.
Don’t forget to also vacuum the surrounding area.
After you vacuum, discard the vacuum cleaner bag that contains the bugs and eggs.
To discard the bag, place it in a plastic bag first and then put it in a garbage can.
Make sure you put it in the outdoor garbage can.
If you leave the vacuum bag indoors, you risk allowing the bugs to spread again.
4. Encase The Bed
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You are going to want to get a tightly woven zipper cover to encase your mattress in.
A plastic cover, though not as comfortable, will do the best job of making sure that the bugs don’t escape.
Keep the cover on your mattress for a minimum of one year.
This is how long bed bugs can live without food.
Taking the cover off before a year will risk re-infestation.
5. Get Rid Of Infested Furniture
If you brought a piece of used furniture into your home that was the cause of the infestation, you want to get rid of the piece as soon as possible.
Refrain from selling it or giving it away, as doing so would continue the infestation in someone else’s house.
If a piece of furniture is infested with bed bugs, the safest practice is to discard it in the dump.
It is not a viable item for upcycling.
6. Seal Up The Hiding Spaces
Bed bugs can hide in wall cracks and even peeling wallpaper.
You want to make sure that you repair any cracks in the room so that you can prevent bed bugs from hiding inside of them.
Re-glue any wallpaper that is coming loose from the wall.
Take this as an opportunity to spruce up your room if you have neglected it!
7. Clean Up Your Room
You are going to want to clear out any clutter around the room.
Bed bugs can hide in many different places, so clearing out clutter will help prevent them from escaping your notice.
If you have anything made of fabric, make sure you wash and dry it on high heat.
Discard any trash surrounding or under the bed, as bed bugs could hide there as well.
8. Extermination
Even after all this cleaning, the bugs won’t be gone!
You are still going to need to use chemicals to exterminate them.
It is very important to use chemicals specifically made for use in the bed and bedrooms.
First of all, you don’t want to compromise your health.
This is one reason that Lysol should not be used as a bed bug treatment.
Secondly, you want to make sure that the treatment is acceptable for your mattress.
Cloth can be damaged by many chemicals.
By using a specific treatment made for mattresses, you insure the life of your mattress.
The label should specifically state that it is safe to be used on mattresses and bedding.
Note: Check Bed Bug Spray Usage Manual
At the end of the day, bed bug sprays are made up of some pretty powerful chemicals.
You are going to need to carefully read the instructions to make sure you use them properly.
Some sprays have ingredients that can be harmful to humans and require the treated space to be vacated for a certain amount of time.
Why You Might Want to Hire a Professional.
If you don’t feel confident in your ability to take on bed bugs yourself, it might be a good idea to hire a professional exterminator.
Here are a couple of situations where hiring an exterminator might be better.
1. You Have Young Kids
If you have kids who are affected by bed bugs, you might not be comfortable with the DIY approach.
After all, even though tackling bed bugs yourself can be cheaper, it can also take more time.
Each passing day you are living with bed bugs can result in more bites and irritation.
For some parents, it might be too much to bear to see their children getting bitten by bed bugs.
It is completely natural to have an even higher standard for the environment your children are exposed to.
Another reason some people might not be comfortable with DIY solutions around young kids is the chemicals involved.
You might want to make sure that the chemicals you use are safe around young children.
You also want to make sure you aren’t creating a dangerous mix of different chemicals that should not be combined.
In fact, it is extremely important to never mix chemicals without an expert’s supervision.
This results in far too many deadly household incidents.
Since children are even more sensitive to chemicals than many adults, it might be a good idea to spend the money on hiring a professional to help with the situation.
2. Your Landlord Will Pay For It
If you found bed bugs right at move-in, there is a good chance that your landlord might be on the line for fixing the situation.
Of course, if you brought the bed bugs in yourself, you shouldn’t count on your landlord to foot the bill.
However, if you moved into a place not knowing there was an active infestation, you should definitely ask your landlord to cover the cost of extermination.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs In The First Place?
The most common way people get bed bugs is by bringing an infested piece of furniture into their homes.
This is why you have to be especially careful with bringing used furniture into the house.
If you are set on bringing used furniture into the house, try to stick to pieces that don’t have any upholstery on them.
Many people who up-cycle furniture will only work with pieces that are made of wood, plastic, and metal.
This helps minimize the risk of bringing bed bugs into your home.
Another, though slightly less common, way to bring bed bugs into the home is through your clothes.
Bed bugs can attach to your clothes.
If you found yourself spending time in a home where there was a bed bug infestation, make sure you wash all your clothes with hot water and dry them in high heat.
How Do I Choose A Bed Bug Spray?
There are many bed bug sprays on the market.
It might seem overwhelming to make a choice.
Here are a few things you should consider when choosing a bed bug spray.
1. Type
There are two main types of bed bug sprays: contact and residual.
A contact spray will kill bugs on the first contact.
This can be a good solution to a small infestation.
For example, if you traveled somewhere with a bed bug infestation, you could spray your suitcase after the trip to sterilize it.
A residual bed bug spray doesn’t kill bugs on the first contact.
Instead, it takes time.
However, this extra time can be a good thing.
It allows bed bugs to spread the poison to each other.
This will result in more bugs dying over time.
The reason this is more effective than contact spray is precisely that it doesn’t require the bugs to come in contact with the spray.
If you have a bad or significant infestation, it is going to be better to go with a residual bed bug spray.
However, if the infestation is still small and contained, a contact bed bug spray might suffice and prevent the situation from growing out of control.
2. Ingredients
The second factor that you want to consider is ingredients.
You want to make sure that the bed bug spray is safe for you and your family.
You also need to make sure the spray is effective and will solve the problem.
These are some of the common ingredients you will find in a bed bug spray:
- Desiccants. This breaks downs the protective outside of the bug and leaves them vulnerable to dehydration, which will eventually result in death.
- Pyrethrins and pyrethroids. These ingredients work by inciting paralysis followed by death. They attack the insects’ inner nervous system. Even though they are derived from chrysanthemum flowers, this does not make them inherently “safe.” Therefore, you should use extreme care when encountering these ingredients.
- Cold pressed neem oil. This is a contact treatment that can be used against smaller infestations.
- Chlorfenapyr. This is a residual bed bug killer. It requires the insects to first consume the chemical. After ingested, it will poison the bug.
- Insect growth regulators. These are made to stunt the growth of bugs. It can either prevent the protective shell from growing which will leave the bug vulnerable to early death or it can prevent the bug from growing to adulthood. If the growth is stunted early enough, this can prevent reproduction, which can ultimately solve your bed bug problem.
- Neonicotinoids. This is a newer method for tackling bed bugs. This also leads to paralysis and death. It is a synthetic chemical that is made to imitate nicotine. It overwhelms the bug’s nerves.
No matter which type of treatment you choose, it is essential to read all the instructions and follow them carefully.
This will help you make sure that your treatment is successful. It will also prevent you from putting yourself at risk.
