If you have recently discovered a bed bug problem at your home, you are probably hurrying to find a solution. You may refer to your friends and family for suggestions or even look up solutions on the Internet. While doing your research, one question that may pop up in your mind is, “Does bleach kill bed bugs?”
Bleach is a potent chemical. The chemical has various uses in the household. In this blog, we will discuss whether bleach effectively kills bed bugs or not. Meanwhile, if you are struggling to remove bed bugs from your house, contact pest control specialists today.
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Can you use bleach to kill bed bugs?
Bleach is indeed a powerful chemical and can be used to kill off bed bugs. Grabbing a handful of bleach and launching an attack on the bugs can be tempting. However, nothing is as easy as it may seem.
Bleach is harmful to human beings as well. If you directly use it on your mattress, it may cause respiratory problems if inhaled and skin irritation. Therefore, you need to be careful with bleach.
Do bed bugs instantly die when they come in contact with bleach?
When bed bugs or their eggs come in contact with bleach, it oxidizes the outer layer of their shell, the body of the nymph, and the adult due to the power of sodium hypochlorite. However, bleach must come in direct contact with the bug in order to kill them. Making this happen can be challenging as bed bugs avoid bleach at all costs.
Using bleach to kill bed bugs
Before making your attack, make sure you clean your entire room. Get rid of clutter and vacuum the area properly. You will also need to wash your bedding, including pillows, sheets, throws, comforters, etc.
While using straight bleach works the best to kill these bugs, it can prove harmful to you and your family’s health. Therefore, it is better to use a diluted version with equal parts of hot water.
Put on gloves and soak a washcloth in the bleach solution. Wipe the floor, the bedside tables, headboards, and every washable surface in the room with the solution. For the mattress, put some of the solutions in a spray bottle and spray it down the box spring and mattress. Make sure not to use the mattress for two weeks after spraying.
While bleach can efficiently remove bed bugs, it can also be challenging, especially when using diluted bleach. However, even with pure bleach, the chances of removing bed bugs from your house entirely are very slim since these creatures are aware of these scenarios and tend to hide when bleach cannot go.
If you are battling bed bug problems, reach out to pest control experts.
