My friend has bed bugs and sat on my couch, what do I do? Bed bugs are a frequent but annoying problem that can quickly get worse if not taken care of fast. If your friend has bed bugs and sat on your couch, you might be frightened that they will spread to your home.
The chance is that they left bed bugs behind and they will grow quickly into an infestation in other rooms if you don’t act.
This guide will tell you how to fix the situation, including how to spot bed bugs, stop an infestation from happening, and clean your couch and home.
My friend has bed bugs and sat on my couch
So, if your friend has bed bugs and sat on your couch, do the following:
1. Identify the bed bugs
Confirm that your friend actually has bed bugs and left them on your couch. Bed bugs are little, reddish-brown insects with an oval shape. They live in bedding, mattresses, and upholstered furniture, where they feed on human blood. If your friend has proven that they have bed bugs in their house, they could have brought them to your couch.
2. Begine the decontamination process
My friend has bed bugs and sat on my couch — that’s not okay. As soon as your friend leaves, put the potentially infected couch in a separate room so that bed bugs don’t spread to other parts of your home.
If you can, put a plastic sheet over the couch to make a wall between it and the rest of the room. Consider these bed bug treatment options without an exterminator:
a. Vacuuming
Everything on the couch should be vacuumed, including the cushions, seams, and cracks.
This will assist get rid of any bed bugs, their eggs, or skins that have fallen off. Make sure to throw away the vacuum cleaner bag right away by putting it in a plastic bag and putting it in a trash can outside.
b. Heating
Bed bugs and their eggs can be killed by taking off any cushion coverings that can be removed and washing them in hot water (at least 140°F or 60°C). After washing the items, dry them for at least 30 minutes in the hottest setting.
c. Clean with steam
Bed bugs and their eggs can be killed when you clean with steam.
Use a high-heat steam cleaner to clean all of the couch’s surfaces, paying special attention to seams, creases, and folds. Be careful to follow the steam cleaner’s directions to keep your couch from getting damaged.
d. Diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural, non-toxic material that can kill bed bugs by destroying their outer shells. Spread DE around the couch and any nearby areas to make a barrier that bed bugs won’t be able to cross.
Leave the DE alone for at least a week, and then vacuum it up, being sure to throw away the vacuum bag as explained above.
3. Monitor the situation
After you clean the couch, keep a close eye on it for any symptoms of bed bugs. This could be little reddish or brown stains from their poop, shed skins, or even live bed bugs. If you see any of these indicators, you need to take more steps to get rid of the problem.
If you think bed bugs have made their way back onto your couch due to your friend has bed bugs and sat on the couch, you’ll need to clean it again to get rid of them. Otherwise, you need professional intervention to stop potential bed bug infestation in your home.
4. Consider bed bug removal by experts
If you don’t think you can handle the problem on your own or if the problem keeps coming back despite your efforts, you might choose to hire a professional pest control firm. They have access to sophisticated tools and treatments that can get rid of bed bugs from your couch and home for good.
Steps to take to keep your home safe
In addition to removing bed bugs after your friend with bed bugs sat on your couch, you need to take precautions all over your home to stop a full-scale infestation.
1. Clean your couch and home regularly
Keep your house clean by frequently cleaning and washing sheets, curtains, and other materials. This makes it less likely that bed bugs will be able to get a stronghold in your home.
Pay attention to the couch for any development of bed bugs. Discourage your household and guests from sitting on the couch while you inspect it for any bed bug return after treatment.
2. Declutter your home
Bed bugs like places that are cluttered because it gives them lots of places to hide. However, bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime but to warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Cluttered areas offer them more hiding spots.
Try to get rid of clutter in your home, especially in bedrooms and living spaces where bed bugs are most likely to be located. This will make it harder for bed bugs to hide, and it will also be easier to identify any signs of an infestation.
3. Buy covers for your couch
Invest in good couch, mattresses, and box spring covers that will keep bed bugs away. These covers are made so that bed bugs can’t get in or out, which can help stop an infestation from getting worse. Make sure to inspect the encasings often for tears or holes and fix them if you find any.
Usually, regarding reports like “my friend has bed bugs and sat on my couch”, the recommendation is to encase the couch to prevent the bed bugs from spreading so quickly while you putting things in place to fight them.
4. Inspect other furniture
Bed bugs can spread like wildfire. So, it helps to inspect nearby couch and other furniture. Try to inspect nearby rooms as well if you only noticed the bed bugs days after your friend left.
Also, be careful when bringing second-hand furniture, especially upholstered pieces, into your home. Before you bring them into your home, check them carefully for symptoms of bed bugs.
5. Be careful with your travels
Make sure you don’t carry bed bugs home with you when you go. Look for indicators of bed bugs in the hotel room, keep your luggage off the floor and away from the furniture, and think about using a luggage encasement.
When you get home, wash and dry all of your clothes and materials at high temperatures, and then vacuum your suitcase before putting it away.
Can you get bed bugs from someone sitting on your couch?
You can get bed bugs from someone sitting on your couch.
Although bed bugs are not capable of transmitting diseases, they are readily transferred through personal and household objects. They are opportunistic pests that hitch a ride on clothing and possessions, seeking to get as close as possible to their human hosts during rest. Timing is critical for bed bugs, as they wait for the right moment to emerge and infest new environments.
Conclusion – My friend has bed bugs and sat on my couch
While you look to exterminate the bugs from your home, your friend may find it hard and distressing to deal with an infestation of bed bugs. Offer help by telling them about different ways to treat bed bugs, proposing expert pest control services, or giving them a hand with cleaning and getting rid of clutter. It’s also vital to note that having bed bugs has nothing to do with how clean or well-kept someone is, so try to be compassionate and kind during this hard time.
