For those without a washer and dryer at home, the laundromat is a lifeline. But while you’re there to clean your clothes, you might unknowingly pick up an unwanted guest—bed bugs. Here’s how to stay vigilant and keep your laundry pest-free.
How Bed Bugs End Up in Laundromats
It might seem surprising, but laundromats can be a hotspot for bed bugs. These pests often hitch a ride on clothes, linens, or bags, making their way into public spaces like laundromats.
While a hot wash will kill bed bugs, cold-water cycles won’t, allowing them to survive and potentially spread. Once inside, they can crawl onto surfaces like baskets, countertops, or the floor, leaving you at risk of taking them home with your clean laundry.
Tips to Keep Your Laundry Bed Bug-Free
Inspect Surfaces Before You Use Them
Before tossing your laundry into a machine or setting it down, take a moment to check the area. Look for signs of bed bugs, like tiny black specks (their droppings) or shed skins, inside washers, dryers, and folding tables. If you’re unsure about a surface, avoid placing your clothes there.
Use High Heat Settings
Whenever possible, wash your clothes in the hottest water they can handle. High heat kills bed bugs and their eggs. After washing, make sure to dry your items on a high-heat setting as well. For delicate items that can’t handle high heat, consider hand washing them at home or taking them to a dry cleaner.
Bring Separate Laundry Baskets
Use two laundry baskets: one for your dirty clothes and one for the clean ones. This helps prevent any bugs from transferring back to your freshly laundered items. Opt for washable or foldable baskets that you can clean thoroughly after each trip.
Be Careful with Your Belongings
While waiting for your laundry, keep personal items like jackets, bags, or purses off the floor and seating areas. Use hooks if they’re available or keep your items with you. Bed bugs are mobile and can easily latch onto unattended belongings.
By staying alert and taking a few simple precautions, you can drastically reduce the chances of bringing home bed bugs from your next trip to the laundromat. A little extra care goes a long way in keeping your home—and your laundry—clean and bug-free.
By staying alert and taking a few simple precautions, you can drastically reduce the chances of bringing home bed bugs from your next trip to the laundromat. A little extra care goes a long way in keeping your home—and your laundry—clean and bug-free.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
